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Pariah Planet
William Fitzgerald Jenkins is an obscure name in literary circles, and it certainly doesn't seem appropriate for an author who wrote thousands of short stories in science fiction, alternate fantasy, and other types of "weird" fiction genres. Perhaps that's why Jenkins chose a more eccentric pen name, Murray Leinster, to publish over 1,500 short stories and articles, 14 movie scripts, and hundreds of radio scripts and television plays.
Leinster is not as well known as the 20th century's biggest names in the genre, like Lovecraft or Hitchcock, but he left a lasting mark on science-fiction. Leinster is still credited as the first to write stories about parallel universes, which had an influence on subsequent writers' stories, including Isaac Asimov's "The End of Eternity." Incredibly, Leinster's short story "First Contact "was even the subject of a lawsuit against Paramount Pictures' "Star Trek: First Contact "movie, with Leinster's heirs claiming copyright infringement. The courts threw out the heirs' suit, noting that the phrase "first contact" had become so common in science-fiction circles that it could no longer be considered protected. Perhaps that's the most fitting tribute of all to Leinster.
Leinster is not as well known as the 20th century's biggest names in the genre, like Lovecraft or Hitchcock, but he left a lasting mark on science-fiction. Leinster is still credited as the first to write stories about parallel universes, which had an influence on subsequent writers' stories, including Isaac Asimov's "The End of Eternity." Incredibly, Leinster's short story "First Contact "was even the subject of a lawsuit against Paramount Pictures' "Star Trek: First Contact "movie, with Leinster's heirs claiming copyright infringement. The courts threw out the heirs' suit, noting that the phrase "first contact" had become so common in science-fiction circles that it could no longer be considered protected. Perhaps that's the most fitting tribute of all to Leinster.
107 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 25, 2016
9 people are currently reading
29 people want to read
About the author
Murray Leinster
897 books121 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 - 10 of 10 reviews
October 31, 2020
ENGLISH: This novella is the fourth Leinster work dealing with Interstellar Med Service and Calhoun, its envoy, together with Murgatroyd, his tormal, assistant and pet.
In this novella, a whole planet has been converted into a kind of leprosarium, and the mere mention of its inhabitants makes the inhabitants of a nearby planet crazy with fear. Calhoun must try to solve the problem, which leads him to confront the inhabitants of both planets.
The love story in this novella is much better than is usual in Leinster. I won't say why, because if I did, it would be a spoiler.
ESPAÑOL: Esta novela es la cuarta obra de Leinster que trata sobre Interstellar Med Service y sobre Calhoun, su enviado, junto con Murgatroyd, su tormal, asistente y mascota.
En esta novela, un planeta entero se ha convertido en una especie de leprosería, y la mera mención de sus habitantes enloquece de miedo a los habitantes de un planeta cercano. Calhoun debe tratar de solucionar el problema, lo que le lleva a enfrentarse con los habitantes de ambos planetas.
El subtema amoroso de esta novela es mucho mejor de lo habitual en Leinster. No diré por qué, porque si lo hiciera, fastidiaría la lectura de algunos lectores.
In this novella, a whole planet has been converted into a kind of leprosarium, and the mere mention of its inhabitants makes the inhabitants of a nearby planet crazy with fear. Calhoun must try to solve the problem, which leads him to confront the inhabitants of both planets.
The love story in this novella is much better than is usual in Leinster. I won't say why, because if I did, it would be a spoiler.
ESPAÑOL: Esta novela es la cuarta obra de Leinster que trata sobre Interstellar Med Service y sobre Calhoun, su enviado, junto con Murgatroyd, su tormal, asistente y mascota.
En esta novela, un planeta entero se ha convertido en una especie de leprosería, y la mera mención de sus habitantes enloquece de miedo a los habitantes de un planeta cercano. Calhoun debe tratar de solucionar el problema, lo que le lleva a enfrentarse con los habitantes de ambos planetas.
El subtema amoroso de esta novela es mucho mejor de lo habitual en Leinster. No diré por qué, porque si lo hiciera, fastidiaría la lectura de algunos lectores.
February 18, 2023
This story was first published in Amazing Stories, July 1961.
Let me start with a brief summation of the story:
Calhoun, is a doctor who flies a Med Ship. He has an assistant, Mergatroyd, a Tormal, which is a creature who can quickly develop antibodies from any virus he contracts, from which his antibodies can be analyzed and an antigen developed.
In this story, the planet Weald 3 has vast stores of grain. The planet Dara is in a perpetual famine. The problem is with Dara's history—decades prior they had a planet-wide plague that passed along blue patches on skin on those people who contracted the virus, and thereby passed the anomaly to their decedents.
To make matters more interesting, Weald 3 has an irrational and over-riding fear of contracting the virus from Dara. And now enter Doctor Calhoun and Mergatroyd to solve the problem.
The following passages made my skin crawl with eerie parallels to today’s world:
“They had a plague on Dara, once. They're accused of still having it ready for export."
The virus “only took hold of people in terribly bad physical condition . . .”
“. . . if they do not cooperate in medical inspection . . . I can put your planet under quarantine and your space commerce will be cut off like that!”
“When the blue plague appeared on the planet of Dara, fear struck nearby worlds. The fear led to a hate that threatened the lives of millions and endangered the Galactic peace.”
I barely got past the first page when this story became eerily parallel to this year, 2020. Overall, this was a good science fiction novella.
🪐 🚀 Recommended. This story was also published under the title This World Is Taboo.
🟣
Let me start with a brief summation of the story:
Calhoun, is a doctor who flies a Med Ship. He has an assistant, Mergatroyd, a Tormal, which is a creature who can quickly develop antibodies from any virus he contracts, from which his antibodies can be analyzed and an antigen developed.
In this story, the planet Weald 3 has vast stores of grain. The planet Dara is in a perpetual famine. The problem is with Dara's history—decades prior they had a planet-wide plague that passed along blue patches on skin on those people who contracted the virus, and thereby passed the anomaly to their decedents.
To make matters more interesting, Weald 3 has an irrational and over-riding fear of contracting the virus from Dara. And now enter Doctor Calhoun and Mergatroyd to solve the problem.
The following passages made my skin crawl with eerie parallels to today’s world:
“They had a plague on Dara, once. They're accused of still having it ready for export."
The virus “only took hold of people in terribly bad physical condition . . .”
“. . . if they do not cooperate in medical inspection . . . I can put your planet under quarantine and your space commerce will be cut off like that!”
“When the blue plague appeared on the planet of Dara, fear struck nearby worlds. The fear led to a hate that threatened the lives of millions and endangered the Galactic peace.”
I barely got past the first page when this story became eerily parallel to this year, 2020. Overall, this was a good science fiction novella.
🪐 🚀 Recommended. This story was also published under the title This World Is Taboo.
🟣
October 17, 2012
Listening to Mark Nelson's reading (scipodcast) of the book and just getting started.
Standard old science fiction fare so far but I usually enjoy Leinster's stories and I always enjoy Mark Nelson's reading.
When the blue plague appeared on the planet of Dara, fear struck nearby worlds. The fear led to a hate that threatened the lives of millions and endangered the Galactic peace.Med ships haven't been to the quadrant where Dara is for decades. That neglect is endangering practically everyone as planets fall prey to persecution and fear. Calhoun has the misfortune of being the first medical scout into the area in some time and it's up to him to figure out a way to solve everyone's problems.
Standard old science fiction fare so far but I usually enjoy Leinster's stories and I always enjoy Mark Nelson's reading.
November 30, 2019
Pariah Planet aka This World is Taboo gelesen als Der Weltraumarzt und die Seuche von Dara
Der interstellare Gesundheitsdienst hatte Sternsektor 12 lange nicht überwacht und damit eine gefährliche Situation heraufbeschworen. Dr. Calhoun, der diesen Sektor vertretungsweise übernimmt, erkennt dies sofort, als er sich mit seinem kleinen Inspektionsschiff dem Planeten Weald nähert. "Tod allen Blauhäuten!" dröhnt es ihm aus dem Empfänger entgegen. "Ein typischer Fall von Hysterie", diagnostiziert Dr. Calhoun. Die Frage ist nur: Was kann ein Einzelner tun, um die Bevölkerung eines ganzen Planeten nachhaltig von dieser Hysterie zu befreien ... ?
Ein weiterer Teil der Med Service Reihe um Dr. Calhoun und sein Tormal Murgatroyd, gute Story und solide geschrieben.
Der interstellare Gesundheitsdienst hatte Sternsektor 12 lange nicht überwacht und damit eine gefährliche Situation heraufbeschworen. Dr. Calhoun, der diesen Sektor vertretungsweise übernimmt, erkennt dies sofort, als er sich mit seinem kleinen Inspektionsschiff dem Planeten Weald nähert. "Tod allen Blauhäuten!" dröhnt es ihm aus dem Empfänger entgegen. "Ein typischer Fall von Hysterie", diagnostiziert Dr. Calhoun. Die Frage ist nur: Was kann ein Einzelner tun, um die Bevölkerung eines ganzen Planeten nachhaltig von dieser Hysterie zu befreien ... ?
Ein weiterer Teil der Med Service Reihe um Dr. Calhoun und sein Tormal Murgatroyd, gute Story und solide geschrieben.
April 15, 2021
Fantasy reading 📚
Due to eye issues Alexa reads to me, a will written fantasy Sci-Fi space adventure thriller novella about relationships between planets. The characters are interesting and will developed. The story line is complicated, fast moving, and full of deception. I would recommend this novella to readers of fantasy Sci-Fi. Enjoy reading 🔰2021 😆
Due to eye issues Alexa reads to me, a will written fantasy Sci-Fi space adventure thriller novella about relationships between planets. The characters are interesting and will developed. The story line is complicated, fast moving, and full of deception. I would recommend this novella to readers of fantasy Sci-Fi. Enjoy reading 🔰2021 😆
March 25, 2020
Sci fi medical mystery
Leinster writes a good action story. The amount of medical technology makes some of the threats a little too easy to handle? Still a good short story from a sci fi master.
Leinster writes a good action story. The amount of medical technology makes some of the threats a little too easy to handle? Still a good short story from a sci fi master.
July 11, 2022
This was sort of a Sherlock Holmes in space. Although there's the future of two planets involved I didn't feel like there was any urgency. The only panic is from the gas, although it did have some interesting elements.
February 8, 2013
listened to this in audio, enjoyable read, took a little bit to figure out the storyline.
July 9, 2013
This was a LibriVox audiobook.
http://librivox.org/pariah-planet-by-...
http://librivox.org/pariah-planet-by-...
March 22, 2017
Top shelf Scifi.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews