I first read Murray Leinster's science fiction short story First Contact many years earlier, but when I purchased a used copy of Isaac Asimov Presents the Great SF Stories 7 (1945) (DAW Books, 1980), there it was again. The premise is simple enough: a human deep space expedition, in the process of exploring the Crab Nebula, unexpectedly comes across a completely alien ship, the first time ever that mankind has come in contact with another intelligent life form in the cosmos. The confrontation between the two is mutually suspicious, and it becomes apparent to both sides that neither ship can allow the other to return to its own home planet without jeopardizing their own world's very existence. After all, neither human nor alien know anything of the other's intentions...best to be safe. So the two spaceships are at a standoff, with no solution in sight...or is there?
Leinster's tale reminds me to a great extent of Star Trek...especially the original series' five-year mission to explore strange new worlds. Yes, the Federation knew of its own benign intentions regarding new life forms, but its ships still were armed to the hilt and with scanning technology to probe into strange ships they encountered. Call First Contact the conceptual ancestor of Star Trek...it puts into proper perspective the notion of just reaching out willy-nilly in favor of contact with extraterrestrials without ever considering the consequences of encountering one that is hostile and/or technologically superior. With Murray Leinster's story, there is a solution, but will it work? Looks like you'll have to read it yourself to find out...
Project Gutenberg has on its site several stories by Murray Leinster, but I didn't see First Contact listed anywhere. It's worth looking into, though...
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment