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Space Stories
A collection of over 20 exciting space stories written for children. Some are set on a future earth, some in our solar system and some on worlds far away. Writers include Ray Bradbury, Nicholas Fisk, Arthur C. Clark, Douglas Hill and Stephen Bowkett.
Paperback
Published September 26, 1996
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About the author
Mike Ashley
279 books130 followersMichael Raymond Donald Ashley is the author and editor of over sixty books that in total have sold over a million copies worldwide. He lives in Chatham, Kent.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
March 16, 2013
I do not own this book, I borrowed it from my local library. However, I do feel that it is a delightful collection to own, especially for the younger generation out there (boys and girls, ideally aged 9-15). Although the stories range from short to very short, they are entertaining, and will keep the reader on his/her toes.
1) To See the Stars
By Lawrence Schimel and Mark A. Garland (1996)
Interesting take for it concerns Mitchell’s ambition to see the stars, something we all usually take for granted. The Earth is protected by a huge Dome (‘Dyson Sphere’), which was constructed to encapsulate all the solar energy which was being lost to space. Mitchell dream does come true, though he does manage to drag his wife, Jerina, into it, much to her dismay…
~3.75/5
2) The Long Night
By John Christopher (1974)
Entertaining as well, I really felt troubled for Dugmore and Corfield for the ‘worms’ (‘Vermis Lunaris Corfieldis’!)did seem to be invincible. A witty short story, for the sun to set it takes several hours on the moon; but by then both Dugmore and Corfield would be long dead… After their ‘Caterpillar’ (moon vehicle) got stuck by a particular boulder infested with these mutant worms which began to ‘eat’ through the metal at an increasing rate, and with communication out of the question, there is a certain suspense factor to this short story as well. Enjoyable, though one may argue that the ‘solution’ that they found was too obvious/predictable.
~4/5
3) The Hunters
By Walt Sheldon (1952)
Initially confusing, it concerns the couple Lon and Jeni. Having been lucky enough to be in possession of a plane, unlike most people, Lon managed to ensure safety for himself and his wife after fleeing an attack by what initially seems to be an ‘alien’ race. One after the other, cities fell. Even with the plane, not everything did go smoothly for Lon and Jeni. However, they did manage to reach a secluded hill far from all the inhumane chaos. The ‘aliens’ were relentless, and they wanted to exterminate all living creatures in the planet. They reached Lon and Jeni, and there seemed to be no apparent escape for them. The last three paragraphs not only explain everything though; it is one of the most surprising, effective plot twists I have ever read in such a short story. The reader assumes that Lon and Jeni are descendants from earth. BUT;
“A creature (the assumed ‘alien’ in question) emerged from the white-barked trees. He stood there and stared at Lon, and stared at Jeni upon the ground. He seemed a little frightened himself. He lifted his weapon.
Lon stared back, taking in every strange detail. It was his first close look at one of these invaders from the planet called Earth, which was third from the Sun and had one moon.
He (Lon) waited for the noise of the weapon, wondering if he would hear it”
This story also emphasizes the sheer destruction caused by all colonizers in general. Although incredibly short, this was one of the most amusing and witty short stories in this collection.
~4.5/5 (My personal favourite)
4) Asteroid 745: Mauritia
By Donald A. Wollheim (1953)
The premise is that of a ghost story in space. Cool, right? One should bear in mind that this was written a long time ago, so it was beyond its time for sure. In fact, the character Chief Braun in this short story claims to be a descendant from Eva Braun herself… I especially liked the way this short story incorporates the historical figure of Hitler, which from its perspective happened 200 years before its events. The ghost, Mauritz, is in fact a jew bent on enacting revenge. He certainly is one lucky ghost, considering that who must be the only direct descendant of Hitler happened to visit that particular asteroid from the thousands of millions that exist in any star system. However, it remains a bold and witty undertaking by the author Wollheim, albeit being way too far-fetched even for a ghost story of this kind.
~3.75/5
5) City of Ancient Skulls
By Simon Clark (1996)
This also includes figures from the popular media. Laurel and Hardy… What!!! I hear you say. Well, in this one, the two comic figures everyone loves were redesigned by humans as androids so that these characters might stay forever more entertaining the masses. Yet the city that housed them fell into ruin, so they were left to decay, along with the other androids. A chance encounter with an alien race meant that these two androids were reactivated. They did not rust like the others for their room remained intact and, therefore, that particular planet’s atmosphere (with a high oxygen level) did not oxidize them consequently. The rest of the crew did not manage to get out from their pods, and they would have died were it not for Hardy’s noble self-sacrifice. Who said androids had no heart eh? ‘Bright Spark’ is also a noteworthy character.
~3.75/5
6) Derelict
By Raymond S. Gallun (1935)
One of the better written stories in this collection. Jan Van Tyren is a man overcome by grief and emotion. Having lost his family, he felt that the vastness of space held nothing of interest to him anymore. A chance encounter with a derelict alien space vessel was of little interest to him, initially. The alien ‘Star Ship’ was technologically superior to what the human race had invented thus far. It also housed a ‘serpentine-like’ automaton whose purpose was to aid its forgotten masters. This machine was named ‘Khambee the Second’ by Jan, after a Mercurian elf who was equally always willing to help. They developed a sort of friendship together. The ship’s technology, whose blue rays served the purpose to pour their lulling effulgence on Jan, and Khambee, were a substitute to Jan of his own family. Khambee wanted his master to get better for a reason, however. Together they plot to retake a lost Ganymede Colony, ‘Joraanin’ from the rebel ‘Loathi’. Maybe Jan is the slave, and not Khambee… All in all, this is a witty story (which explores the master-slave dynamic) that is a cut above from some of the others. I just cannot believe this was written in 1935...
~4.25/5
7) A Walk in the Dark
By Arthur C. Clark (1950)
This comes from one of the leaders in the field, so, naturally, my expectations were sky-high. It did not disappoint. It has a suspense factor to it as well, for the reader does not know who to believe. You see, this is about a certain Robert Armstrong who disregarded an old man’s warning about a terrifying monster on an alien planet as nothing more than superstition or a misunderstanding. Armstrong mocked the old man, and made fun of him. Now it happens that Armstrong’s ‘Space-Tractor’ broke on the way to Port Sanderson, on this alien planet. He has only a torch to guide him, but this also fails. Armstrong blamed his bad luck on a fickle goddess which never did favour him. He has to walk over four miles in near pitch black darkness, from caves to passes. However, one cannot help but remember the old man’s ramblings about that monster. Maybe the old man was not so barmy after all… Witty and subtle, Clark certainly does not disappoint.
~4.25/5
8) Protected Species
By H. B. Fyfe (1951)
This contains many interesting aspects and underlying themes. Otis, a colonial inspector, understands that there may be more to a particular planet than what meets the eyes. Finchley, the coordinator, whose only interest is resource exploitation and planetary development, fails to become convinced otherwise. The ‘ape-hunts’ on the native ‘Torangs’ are for him a means for his crew to ease the stress. Finchley tries, but fails, to bribe Otis in disregarding these hunts from his reports. The predominant ruins on the planet are secondary to Finchley, as well. Thanks to Otis however, awareness is established about such cold, unnecessary hunting practices, and also about the architecture of the surviving ruins on the planet. Also, his visits to the ruins contain an important revelation. The ruins were not those of the Torangs…
~4/5
9) The Cage
By A. Bertram Chandler (1957)
Hmmm… Not too sure about this one. The first half of the story I enjoyed, the second half proved to be an unsatisfying conclusion. The survivors of the star-ship ‘Lode Star’, which crashed into a lush planet, were fortunate for the planet was life-sustaining and not hostile, although the fungi did enhance the decaying process on their equipment. Slowly they began to fight with each other over the chances of their survival, and they became so much like irrational animals. Indeed after a staged fight between two men to decide who gets Miss Taylor under the laws of natural selection, an alien race failed to distinguish the humans from other animals and captured them for 'experimental purposes'. The aliens also captured Dr. Boyle (their appointed chief) and Hawkings (the second in command). The captured humans then needed to convince the aliens that they were rational human beings and not animals, but with what? Certain animals had the ability to ‘talk’ and laugh like humans so that was of no use, and even when Hawkings managed to teach them how to weave baskets, it proved to be of no consequence, for certain animals know how to make nests for their young ones too. It was only when the humans managed to capture a native rat-like creature, after the incessant disdain of Miss Taylor, that they convinced the aliens of their rationality. The theory is that only rational beings can capture other beings instead of killing them. The aliens then were incredibly docile after their misunderstanding, and offered the humans (after two casualties) to send them back home with many apologies. What I did not like about it is that the aliens, in my opinion, could have discovered the human’s rationality earlier and through other means as well. This is still an original story, to the extreme in fact, considering that three-quarters of this fictional account involves the dealings and interactions of humans with no clothes on… Not that anybody is complaining about it, my criticism lies purely on certain improbable elements that compromise the whole story, and not on its uniqueness.
~3.75/5
10) Intelligent Life Elsewhere
By Stephen Bowkett (1996)
An archaeologist for the Earth Cluster Exploration Organization (ECEO) leads an expedition having travelled to the ‘Sadalsuud’ System aboard the research ship ‘Anubis’ (after the Egyptian god who helped to preserve the remains of the dead). The expedition consists of Carl (his assistant), the narrator (his daughter), Lee-Ann (his top student), the annoying Commander Keel, whose real motive remains a mystery, plus a bunch of the so-called ‘Videodroids’, named, funnily (and wittily) enough Eeny, Meeny and Miny. These are used for research purposes only, unlike the ‘Knowbots’ Smart-Machines utilized by the military. Having discovered an ancient temple in this star system, the expedition uncovered the means to open its entrance. However, by this time, Commander Keel had deployed a whole army in front of it. Whether this aggravated the aliens inside the temple to fight back, or whether the aliens were naturally hostile, therefore, remains unknown. The point of this story is that violence or hostility makes alien and rational man indistinguishable from each other. Any race can create, in equal measures, either artistic beauty or weapons of mass destruction. However, I think that this story is biased in the sense that even though a lot of aliens and men soldiers, including their ‘Deathdroids’, were dying, the author's main concern was that Commander Keel was destroying huge chunks of sculptured stone with his ‘Smartgun’. What I mean is that the author believes it is a pity that the temple is losing some of its architectural value, but no concern is given to the waste and needless deaths of so many beings.
~3.5/5
11) Hally’s Paradise
By Douglas Hill (1984)
Hally Kenner was a legendary space war hero, admired by the masses for his military prowess. His characteristics extend to more than just fighting skills, for he loathed his past sixty years of his life, being consistently dangerous, tiring and too ‘fast’ for an ageing man such as himself. The Wars of the League had also shattered humanity’s dream of colonizing the galaxy and stabilizing peace and order. He traveled far across the galaxy, on his space cruiser, to find the ideal planet, his ‘Paradise’, unencumbered and untainted by mankind, with all their greed, misery and violence. Other people would find his chosen planet dull, for his only native companions were slugs covered with a shell (“half a metre wide, slow-moving and harmless”). His other, non-native faithful companion was Skitter, an eight-legged Wiryz, who had the ability for high-speed bursts. So, this means that Hally Kenner lived happily ever after in solitude, right? Not quite. While walking one day, he spotted a shining, peculiar statue, which aroused eerie feelings within him. It was ancient by the looks of it, and it may have represented a long extinct alien race. Temptation, the everyman’s fatal plague, began to creep into Hally again. What if he sold the statue, he would become richer than the ‘Lords of the Nebulae’, living in a luxurious resort planet for the rest of his life? To make matters worse, when Hally returned to his dome confused and sad that he too was encumbered by temptation, he was held back by a holdup by three interplanetary thieves. Their own spaceship malfunctioned, and they threatened Hally with imminent death if he did not give them the directions to his own (hidden) spaceship, and if he did not open his dome for them to loot. Held at gun point, there seemed no chance of escape. Skitter, infamous for his cowardice, came to Hally’s rescue, although it escaped when he sensed the goon’s hostility. This distraction, however, provided a chance for Hally to take cover in some bushes nearby. While the three looters went to look for Hally’s spaceship, Hally arrived there first, being careful not to alarm them. He had a clear aim, a clear sight of vision with his gun, but he refrained himself from shooting even though he could kill all the three with a charged shot. After, they would almost do him a service stealing his spaceship. Then, he could never sell the statue, and if the looters said anything to anyone they would jeopardize themselves in the process, revealing the true motives as well. It seems that it really is a happily ever after for Hally and Skitter. Is it 'Paradise' for Hally though?
~4/5
12) Scrutiny
By William F. Temple (1996)
‘Scrutiny’ contains a unique premise, one which I thought over, I must say. On a side note, William F. Temple shared a flat in London with Arthur C. Clarke. It concerns bizarre events on the planet ‘Promise’. It is more ‘concept-based’ than ‘character-based’. Alternatively titled ‘The Unpicker’, this short story concerns Leo and Bruce, who were sent to survey the alien planet. Everything seemed extraordinary, abandoned cities and ‘dismantled’ cars. In mid-flight something more unusual occurred. “An invisible monster with a hundred hands-or tentacles or whatever”, tried to unscrew their hands and finger, their helmet and suit. Short story shorter, the premise is that the invisible ‘monster; an electromagnetic entity, annihilated the planet’s native populations for it did not ‘hear’ their pleas for mercy or of anguish. Think of when we kill a small insect, or a small animal, how do we know they’re not screaming at us on a wavelength/frequency beyond our small section of the spectrum?
~4/5
13) In the Picture
By Stephen Baxter (1996)
A particular alien planet's entire landscape was discovered by a team of planetary explorers to be 'artificial', an optical illusion. Nothing was 'natural', indeed the planet was like walking in a 'holovid', where everything is staged... There is no such thing as a perfect planet.
~3.75/5
14) Quinquepedalian
By Piers Anthony (1963)
A researcher managed to befriend a terrifying monster, which happened to kill his teammates. Be careful on how to choose your friends...
~4/5
15) The Lonely Alien
By Sydney J. Browns (1996)
In this case an alien befriends a human, though it does prove to be a 'symbiotic' relationship.
~4/5
16) Status Extinct
By Eric Brown (1996)
A space cadet goes exploring an ice planet on her own. However, she manages to break her leg, and the result is that she is stranded and left to die out in the frozen wastelands of that particular alien planet. A merciful alien race happens to find her and restore her back to health. The twist? Well, our explorer happened to have caught the common cold, which is certainly not life threatening. However, when the aliens were nursing her back to health, they happened to catch the cold as well. Not being accustomed to such a cold, the aliens all died out consequently. This is what you get for kindness these days, genocide. Jokes aside, I fail to understand the author's intention with this short story, the idea is never enough.
~3.75/5
17) No Home but the Stars
By Peter T. Garratt (1996)
Imagine being brought up in space. Well, this is reality for the characters in this short story. Generation after generation has been born and bred in space, in an interstellar quest to find life on other planets. No such planets are ever found, but they do find an ominous, derelict alien space-ship. The aura of mystery surrounding the vessel is intensified when it is discovered that only the youngest can enter through the entrance shaft.
~4/5
18) Jewels in an Angel’s Wing
By Ian Watson (1987)
Wow, what an original short story. I really enjoyed this one. It involves a couple who must advance through a series of 'levels', from zombie infested city ruins, castles, underwater fortresses etc They do not die when they are 'hurt', but they have to restart from the beginning (level 1). It is very similar to a video-game in fact. The interest part is that they believe that they may be in fact 'enslaved' in a space-ship which forces them to undergo these tasks. Whether they are enslaved by an alien race or their own race to ease a particularly long space journey remains to be seen.
~4.25/5
19) The Children
By Chester S. Geier (1951)
A planet's atmosphere contains an unnatural amount of a very rare gas, which is very valuable due to its medicinal properties. Yet, not much is yet known about it, due to its rarity. After a chance encounter with a strange planet whose inhabitants seem to be humanoid children, two teammates have contrasting conflicting opinions on their future prospects regarding the planet. One wants to sell its abundant gasses at a handsome profit to himself, bypassing the alliance. The other wants to be report the planet, and check for more information regarding these strange children on the planet. They were supposed to be looking for a lost space-ship, but that is more significant. Long story short, the two teammates acted like children...
~4/5
(I ran out of available characters, only marks will be given from now on)
20) Whooo-ooo Flupper
By Nicholas Fisk (1986)
~3.75/5
21) The Space Butterflies
By Stephen Baxter
~3.5/5
22) The Bells of Acheron
By E.C. Tubb
~3.75/5
23) Thoughts that Kill
By John Russell Fearn (1939)
~3.75/5
24) The Chosen
By Samantha Lee (1977)
~4.25/5
25) The Dead Planet
By Edmond Hamilton (1946)
~4.25/5
(The last two short stories were two of the best)
1) To See the Stars
By Lawrence Schimel and Mark A. Garland (1996)
Interesting take for it concerns Mitchell’s ambition to see the stars, something we all usually take for granted. The Earth is protected by a huge Dome (‘Dyson Sphere’), which was constructed to encapsulate all the solar energy which was being lost to space. Mitchell dream does come true, though he does manage to drag his wife, Jerina, into it, much to her dismay…
~3.75/5
2) The Long Night
By John Christopher (1974)
Entertaining as well, I really felt troubled for Dugmore and Corfield for the ‘worms’ (‘Vermis Lunaris Corfieldis’!)did seem to be invincible. A witty short story, for the sun to set it takes several hours on the moon; but by then both Dugmore and Corfield would be long dead… After their ‘Caterpillar’ (moon vehicle) got stuck by a particular boulder infested with these mutant worms which began to ‘eat’ through the metal at an increasing rate, and with communication out of the question, there is a certain suspense factor to this short story as well. Enjoyable, though one may argue that the ‘solution’ that they found was too obvious/predictable.
~4/5
3) The Hunters
By Walt Sheldon (1952)
Initially confusing, it concerns the couple Lon and Jeni. Having been lucky enough to be in possession of a plane, unlike most people, Lon managed to ensure safety for himself and his wife after fleeing an attack by what initially seems to be an ‘alien’ race. One after the other, cities fell. Even with the plane, not everything did go smoothly for Lon and Jeni. However, they did manage to reach a secluded hill far from all the inhumane chaos. The ‘aliens’ were relentless, and they wanted to exterminate all living creatures in the planet. They reached Lon and Jeni, and there seemed to be no apparent escape for them. The last three paragraphs not only explain everything though; it is one of the most surprising, effective plot twists I have ever read in such a short story. The reader assumes that Lon and Jeni are descendants from earth. BUT;
“A creature (the assumed ‘alien’ in question) emerged from the white-barked trees. He stood there and stared at Lon, and stared at Jeni upon the ground. He seemed a little frightened himself. He lifted his weapon.
Lon stared back, taking in every strange detail. It was his first close look at one of these invaders from the planet called Earth, which was third from the Sun and had one moon.
He (Lon) waited for the noise of the weapon, wondering if he would hear it”
This story also emphasizes the sheer destruction caused by all colonizers in general. Although incredibly short, this was one of the most amusing and witty short stories in this collection.
~4.5/5 (My personal favourite)
4) Asteroid 745: Mauritia
By Donald A. Wollheim (1953)
The premise is that of a ghost story in space. Cool, right? One should bear in mind that this was written a long time ago, so it was beyond its time for sure. In fact, the character Chief Braun in this short story claims to be a descendant from Eva Braun herself… I especially liked the way this short story incorporates the historical figure of Hitler, which from its perspective happened 200 years before its events. The ghost, Mauritz, is in fact a jew bent on enacting revenge. He certainly is one lucky ghost, considering that who must be the only direct descendant of Hitler happened to visit that particular asteroid from the thousands of millions that exist in any star system. However, it remains a bold and witty undertaking by the author Wollheim, albeit being way too far-fetched even for a ghost story of this kind.
~3.75/5
5) City of Ancient Skulls
By Simon Clark (1996)
This also includes figures from the popular media. Laurel and Hardy… What!!! I hear you say. Well, in this one, the two comic figures everyone loves were redesigned by humans as androids so that these characters might stay forever more entertaining the masses. Yet the city that housed them fell into ruin, so they were left to decay, along with the other androids. A chance encounter with an alien race meant that these two androids were reactivated. They did not rust like the others for their room remained intact and, therefore, that particular planet’s atmosphere (with a high oxygen level) did not oxidize them consequently. The rest of the crew did not manage to get out from their pods, and they would have died were it not for Hardy’s noble self-sacrifice. Who said androids had no heart eh? ‘Bright Spark’ is also a noteworthy character.
~3.75/5
6) Derelict
By Raymond S. Gallun (1935)
One of the better written stories in this collection. Jan Van Tyren is a man overcome by grief and emotion. Having lost his family, he felt that the vastness of space held nothing of interest to him anymore. A chance encounter with a derelict alien space vessel was of little interest to him, initially. The alien ‘Star Ship’ was technologically superior to what the human race had invented thus far. It also housed a ‘serpentine-like’ automaton whose purpose was to aid its forgotten masters. This machine was named ‘Khambee the Second’ by Jan, after a Mercurian elf who was equally always willing to help. They developed a sort of friendship together. The ship’s technology, whose blue rays served the purpose to pour their lulling effulgence on Jan, and Khambee, were a substitute to Jan of his own family. Khambee wanted his master to get better for a reason, however. Together they plot to retake a lost Ganymede Colony, ‘Joraanin’ from the rebel ‘Loathi’. Maybe Jan is the slave, and not Khambee… All in all, this is a witty story (which explores the master-slave dynamic) that is a cut above from some of the others. I just cannot believe this was written in 1935...
~4.25/5
7) A Walk in the Dark
By Arthur C. Clark (1950)
This comes from one of the leaders in the field, so, naturally, my expectations were sky-high. It did not disappoint. It has a suspense factor to it as well, for the reader does not know who to believe. You see, this is about a certain Robert Armstrong who disregarded an old man’s warning about a terrifying monster on an alien planet as nothing more than superstition or a misunderstanding. Armstrong mocked the old man, and made fun of him. Now it happens that Armstrong’s ‘Space-Tractor’ broke on the way to Port Sanderson, on this alien planet. He has only a torch to guide him, but this also fails. Armstrong blamed his bad luck on a fickle goddess which never did favour him. He has to walk over four miles in near pitch black darkness, from caves to passes. However, one cannot help but remember the old man’s ramblings about that monster. Maybe the old man was not so barmy after all… Witty and subtle, Clark certainly does not disappoint.
~4.25/5
8) Protected Species
By H. B. Fyfe (1951)
This contains many interesting aspects and underlying themes. Otis, a colonial inspector, understands that there may be more to a particular planet than what meets the eyes. Finchley, the coordinator, whose only interest is resource exploitation and planetary development, fails to become convinced otherwise. The ‘ape-hunts’ on the native ‘Torangs’ are for him a means for his crew to ease the stress. Finchley tries, but fails, to bribe Otis in disregarding these hunts from his reports. The predominant ruins on the planet are secondary to Finchley, as well. Thanks to Otis however, awareness is established about such cold, unnecessary hunting practices, and also about the architecture of the surviving ruins on the planet. Also, his visits to the ruins contain an important revelation. The ruins were not those of the Torangs…
~4/5
9) The Cage
By A. Bertram Chandler (1957)
Hmmm… Not too sure about this one. The first half of the story I enjoyed, the second half proved to be an unsatisfying conclusion. The survivors of the star-ship ‘Lode Star’, which crashed into a lush planet, were fortunate for the planet was life-sustaining and not hostile, although the fungi did enhance the decaying process on their equipment. Slowly they began to fight with each other over the chances of their survival, and they became so much like irrational animals. Indeed after a staged fight between two men to decide who gets Miss Taylor under the laws of natural selection, an alien race failed to distinguish the humans from other animals and captured them for 'experimental purposes'. The aliens also captured Dr. Boyle (their appointed chief) and Hawkings (the second in command). The captured humans then needed to convince the aliens that they were rational human beings and not animals, but with what? Certain animals had the ability to ‘talk’ and laugh like humans so that was of no use, and even when Hawkings managed to teach them how to weave baskets, it proved to be of no consequence, for certain animals know how to make nests for their young ones too. It was only when the humans managed to capture a native rat-like creature, after the incessant disdain of Miss Taylor, that they convinced the aliens of their rationality. The theory is that only rational beings can capture other beings instead of killing them. The aliens then were incredibly docile after their misunderstanding, and offered the humans (after two casualties) to send them back home with many apologies. What I did not like about it is that the aliens, in my opinion, could have discovered the human’s rationality earlier and through other means as well. This is still an original story, to the extreme in fact, considering that three-quarters of this fictional account involves the dealings and interactions of humans with no clothes on… Not that anybody is complaining about it, my criticism lies purely on certain improbable elements that compromise the whole story, and not on its uniqueness.
~3.75/5
10) Intelligent Life Elsewhere
By Stephen Bowkett (1996)
An archaeologist for the Earth Cluster Exploration Organization (ECEO) leads an expedition having travelled to the ‘Sadalsuud’ System aboard the research ship ‘Anubis’ (after the Egyptian god who helped to preserve the remains of the dead). The expedition consists of Carl (his assistant), the narrator (his daughter), Lee-Ann (his top student), the annoying Commander Keel, whose real motive remains a mystery, plus a bunch of the so-called ‘Videodroids’, named, funnily (and wittily) enough Eeny, Meeny and Miny. These are used for research purposes only, unlike the ‘Knowbots’ Smart-Machines utilized by the military. Having discovered an ancient temple in this star system, the expedition uncovered the means to open its entrance. However, by this time, Commander Keel had deployed a whole army in front of it. Whether this aggravated the aliens inside the temple to fight back, or whether the aliens were naturally hostile, therefore, remains unknown. The point of this story is that violence or hostility makes alien and rational man indistinguishable from each other. Any race can create, in equal measures, either artistic beauty or weapons of mass destruction. However, I think that this story is biased in the sense that even though a lot of aliens and men soldiers, including their ‘Deathdroids’, were dying, the author's main concern was that Commander Keel was destroying huge chunks of sculptured stone with his ‘Smartgun’. What I mean is that the author believes it is a pity that the temple is losing some of its architectural value, but no concern is given to the waste and needless deaths of so many beings.
~3.5/5
11) Hally’s Paradise
By Douglas Hill (1984)
Hally Kenner was a legendary space war hero, admired by the masses for his military prowess. His characteristics extend to more than just fighting skills, for he loathed his past sixty years of his life, being consistently dangerous, tiring and too ‘fast’ for an ageing man such as himself. The Wars of the League had also shattered humanity’s dream of colonizing the galaxy and stabilizing peace and order. He traveled far across the galaxy, on his space cruiser, to find the ideal planet, his ‘Paradise’, unencumbered and untainted by mankind, with all their greed, misery and violence. Other people would find his chosen planet dull, for his only native companions were slugs covered with a shell (“half a metre wide, slow-moving and harmless”). His other, non-native faithful companion was Skitter, an eight-legged Wiryz, who had the ability for high-speed bursts. So, this means that Hally Kenner lived happily ever after in solitude, right? Not quite. While walking one day, he spotted a shining, peculiar statue, which aroused eerie feelings within him. It was ancient by the looks of it, and it may have represented a long extinct alien race. Temptation, the everyman’s fatal plague, began to creep into Hally again. What if he sold the statue, he would become richer than the ‘Lords of the Nebulae’, living in a luxurious resort planet for the rest of his life? To make matters worse, when Hally returned to his dome confused and sad that he too was encumbered by temptation, he was held back by a holdup by three interplanetary thieves. Their own spaceship malfunctioned, and they threatened Hally with imminent death if he did not give them the directions to his own (hidden) spaceship, and if he did not open his dome for them to loot. Held at gun point, there seemed no chance of escape. Skitter, infamous for his cowardice, came to Hally’s rescue, although it escaped when he sensed the goon’s hostility. This distraction, however, provided a chance for Hally to take cover in some bushes nearby. While the three looters went to look for Hally’s spaceship, Hally arrived there first, being careful not to alarm them. He had a clear aim, a clear sight of vision with his gun, but he refrained himself from shooting even though he could kill all the three with a charged shot. After, they would almost do him a service stealing his spaceship. Then, he could never sell the statue, and if the looters said anything to anyone they would jeopardize themselves in the process, revealing the true motives as well. It seems that it really is a happily ever after for Hally and Skitter. Is it 'Paradise' for Hally though?
~4/5
12) Scrutiny
By William F. Temple (1996)
‘Scrutiny’ contains a unique premise, one which I thought over, I must say. On a side note, William F. Temple shared a flat in London with Arthur C. Clarke. It concerns bizarre events on the planet ‘Promise’. It is more ‘concept-based’ than ‘character-based’. Alternatively titled ‘The Unpicker’, this short story concerns Leo and Bruce, who were sent to survey the alien planet. Everything seemed extraordinary, abandoned cities and ‘dismantled’ cars. In mid-flight something more unusual occurred. “An invisible monster with a hundred hands-or tentacles or whatever”, tried to unscrew their hands and finger, their helmet and suit. Short story shorter, the premise is that the invisible ‘monster; an electromagnetic entity, annihilated the planet’s native populations for it did not ‘hear’ their pleas for mercy or of anguish. Think of when we kill a small insect, or a small animal, how do we know they’re not screaming at us on a wavelength/frequency beyond our small section of the spectrum?
~4/5
13) In the Picture
By Stephen Baxter (1996)
A particular alien planet's entire landscape was discovered by a team of planetary explorers to be 'artificial', an optical illusion. Nothing was 'natural', indeed the planet was like walking in a 'holovid', where everything is staged... There is no such thing as a perfect planet.
~3.75/5
14) Quinquepedalian
By Piers Anthony (1963)
A researcher managed to befriend a terrifying monster, which happened to kill his teammates. Be careful on how to choose your friends...
~4/5
15) The Lonely Alien
By Sydney J. Browns (1996)
In this case an alien befriends a human, though it does prove to be a 'symbiotic' relationship.
~4/5
16) Status Extinct
By Eric Brown (1996)
A space cadet goes exploring an ice planet on her own. However, she manages to break her leg, and the result is that she is stranded and left to die out in the frozen wastelands of that particular alien planet. A merciful alien race happens to find her and restore her back to health. The twist? Well, our explorer happened to have caught the common cold, which is certainly not life threatening. However, when the aliens were nursing her back to health, they happened to catch the cold as well. Not being accustomed to such a cold, the aliens all died out consequently. This is what you get for kindness these days, genocide. Jokes aside, I fail to understand the author's intention with this short story, the idea is never enough.
~3.75/5
17) No Home but the Stars
By Peter T. Garratt (1996)
Imagine being brought up in space. Well, this is reality for the characters in this short story. Generation after generation has been born and bred in space, in an interstellar quest to find life on other planets. No such planets are ever found, but they do find an ominous, derelict alien space-ship. The aura of mystery surrounding the vessel is intensified when it is discovered that only the youngest can enter through the entrance shaft.
~4/5
18) Jewels in an Angel’s Wing
By Ian Watson (1987)
Wow, what an original short story. I really enjoyed this one. It involves a couple who must advance through a series of 'levels', from zombie infested city ruins, castles, underwater fortresses etc They do not die when they are 'hurt', but they have to restart from the beginning (level 1). It is very similar to a video-game in fact. The interest part is that they believe that they may be in fact 'enslaved' in a space-ship which forces them to undergo these tasks. Whether they are enslaved by an alien race or their own race to ease a particularly long space journey remains to be seen.
~4.25/5
19) The Children
By Chester S. Geier (1951)
A planet's atmosphere contains an unnatural amount of a very rare gas, which is very valuable due to its medicinal properties. Yet, not much is yet known about it, due to its rarity. After a chance encounter with a strange planet whose inhabitants seem to be humanoid children, two teammates have contrasting conflicting opinions on their future prospects regarding the planet. One wants to sell its abundant gasses at a handsome profit to himself, bypassing the alliance. The other wants to be report the planet, and check for more information regarding these strange children on the planet. They were supposed to be looking for a lost space-ship, but that is more significant. Long story short, the two teammates acted like children...
~4/5
(I ran out of available characters, only marks will be given from now on)
20) Whooo-ooo Flupper
By Nicholas Fisk (1986)
~3.75/5
21) The Space Butterflies
By Stephen Baxter
~3.5/5
22) The Bells of Acheron
By E.C. Tubb
~3.75/5
23) Thoughts that Kill
By John Russell Fearn (1939)
~3.75/5
24) The Chosen
By Samantha Lee (1977)
~4.25/5
25) The Dead Planet
By Edmond Hamilton (1946)
~4.25/5
(The last two short stories were two of the best)
February 13, 2018
A great Set of SF stories.............
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