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Colonial Survey #3
Exploration Team
Exploration Team by Leinster, Murray, 1896-1975; Emshwiller, Ed, 1925-1990 [Illustrator] "Rediscover This Timeless Classic - The Ultimate MP3 Audiobook CD Experience!" Journey back in time and immerse yourself in a world of timeless stories with our classic MP3 Audiobook series. Why Dive into Our Classic Title MP3 Audiobook CDS? Historical This masterwork, has shaped literature, inspired countless adaptations, and touched the hearts of generations. Authentic Faithfully reproduced to capture the essence of the original publication. High Quality Narrated by a cutting-edge AI voice. Consistent AI narration ensures a consistent tone and pace throughout the book. There's no risk of the narrator becoming fatigued or any variations happening in the audio quality. Universal This MP3 CD is compatible with any device that supports MP3 playback - from vintage CD players to modern car stereos and computers Made in the Meticulously produced in a specialized duplication facility right here in the USA. Reacquaint yourself with the tales that have withstood the test of time and embark on a audible journey through literature's golden age! The text of this book is deemed to be in the public domain in the United States. Any use or redistribution of this item outside the United States is done at the user's own risk and liability.Listed
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First published January 1, 1955
About the author
Murray Leinster
917 books136 followerssee also:
Will F. Jenkins
William Fitzgerald Jenkins
Murray Leinster was a nom de plume of William Fitzgerald Jenkins, an award-winning American writer of science fiction and alternate history. He wrote and published over 1,500 short stories and articles, 14 movie scripts, and hundreds of radio scripts and television plays.
An author whose career spanned the first six decades of the 20th Century. From mystery and adventure stories in the earliest years to science fiction in his later years, he worked steadily and at a highly professional level of craftsmanship longer than most writers of his generation. He won a Hugo Award in 1956 for his novelet “Exploration Team,” and in 1995 the Sidewise Award for Alternate History took its name from his classic story, “Sidewise in Time.” His last original work appeared in 1967.
Will F. Jenkins
William Fitzgerald Jenkins
Murray Leinster was a nom de plume of William Fitzgerald Jenkins, an award-winning American writer of science fiction and alternate history. He wrote and published over 1,500 short stories and articles, 14 movie scripts, and hundreds of radio scripts and television plays.
An author whose career spanned the first six decades of the 20th Century. From mystery and adventure stories in the earliest years to science fiction in his later years, he worked steadily and at a highly professional level of craftsmanship longer than most writers of his generation. He won a Hugo Award in 1956 for his novelet “Exploration Team,” and in 1995 the Sidewise Award for Alternate History took its name from his classic story, “Sidewise in Time.” His last original work appeared in 1967.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
June 26, 2026
This won the 1956 Hugo Award for Best Novelette, though it's technically on the novella side by word count now (the lines between the categories were a bit more fuzzy back then). Anyway, it's fine, I liked the general premise, but Leinster is very hamhanded about "rugged individualism" and "pulling oneself up by one's bootstraps" vs. the (non-AI) robots. It just felt very tiring and I kept hoping for something better, especially with the great bears and interesting alien ecology. It's fine.
August 30, 2017
Exploration Team was a gift amidst a bunch of mediocre stories I read in an anthology on a flight from Boston to SanFran.
Exploration Team made it worth the trip. Some incredible dialogue, some amazing insights regarding automation that are relevant today (possibly more so today than when he wrote them) and best of all, everything moves the story forward. There's no wasted anything. Anybody writing like that anymore?
Exploration Team made it worth the trip. Some incredible dialogue, some amazing insights regarding automation that are relevant today (possibly more so today than when he wrote them) and best of all, everything moves the story forward. There's no wasted anything. Anybody writing like that anymore?
February 15, 2018
Hugo Winner 1956, explored notions of risks and reward in a vivid action piece featuring GMOs. Again, pretty current. He hit the theme a bit too heavily, but it was otherwise great.
December 22, 2020
Глоток свежего воздуха в душных 50х.
Благодаря этой новелле я узнал, что моя палатка Kodiak, в которой я жил на Burning man, названа в честь кадьяка: медведя с Аляски.
Новелла читается легко. Это классные приключения, по духу похожие на фильм Черная дыра.
В мире Лейнстера уже есть айфоны, дроны и GoPro!
А в мире Матрицы его герои точно были бы частью сопротивления.
Я прочитал эту книгу для обсуждения на подкасте про научную фантастику «Худо Не Было». Послушать можно тут: https://share.transistor.fm/s/dfe723ce
Благодаря этой новелле я узнал, что моя палатка Kodiak, в которой я жил на Burning man, названа в честь кадьяка: медведя с Аляски.
Новелла читается легко. Это классные приключения, по духу похожие на фильм Черная дыра.
В мире Лейнстера уже есть айфоны, дроны и GoPro!
Когда он снизился, Хайдженс посмотрел на лежащую у него на ладони маленькую пластинку. В ней отражалось все, что фиксировал телевизионный аппарат на груди Семпера, — кусок качающейся земли с какими-то движущимися между деревьями точками.
Рон посмотрел на пластинку. Она была размером четыре на шесть дюймов, совершенно гладкая и блестящая. Изображение на пластинке двигалось и поворачивалось, так как аппарат, который нес орел, тоже все время двигался.
А в мире Матрицы его герои точно были бы частью сопротивления.
Я уважал бы робота, если бы он плюнул мне в глаза, когда я заставлю делать его то, что он не хочет.
Я прочитал эту книгу для обсуждения на подкасте про научную фантастику «Худо Не Было». Послушать можно тут: https://share.transistor.fm/s/dfe723ce
June 10, 2025
Vintage sci-fi with good world-building. The protagonist runs an illegal colony on a hostile planet with his trusty companions, some genetically enhanced kodiak bears and an eagle named Semper Tyrannis….
February 18, 2025
A Planet Where Brains Beat Brawn: "Exploration Team" by Murray Leinster
Good science fiction isn’t just about starships, lasers, and distant worlds. Sometimes, it’s about how intellect triumphs over brute force. "Exploration Team" is exactly that kind of story. Surprisingly, this novella by Murray Leinster, first published back in the mid-20th century, still reads with a refreshing energy, without the dusty feel of something pulled from a museum shelf.
The premise seems simple: somewhere deep in space, a group of colonists has gone missing, and a small exploratory team is sent to find out what happened. But this isn't a squad of elite soldiers or military experts — rather, it's a hastily assembled crew of whoever was available. Some are thinkers, some are fighters, but each of them is in the right place at the right time. The group feels more like an informal club of explorers than a proper rescue team. Among them are even some massive, tamed predators. And so this odd mix of people and creatures sets off.
Leinster doesn’t turn his characters into superheroes. He shows them as real people: each with their quirks, doubts, and unique personalities. The situations they face are sometimes absurd, sometimes dangerous, but always require creativity. Encounters with aggressive alien lifeforms — called Sphigs — aren’t just excuses for battles, but intellectual challenges. You can’t simply fight these beings — you need to think, plan, negotiate, and strategize. That’s what makes it all so engaging.
The author succeeds not only in building the mystery of an alien world but also in capturing the feel of true exploration. While reading, you feel like you're walking alongside the characters, peeking around corners, weighing threats, deciding on your next move. The prose is straightforward but vivid — no overwrought descriptions, just clear and immersive storytelling. Dialogue is snappy, action is measured and well-placed, and the overall pacing is just right.
It’s no surprise the novella won a Hugo Award. This isn't dry classic sci-fi that’s respected just for its age — it’s genuinely entertaining, a story that highlights not grand-scale wars, but the very human ability to adapt and survive.
This kind of sci-fi is rare today: solid but not flashy, smart without being preachy. "Exploration Team" is a short but complete adventure, one that leaves you with a satisfying aftertaste. If you enjoy science fiction where the hero is not just brave but also clever, Leinster delivers.
8 out of 10
Good science fiction isn’t just about starships, lasers, and distant worlds. Sometimes, it’s about how intellect triumphs over brute force. "Exploration Team" is exactly that kind of story. Surprisingly, this novella by Murray Leinster, first published back in the mid-20th century, still reads with a refreshing energy, without the dusty feel of something pulled from a museum shelf.
The premise seems simple: somewhere deep in space, a group of colonists has gone missing, and a small exploratory team is sent to find out what happened. But this isn't a squad of elite soldiers or military experts — rather, it's a hastily assembled crew of whoever was available. Some are thinkers, some are fighters, but each of them is in the right place at the right time. The group feels more like an informal club of explorers than a proper rescue team. Among them are even some massive, tamed predators. And so this odd mix of people and creatures sets off.
Leinster doesn’t turn his characters into superheroes. He shows them as real people: each with their quirks, doubts, and unique personalities. The situations they face are sometimes absurd, sometimes dangerous, but always require creativity. Encounters with aggressive alien lifeforms — called Sphigs — aren’t just excuses for battles, but intellectual challenges. You can’t simply fight these beings — you need to think, plan, negotiate, and strategize. That’s what makes it all so engaging.
The author succeeds not only in building the mystery of an alien world but also in capturing the feel of true exploration. While reading, you feel like you're walking alongside the characters, peeking around corners, weighing threats, deciding on your next move. The prose is straightforward but vivid — no overwrought descriptions, just clear and immersive storytelling. Dialogue is snappy, action is measured and well-placed, and the overall pacing is just right.
It’s no surprise the novella won a Hugo Award. This isn't dry classic sci-fi that’s respected just for its age — it’s genuinely entertaining, a story that highlights not grand-scale wars, but the very human ability to adapt and survive.
This kind of sci-fi is rare today: solid but not flashy, smart without being preachy. "Exploration Team" is a short but complete adventure, one that leaves you with a satisfying aftertaste. If you enjoy science fiction where the hero is not just brave but also clever, Leinster delivers.
8 out of 10
August 7, 2024
Nice short story with good moral undertones
June 28, 2025
This is a pretty interesting albeit short adventure tale.
October 19, 2025
scifi, longer short story, space aliens, smart bears.
April 29, 2025
If you are trying to decide which version of the novelette to read and/or whether to read the fix-up novel it is a part of, this note is for you. It is not a review. Instead, I will try to provide spoiler-free answers to the questions I would have liked to know the answer to myself before reading it.
This novelette, published in the Astounding magazine in March 1956, won the 1956 Hugo Award for Best Novelette. It was the second in the series of four loosely connected novelettes published by the magazine: "Sand Doom" in December 1955 before "Exploration Team" and later, after it "Critical Difference" in July 1956 and "The Swamp Was Upside Down" in September 1956.
The award, handed out at NyCon II in August–September 1956, mentioned an alternative title "Combat Team", under which the story was included in a fix-up novel made up of all four novelettes, published in 1957 as Colonial Survey by Gnome Press and as (The) Planet Explorer by Avon Publications. Despite the differing titles, there seems to be only one version of the fix-up novel content-wise. In particular, the Avon Publications version is explicitly described as "complete and unabridged" compared to the Gnome Press one. Hence, the main difference is between the stand-alone versions of individual novelettes and the fix-up version of the novel.
Do the other three stories share a common character with "Exploration Team"/"Combat Team"? Stand-alone versions. The original stand-alone versions published in Astounding each feature a different senior Colonial Survey officer, surveying a different planet: Bordman in "Sand Doom", Roane in "Exploration Team", Massy in "Critical Difference", and Hardwick in "The Swamp Was Upside Down". The only connection among the stand-alone novelettes is the Colonial Survey, the organization all four protagonists work for.
Fix-up version. For the fix-up version, these four officers were merged into one composite character (with the name Bordman taken from "Sand Doom", the first story to be published).
Do events in any of the other three stories happen before the events of "Exploration Team"/"Combat Team"? Stand-alone versions. There is no relationship between the stand-alone "Exploration Team" and the other three stand-alone stories, other than the mention of Colonial Survey. No event or person from one story is ever mentioned in any other story, making them completely independent.
Fix-up version. To form a linear narrative of (the composite) Bordman's life, the four stories were rearranged and linking material added at the end of each. The fix-up version starts with "Solar Constant" (the alternative title of "Critical Difference") because it tells the story of the protagonist's first independent assignment, followed by "Sand Doom", then "Combat Team", and finishing with "The Swamp Was Upside Down", where the protagonist is experienced enough to be called upon to help in the Sector Headquarters. The linking material puts about 15 years between the events of "Solar Constant" and "Sand Doom" and about 8.5 years between "Sand Doom" and "Combat Team".
Do events in any of the other three stories affect the plot of "Exploration Team"/"Combat Team" No. The stand-alone versions were completely independent. Since the fix-up version simply renamed the protagonist and added linking material at the end of each story to get him from one survey/story to another while making no changes to the stories proper, the events of "Combat Team" in the fix-up version remain unaffected by what happened in "Solar Constant" and "Sand Doom".
Is it necessary to read any of the other stories to understand "Exploration Team"? No, the novelette is self-contained and can be read on its own.
How long are the other three stories? All four stories are approximately the same length and the linking material added in the fix-up version is quite short. In other words, reading the other three stories or the fix-up novel increases the length roughly by a factor of four.
Are there expanded and/or better versions of "Exploration Team"? Yes, the fix-up novel contains and expands on "Exploration Team".
Does the series continue after "Exploration Team"? Yes, two more novelettes were published after it, with all four novelettes later collected into a fix-up novel.
Which versions of "Exploration Team" exist? All versions are quite similar. The main difference is in the name of the main protagonist (Roane in the stand-alone version vs. Bordman in the fix-up version) and the presence of the linking material at the end of "Combat Team" in the fix-up version.
Is it possible to find the original award-winning version? Fortunately, all four stand-alone novelettes are freely available both from the Internet Archive (within the respective issues of Astounding) and from Project Gutenberg, as is the fix-up novel (under the Planet Explorer title). The added benefit of reading these are the illustrations faithfully reproduced by Project Gutenberg, including the covers for three of the stories that were cover stories in Astounding.
Is there a single publication collecting the whole series? Yes, any edition of the fix-up novel contains the whole series whether titled Colonial Survey or (The) Planet Explorer.
My final recommendation. Read the fix-up novel under any title (I read the stand-alone version first, then realized it was included in the fix-up novel, and bought and read that too; all four stories work the same way, are pleasant to read, and provided me with the same level of enjoyment).
This novelette, published in the Astounding magazine in March 1956, won the 1956 Hugo Award for Best Novelette. It was the second in the series of four loosely connected novelettes published by the magazine: "Sand Doom" in December 1955 before "Exploration Team" and later, after it "Critical Difference" in July 1956 and "The Swamp Was Upside Down" in September 1956.
The award, handed out at NyCon II in August–September 1956, mentioned an alternative title "Combat Team", under which the story was included in a fix-up novel made up of all four novelettes, published in 1957 as Colonial Survey by Gnome Press and as (The) Planet Explorer by Avon Publications. Despite the differing titles, there seems to be only one version of the fix-up novel content-wise. In particular, the Avon Publications version is explicitly described as "complete and unabridged" compared to the Gnome Press one. Hence, the main difference is between the stand-alone versions of individual novelettes and the fix-up version of the novel.
Do the other three stories share a common character with "Exploration Team"/"Combat Team"? Stand-alone versions. The original stand-alone versions published in Astounding each feature a different senior Colonial Survey officer, surveying a different planet: Bordman in "Sand Doom", Roane in "Exploration Team", Massy in "Critical Difference", and Hardwick in "The Swamp Was Upside Down". The only connection among the stand-alone novelettes is the Colonial Survey, the organization all four protagonists work for.
Fix-up version. For the fix-up version, these four officers were merged into one composite character (with the name Bordman taken from "Sand Doom", the first story to be published).
Do events in any of the other three stories happen before the events of "Exploration Team"/"Combat Team"? Stand-alone versions. There is no relationship between the stand-alone "Exploration Team" and the other three stand-alone stories, other than the mention of Colonial Survey. No event or person from one story is ever mentioned in any other story, making them completely independent.
Fix-up version. To form a linear narrative of (the composite) Bordman's life, the four stories were rearranged and linking material added at the end of each. The fix-up version starts with "Solar Constant" (the alternative title of "Critical Difference") because it tells the story of the protagonist's first independent assignment, followed by "Sand Doom", then "Combat Team", and finishing with "The Swamp Was Upside Down", where the protagonist is experienced enough to be called upon to help in the Sector Headquarters. The linking material puts about 15 years between the events of "Solar Constant" and "Sand Doom" and about 8.5 years between "Sand Doom" and "Combat Team".
Do events in any of the other three stories affect the plot of "Exploration Team"/"Combat Team" No. The stand-alone versions were completely independent. Since the fix-up version simply renamed the protagonist and added linking material at the end of each story to get him from one survey/story to another while making no changes to the stories proper, the events of "Combat Team" in the fix-up version remain unaffected by what happened in "Solar Constant" and "Sand Doom".
Is it necessary to read any of the other stories to understand "Exploration Team"? No, the novelette is self-contained and can be read on its own.
How long are the other three stories? All four stories are approximately the same length and the linking material added in the fix-up version is quite short. In other words, reading the other three stories or the fix-up novel increases the length roughly by a factor of four.
Are there expanded and/or better versions of "Exploration Team"? Yes, the fix-up novel contains and expands on "Exploration Team".
Does the series continue after "Exploration Team"? Yes, two more novelettes were published after it, with all four novelettes later collected into a fix-up novel.
Which versions of "Exploration Team" exist? All versions are quite similar. The main difference is in the name of the main protagonist (Roane in the stand-alone version vs. Bordman in the fix-up version) and the presence of the linking material at the end of "Combat Team" in the fix-up version.
Is it possible to find the original award-winning version? Fortunately, all four stand-alone novelettes are freely available both from the Internet Archive (within the respective issues of Astounding) and from Project Gutenberg, as is the fix-up novel (under the Planet Explorer title). The added benefit of reading these are the illustrations faithfully reproduced by Project Gutenberg, including the covers for three of the stories that were cover stories in Astounding.
Is there a single publication collecting the whole series? Yes, any edition of the fix-up novel contains the whole series whether titled Colonial Survey or (The) Planet Explorer.
My final recommendation. Read the fix-up novel under any title (I read the stand-alone version first, then realized it was included in the fix-up novel, and bought and read that too; all four stories work the same way, are pleasant to read, and provided me with the same level of enjoyment).
December 23, 2025
This story starts out as adventure pulp indistinguishable from fantasy, except for that it makes use of guns and transmitters instead of swords and smoke signals. It later becomes a commentary on the need for human ingenuity and self-respect (religion) in uncivilized environments. Colonies built with robotic servants result in humans who exist to keep them working and built environments with consistency and control in mind. Man's relationship with domestic intelligent animals (bears in the story but also dogs by extension) is, by contrast, presented as a dynamic partnership.
A fun story! It wrapped up a bit abruptly but satisfactorily. I really enjoyed the illustrations.
A fun story! It wrapped up a bit abruptly but satisfactorily. I really enjoyed the illustrations.
December 23, 2018
6/10. Media de los 14 libros leídos del autor : 6/10
Otro de los autores clásicos "de ideas". en general se deja leer pero los que más me gustaron suyos son "Un lógico llamado Joe" o "El señor de los Uffis"
Otro de los autores clásicos "de ideas". en general se deja leer pero los que más me gustaron suyos son "Un lógico llamado Joe" o "El señor de los Uffis"
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews