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One Step from Earth
Nine short stories depict the fantastic adventures of unwitting humans who make use of a remarkable machine to transmit themselves across space and through time
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1970
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217 people want to read
About the author
Harry Harrison
1,243 books1,034 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Harry Harrison (born Henry Maxwell Dempsey) was an American science fiction author best known for his character the The Stainless Steel Rat and the novel Make Room! Make Room! (1966), the basis for the film Soylent Green (1973). He was also (with Brian W. Aldiss) co-president of the Birmingham Science Fiction Group.
Excerpted from Wikipedia.
Harry Harrison (born Henry Maxwell Dempsey) was an American science fiction author best known for his character the The Stainless Steel Rat and the novel Make Room! Make Room! (1966), the basis for the film Soylent Green (1973). He was also (with Brian W. Aldiss) co-president of the Birmingham Science Fiction Group.
Excerpted from Wikipedia.
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July 17, 2019Contents:
vii - INTRODUCTION - "The Matter Transmitter" - Harrison
001 - "One Step From Earth"
025 - "Pressure"
049 - "No War, or Battle's Sound"
078 - "Wife to the Lord"
098 - "Waiting Place"
113 - "The Life Preservers"
156 - "From Fanaticism, or for Reward"
172 - "Heavy Duty"
197 - "A Tale of the Ending"
vii - INTRODUCTION - "The Matter Transmitter" - Harrison
001 - "One Step From Earth"
025 - "Pressure"
049 - "No War, or Battle's Sound"
078 - "Wife to the Lord"
098 - "Waiting Place"
113 - "The Life Preservers"
156 - "From Fanaticism, or for Reward"
172 - "Heavy Duty"
197 - "A Tale of the Ending"
February 23, 2022
One Step from Earth – Harry Harrison (1972 my Edition 1984 Paperback) Cover : Chris Foss
I sometimes think Harry Harrison’s more serious work is overlooked. One step from the Earth is a collection of linked stories to do with Matter Transmission. In an introduction the author tells us the History of Mankind is the History of Transportation, from walking through boats and flight. Every part of our everyday lives is affected by transportation, from the delivery of good to personal transportation.
A deal good of Science Fiction explores the effects of Space travel through ships warp drives etc. Is that all? Matter Transmitters seems to have got very little attention over the years. Yes, you have the Star Trek short range Teleportation devices but the only case of Matter transmission between planets I can think of is Stargate and this collection of stories was written 24 years before that film appeared.
As the synopsis on the reverse of the book says is the invention of instantaneous transportation between the planets a blessing or a curse? There are 9 stories within this collection exploring these questions I will give you a brief summation of them.
The book starts with the title story One Step from earth where we read about the testing of the technology. Pressure is a the second story showing us how the use of Matter Transmission could revolutionise the exploration of deadly environments such as Saturn. No War, or battle’s sound tells us no matter the technology man will use it to make war. We then have a bit of Harrison’s trademark whimsey in Wife to the Lord which has the feel of a more fantasy based story. Waiting Place explores in a roundabout way crime and punishment. The Life Preservers in a very current conversations explores the instantaneous transmission of disease and how to control outbreaks. In 2021/22 this discussion feels very current.
The final two stories in the collection are From Fanaticism, Or For Reward another exploration of crime that includes one of Harrison’s themes throughout his career that of anti-violence. The final story within the collection A Tale of the Ending hits on ideas of self and the slow tide of specialisation and evolution. I won’t spoil the punchline.
This is a strong collection of short stories and I do like it when a collection is assembled around a theme, a few of them do appear in other collections but they all work well in this context. There is a mixture of stories from early in Harry Harrisons career as well as some from later on. As with the best Science Fiction writers, especially of the Golden Age and New Wave, even if technology sometimes overtakes the stories the concepts and themes are still relevant.
Due to the limitations of the Goodreads rating system this is a 3 star, but in reality, is more like a 31/2 rating. To me anything 3 or over is good enough to be recommended for a reread at some point.
I sometimes think Harry Harrison’s more serious work is overlooked. One step from the Earth is a collection of linked stories to do with Matter Transmission. In an introduction the author tells us the History of Mankind is the History of Transportation, from walking through boats and flight. Every part of our everyday lives is affected by transportation, from the delivery of good to personal transportation.
A deal good of Science Fiction explores the effects of Space travel through ships warp drives etc. Is that all? Matter Transmitters seems to have got very little attention over the years. Yes, you have the Star Trek short range Teleportation devices but the only case of Matter transmission between planets I can think of is Stargate and this collection of stories was written 24 years before that film appeared.
As the synopsis on the reverse of the book says is the invention of instantaneous transportation between the planets a blessing or a curse? There are 9 stories within this collection exploring these questions I will give you a brief summation of them.
The book starts with the title story One Step from earth where we read about the testing of the technology. Pressure is a the second story showing us how the use of Matter Transmission could revolutionise the exploration of deadly environments such as Saturn. No War, or battle’s sound tells us no matter the technology man will use it to make war. We then have a bit of Harrison’s trademark whimsey in Wife to the Lord which has the feel of a more fantasy based story. Waiting Place explores in a roundabout way crime and punishment. The Life Preservers in a very current conversations explores the instantaneous transmission of disease and how to control outbreaks. In 2021/22 this discussion feels very current.
The final two stories in the collection are From Fanaticism, Or For Reward another exploration of crime that includes one of Harrison’s themes throughout his career that of anti-violence. The final story within the collection A Tale of the Ending hits on ideas of self and the slow tide of specialisation and evolution. I won’t spoil the punchline.
This is a strong collection of short stories and I do like it when a collection is assembled around a theme, a few of them do appear in other collections but they all work well in this context. There is a mixture of stories from early in Harry Harrisons career as well as some from later on. As with the best Science Fiction writers, especially of the Golden Age and New Wave, even if technology sometimes overtakes the stories the concepts and themes are still relevant.
Due to the limitations of the Goodreads rating system this is a 3 star, but in reality, is more like a 31/2 rating. To me anything 3 or over is good enough to be recommended for a reread at some point.
April 20, 2022
Big Idea - What if we had Matter Transporters with unlimited range?
An old school collection of shorts that explore what could happen, mostly very short with twist endings. Something you can reread thirty plus years when you've forgotten most of it.
If you want a taste of old school SF, this would be a decent read.
An old school collection of shorts that explore what could happen, mostly very short with twist endings. Something you can reread thirty plus years when you've forgotten most of it.
If you want a taste of old school SF, this would be a decent read.
August 3, 2024
A really pleasant collection of short sci-fi tales built around the idea of a matter transmitter.
Some are positive, some not so but all have a certain degree of hope for the future of humanity.
Kind of nice after the cynicism of contemporaries such as Heinlein.
Some are positive, some not so but all have a certain degree of hope for the future of humanity.
Kind of nice after the cynicism of contemporaries such as Heinlein.
January 12, 2016
From the invention of the matter transmitter to the far future, this is a chronological set of stories revolving around that invention and its consequences.
Harrison rarely disappoints and this collection is no different. Each story is engaging and oft times fun to read. After the last one, I was sad that it was over. I was also wondering what "being human" really is.
Harrison rarely disappoints and this collection is no different. Each story is engaging and oft times fun to read. After the last one, I was sad that it was over. I was also wondering what "being human" really is.
December 12, 2018
Disappointing. Brief review of each story (keep in mind it's been a while since I read the first few):
One Step From Earth (*) - Randomly dying on Mars from some disease that can't be there.
Pressure (*) - Randomly dying on Saturn with no reason to go there.
No War, or Battle's Sound (***) - War in space, but the defenders use smart tactics.
Wife to the Lord (*) - When the whole planet thinks you're a god, your son gets born with an upgrade.
Waiting Place (**) - Prison planet.
The Life Preservers (*) - A long, tedious story that turns out to be about polyester allergy.
From Fanaticism, or for Reward (*) - I probably read it too fast, because I never figured out how or why the assassin met with the robot that was going to be hunting for him. After 20 years of pursuit, the robot doesn't even take a couple of seconds to execute the assassin. When did justice become old-fashioned?
Heavy Duty (*) - The twist in the end: they'll have to pay for the help they'll get! Shock! Horror!
A Tale of the Ending (***) - When did humans get two extra digits? Wait, they're not human after all and they didn't even know it!
I liked the old-fashioned can-do atmosphere in these stories. It's nice when the bosses head gets blown off and his assistant just takes over and saves the day. Just think how that would have been described in modern fiction. One page of foreshadowing, ten pages of people panicking about the headless boss, a huge internal monologue from the assistant on how he isn't qualified to do his bosses job and angsting about his own safety, followed by several chapters of character growth, which gives him the confidence he needs... snore!
One Step From Earth (*) - Randomly dying on Mars from some disease that can't be there.
Pressure (*) - Randomly dying on Saturn with no reason to go there.
No War, or Battle's Sound (***) - War in space, but the defenders use smart tactics.
Wife to the Lord (*) - When the whole planet thinks you're a god, your son gets born with an upgrade.
Waiting Place (**) - Prison planet.
The Life Preservers (*) - A long, tedious story that turns out to be about polyester allergy.
From Fanaticism, or for Reward (*) - I probably read it too fast, because I never figured out how or why the assassin met with the robot that was going to be hunting for him. After 20 years of pursuit, the robot doesn't even take a couple of seconds to execute the assassin. When did justice become old-fashioned?
Heavy Duty (*) - The twist in the end: they'll have to pay for the help they'll get! Shock! Horror!
A Tale of the Ending (***) - When did humans get two extra digits? Wait, they're not human after all and they didn't even know it!
I liked the old-fashioned can-do atmosphere in these stories. It's nice when the bosses head gets blown off and his assistant just takes over and saves the day. Just think how that would have been described in modern fiction. One page of foreshadowing, ten pages of people panicking about the headless boss, a huge internal monologue from the assistant on how he isn't qualified to do his bosses job and angsting about his own safety, followed by several chapters of character growth, which gives him the confidence he needs... snore!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 27, 2021
4 / 5 for 'One Step From earth' by Harry Harrison
Another really good short story collection from Harry Harrison, in my opinion, the master of comedic sci-fi. As always these stories are full of humour, yet some of them still carry a surprising amount of emotional weight too. The science is as solid as it can be for stories written in the 60s and 70s, about matter transmitters, and the stories all feel complete, well-explained and enjoyable - my favourites were 'Waiting Place' and 'No War, Or battles Sound'.
Lots of fun, good solid science, and filled with humour and likeable characters. The book loses one single star, only because the stories felt very samey. Another of the authors themed collections, 'War With The Robots', felt much more varied than this.
But, a great collection and a hugely enjoyable read nonetheless.
4 / 5
Another really good short story collection from Harry Harrison, in my opinion, the master of comedic sci-fi. As always these stories are full of humour, yet some of them still carry a surprising amount of emotional weight too. The science is as solid as it can be for stories written in the 60s and 70s, about matter transmitters, and the stories all feel complete, well-explained and enjoyable - my favourites were 'Waiting Place' and 'No War, Or battles Sound'.
Lots of fun, good solid science, and filled with humour and likeable characters. The book loses one single star, only because the stories felt very samey. Another of the authors themed collections, 'War With The Robots', felt much more varied than this.
But, a great collection and a hugely enjoyable read nonetheless.
4 / 5
March 30, 2020
Ok…I guess.
July 16, 2020
What would teleportation mean to the exploration of space? A Science Fiction Book Club selection.
Read
May 21, 2021Amazing
July 17, 2021
Fascinating collection of short stories about the development and use of MT(matter transmitters) in future history. some great ideas and a quick enjoyable read.
July 30, 2025
why is the only female lead a beautiful princess who gets sold to the highest bidder?
October 25, 2020
Science fiction is a fertile ground for thematic anthologies, though they usually are organized by an editor with an idea who invites submissions from a collection of authors. In this case, the work is all Harry’s and he posits a simple idea. Suppose you could build a matter transmitter? A black-seeming screen that you could step through like a doorway and emerge, without the passage of time, across the room -- or the planet -- or the galaxy. What could you do with such a device? What would aggressive governments do with it? What would be the popular reaction? The long-range consequences? Imagine a future in which an engineer working on a space station orbiting Saturn can commute home to San Diego every night. Imagine interstellar exploration in which you could step through from Earth to a robotic ship that has been traveling at near relativistic velocities for decades, check for habitable planets, then step back to Earth. There are all sorts of possibilities here and Harry makes excellent use of ten of them.
“In the Beginning” is the set-up, how the matter transmitter -- the MT or “transmatter” -- is invented and fails to be kept secret. “One Step from Earth” tells of its use to reach Mars and plant the first colony, which is much easier to manage when you’re only a single step from home base. “Pressure” is an Astounding-style tale of scientific exploration at the bottom of the Saturnian 20,000-mile-thick atmosphere. “No War, or Battle’s Sound” moves us three thousand years or so into a future in which Earth is threatened by invasion via MT, and the style is almost Heinleinian. “Wife to the Lord” is a whimsically tongue-in-cheek yarn of the theological consequences of being the only person on a feudal planet with access to matter transmission. “Waiting Place” considers the use by civilized worlds of one-way matter transmission to rid themselves of criminals and other social undesirables. “The Life Preservers” takes on the problem of nearly instantaneous transmission of plagues and disease mutations between planets of disparate ecologies. “From Fanaticism, or for Reward” explores the use a political assassin might make of instantaneous matter-transmission in making his escape -- at least for awhile. “Heavy Duty” puts a contact specialist on a world that has been cut off for millennia from the rest of civilization, and considers the social price of re-establishing contact. And in the far, far future of “A Tale of the Ending” a man’s home -- his very existence -- is incredibly diffuse, with each room or location he moves through being situated on, or beneath, a different world, all connected by Doors. How do you view the universe when every place in it is only a step from every other place? And what does such wide choice of location do to the natural human life-cycle? And how do you go about discovering where, among a near-infinity of worlds, Man started out? (Could we really once have been confined to a single planet -- as unnatural as that seems?)
Happily, Harry Harrison, while best known for his humorous adventures, is a lot deeper than that. All of these stories deal not just with speculative technology but with the effects of technology on people individually and on society collectively. (There are no alien life forms in this particular future, so the human angle is all there is.) Technology changes. People don’t, not really. These stories are very well-written examples of the best sort of “what if” writing.
“In the Beginning” is the set-up, how the matter transmitter -- the MT or “transmatter” -- is invented and fails to be kept secret. “One Step from Earth” tells of its use to reach Mars and plant the first colony, which is much easier to manage when you’re only a single step from home base. “Pressure” is an Astounding-style tale of scientific exploration at the bottom of the Saturnian 20,000-mile-thick atmosphere. “No War, or Battle’s Sound” moves us three thousand years or so into a future in which Earth is threatened by invasion via MT, and the style is almost Heinleinian. “Wife to the Lord” is a whimsically tongue-in-cheek yarn of the theological consequences of being the only person on a feudal planet with access to matter transmission. “Waiting Place” considers the use by civilized worlds of one-way matter transmission to rid themselves of criminals and other social undesirables. “The Life Preservers” takes on the problem of nearly instantaneous transmission of plagues and disease mutations between planets of disparate ecologies. “From Fanaticism, or for Reward” explores the use a political assassin might make of instantaneous matter-transmission in making his escape -- at least for awhile. “Heavy Duty” puts a contact specialist on a world that has been cut off for millennia from the rest of civilization, and considers the social price of re-establishing contact. And in the far, far future of “A Tale of the Ending” a man’s home -- his very existence -- is incredibly diffuse, with each room or location he moves through being situated on, or beneath, a different world, all connected by Doors. How do you view the universe when every place in it is only a step from every other place? And what does such wide choice of location do to the natural human life-cycle? And how do you go about discovering where, among a near-infinity of worlds, Man started out? (Could we really once have been confined to a single planet -- as unnatural as that seems?)
Happily, Harry Harrison, while best known for his humorous adventures, is a lot deeper than that. All of these stories deal not just with speculative technology but with the effects of technology on people individually and on society collectively. (There are no alien life forms in this particular future, so the human angle is all there is.) Technology changes. People don’t, not really. These stories are very well-written examples of the best sort of “what if” writing.
September 13, 2016
This reminded me a great deal of The Seedling Stars. Each book explores various facets and implications of a single technology that opens the universe to human exploration. The last story in this book even addresses the main theme of The Seedling Stars, what it means to be human, directly. And I'm sure that, as with The Seedling Stars and more than most of Larry Niven's stories involving "displacement booths," his take on the "everywhere is one step from everywhere" idea, many of the themes and situations will stick with me even though I have no inclination to reread the book anytime soon.
March 8, 2010
Harrison is an odd one - some of his stuff I enjoy to the point of missing it when it's not there and the rest is so humdrum to me that it may as well not be there at all. But He's given me many an interesting yarn over the years, so I can't complain.
Some of the stories in this volume worked better than others, I'd say. though the theme of matter transmission is an interesting one, the angles of approach were sometimes a little too wide for me to enjoy without the action-packed, fast-paced stories I've come to expect from my shorter volumes.
the ones I liked best were Pressure, Waiting Place, From Fanaticism or for Reward, and perhaps joint favourite with pressure, heavy Duty (just because of the twist).
Some of the stories in this volume worked better than others, I'd say. though the theme of matter transmission is an interesting one, the angles of approach were sometimes a little too wide for me to enjoy without the action-packed, fast-paced stories I've come to expect from my shorter volumes.
the ones I liked best were Pressure, Waiting Place, From Fanaticism or for Reward, and perhaps joint favourite with pressure, heavy Duty (just because of the twist).
June 1, 2014
The thing that most impressed me about the first Harry Harrison novels I read was the sheer speed at which the plot romped, never stopping long enough for you to question how the protagonist managed to get into that much peril. One Step From Earth is actually a series of short stories, each positing a potential sequence of events from the basic premise that instantaneous matter-transportation is possible, and enacted. Like all anthologies, some are better than others. Most are interesting, all have something different to say on the subject. But they lack the... pizazz of the novel-length works I've read of his. It's a fruitful central premise, but none of the ideas put forward ever seem to get to the really good part.
May 21, 2016
Nine stories in the form of vignettes that present a rough timeline of "matter transmission" in human history. So, story one tells us the episode of the first men through the matter transmitter. The last story in the collection shares an episode from the far, far, very far future.
Altogether, much better than I expected. Three stars is "average," because some of the vignettes are not remarkably extraordinary. However, I give higher marks to the stories: "Pressure," "Waiting Place," and "A Tale of the Ending."
Recommended for those who like some science in their science fiction and for those who are historically-minded.
Altogether, much better than I expected. Three stars is "average," because some of the vignettes are not remarkably extraordinary. However, I give higher marks to the stories: "Pressure," "Waiting Place," and "A Tale of the Ending."
Recommended for those who like some science in their science fiction and for those who are historically-minded.
December 7, 2017
I nice collection of short stories, all following the "History" of a style of "Transporter" that can move objects and people anywhere once the enter and exit doorways have been physically installed. Most of the stories never really conclude and leave the reader hanging...not something I've very fond of personally. Nevertheless, all of them are well written and, since I finished the book in a day, almost turned the pages themselves. Definitely something for the Sci-Fi lite crowd, but enjoyable for anyone who enjoys a good tale.
January 16, 2008
An interesting compendium of short stories all dealing with one concept: what would be the effects on society and civilization if instant transport of unlimited distance was discovered? Worth reading for any fan of hard science fiction.
April 5, 2015
Really more of a 3-star book, but I added a star for sheer nostalgia. I read this collection of short stories years ago, and it always stuck with me. So happy to have gotten a copy this Christmas just so I could enjoy the experience of re-reading it.
August 21, 2007
rather predictable short stories involving matter transport sci-fi space travel, just fine to read before bed
May 7, 2012
Interesting short story collection about Matter transmitters
November 1, 2012
Good stuff.
September 7, 2015
Слушала "Конечная станция" в "Модели для сборки".
October 14, 2016
Good fun but the first story really is the best the bunch.
Good fun but the first story really is the best the bunch. The rest is standard fare. Not much else to say.
Good fun but the first story really is the best the bunch. The rest is standard fare. Not much else to say.
September 4, 2025
Another great book by the master of SF
They are many SF writers but Harry Harrison is on the pantheon of the greatest , must read for all fans of his work
They are many SF writers but Harry Harrison is on the pantheon of the greatest , must read for all fans of his work
November 18, 2017
Dated but interesting stories, this collection of short science fiction stories are well written and provoke thought. Taking the initial premise of matter transfer they view it from a range of perspectives and investigate a broad range of possibilities. Very entertaining.
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May 1, 2019I have the german edition: Stationen in All
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