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A team of scientists are sent to Mercury aboard the Albireo to find out why it's developing an atmosphere. A series of events force the scientists out of their ship and onto the surface of Mercury, where only their courage and intelligence can keep them alive. Clement paints a tense and completely believable image of Mercury. He was simply one of the best hard science fiction writers the field ever produced.
30 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1963
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25 people want to read
About the author
Hal Clement
181 books117 followersHarry Clement Stubbs better known by the pen name
Hal Clement
, was an American science fiction writer and a leader of the hard science fiction subgenre.
Further details at Wikipedia.
Further details at Wikipedia.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
April 29, 2026
Scifi short story by a master, Mercury, volcanoes and geophysics well done!!
January 8, 2018
Please give my Amazon review a helpful vote - https://www.amazon.com/review/R1SMXI0...
This short story is a bit of classic hard science fiction by the master of Hard Science Fiction, yet it is definitely dated in terms of writing style, plotting, and science.
The story centers on an expedition to Mercury. The expedition faces the question of why Mercury seems to be developing an atmosphere. Clement presents the reader with a Mercury that is in constant volcanic action, which creates a sense of constant threat. The main character is a young, radio man who uses his specialization to save the day when disaster threatens the expedition. It is all done in the grand style where some insight leads to the development of a technology or a creative application of some existing application.
The characters are enjoyable, particularly the interaction of the other characters, who are generally older, with the callow lead character, whose youth seems to involve him in commenting social gaffes. What is interesting is that Clement has female scientists, but they are older - to the young main character. They are in their late thirties. They don't seem to have their own distinct personality as women, but they are certainly in the story, which ought to put the lie to those who constantly imply that females were invisible in science fiction prior to the last ten years or so. (Fn. 1)
1. Actually, on doing some research, this story was published in 1963, so it is not like it was from the benighted 1950s, and, yet, we are still talking more like a half-century ago.
This short story is a bit of classic hard science fiction by the master of Hard Science Fiction, yet it is definitely dated in terms of writing style, plotting, and science.
The story centers on an expedition to Mercury. The expedition faces the question of why Mercury seems to be developing an atmosphere. Clement presents the reader with a Mercury that is in constant volcanic action, which creates a sense of constant threat. The main character is a young, radio man who uses his specialization to save the day when disaster threatens the expedition. It is all done in the grand style where some insight leads to the development of a technology or a creative application of some existing application.
The characters are enjoyable, particularly the interaction of the other characters, who are generally older, with the callow lead character, whose youth seems to involve him in commenting social gaffes. What is interesting is that Clement has female scientists, but they are older - to the young main character. They are in their late thirties. They don't seem to have their own distinct personality as women, but they are certainly in the story, which ought to put the lie to those who constantly imply that females were invisible in science fiction prior to the last ten years or so. (Fn. 1)
1. Actually, on doing some research, this story was published in 1963, so it is not like it was from the benighted 1950s, and, yet, we are still talking more like a half-century ago.
December 31, 2023
A late Golden Age sf story rich with technique and poor on story.
That noted, it does have one of the best opening lines I've read in a long time. (see my take on it at Great Opening Lines - and Why! (December 2023's Great Opening Lines).
Aside from that Great Opening Line, a solid pass.
That noted, it does have one of the best opening lines I've read in a long time. (see my take on it at Great Opening Lines - and Why! (December 2023's Great Opening Lines).
Aside from that Great Opening Line, a solid pass.
January 2, 2017
Good read. Hal Clement is always a enjoyable venture into "What if"
Not long enough though. Good protagonists and enough action to keep it moving along.
Anything he writes is worth the effort to get it.
Not long enough though. Good protagonists and enough action to keep it moving along.
Anything he writes is worth the effort to get it.
October 12, 2021
A real “nuts and bolts” SF tale of conditions on Mercury and a team trying to get scientific data and stay alive while doing so. I’m afraid I had trouble following it, not finding the subject or style at all interesting, leading me to skip a lot of it and thus not really understanding the ending.
October 30, 2023
I listened to this as part of The 11th Science Fiction Megapack. It was very interesting with will developed characters lots of action and misdirection leading to the conclustion. 2023
pulbished in the 1950s
pulbished in the 1950s
September 12, 2024
Not so hot IMO. But a good hard SF SS with some good quotes.
September 21, 2024
Fairly standard golden age sci fi story. Clement is a grandmaster so some interest there.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews