What do you think?
Rate this book
Derelict
What was the mystery of this great ship from the dark, deep reaches of space? For, within its death-filled chambers—was the avenue of life!
30 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 1, 1953
5 people are currently reading
26 people want to read
About the author
Alan E. Nourse
258 books41 followersAlan Edward Nourse was an American science fiction (SF) author and physician. He also wrote under the name Dr. X
He wrote both juvenile and adult science fiction, as well as nonfiction works about medicine and science.
Alan Nourse was born to Benjamin and Grace (Ogg) Nourse. He attended high school in Long Island, New York. He served in the U.S. Navy after World War II. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in 1951 from Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey. He married Ann Morton on June 11, 1952 in Lynden, New Jersey. He received a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) degree in 1955 from the University of Pennsylvania. He served his one year internship at Virginia Mason Hospital in Seattle, Washington. He practiced medicine in North Bend, Washington from 1958 to 1963 and also pursued his writing career.
He had helped pay for his medical education by writing science fiction for magazines. After retiring from medicine, he continued writing. His regular column in Good Housekeeping magazine earned him the nickname "Family Doctor".
He was a friend of fellow author Avram Davidson. Robert A. Heinlein dedicated his 1964 novel Farnham's Freehold to Nourse. Heinlein in part dedicated his 1982 novel Friday to Nourse's wife Ann.
His novel The Bladerunner lent its name to the Blade Runner movie, but no other aspects of its plot or characters, which were taken from Philip K. Dick's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? In the late 1970s an attempt to adapt The Bladerunner for the screen was made, with Beat Generation author William S. Burroughs commissioned to write a story treatment; no film was ever developed but the story treatment was later published as the novella, Blade Runner (a movie).
His novel Star Surgeon has been recorded as a public domain audio book at LibriVox
His pen names included "Al Edwards" and "Doctor X".
He died in Thorp, Washington.
He wrote both juvenile and adult science fiction, as well as nonfiction works about medicine and science.
Alan Nourse was born to Benjamin and Grace (Ogg) Nourse. He attended high school in Long Island, New York. He served in the U.S. Navy after World War II. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in 1951 from Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey. He married Ann Morton on June 11, 1952 in Lynden, New Jersey. He received a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) degree in 1955 from the University of Pennsylvania. He served his one year internship at Virginia Mason Hospital in Seattle, Washington. He practiced medicine in North Bend, Washington from 1958 to 1963 and also pursued his writing career.
He had helped pay for his medical education by writing science fiction for magazines. After retiring from medicine, he continued writing. His regular column in Good Housekeeping magazine earned him the nickname "Family Doctor".
He was a friend of fellow author Avram Davidson. Robert A. Heinlein dedicated his 1964 novel Farnham's Freehold to Nourse. Heinlein in part dedicated his 1982 novel Friday to Nourse's wife Ann.
His novel The Bladerunner lent its name to the Blade Runner movie, but no other aspects of its plot or characters, which were taken from Philip K. Dick's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? In the late 1970s an attempt to adapt The Bladerunner for the screen was made, with Beat Generation author William S. Burroughs commissioned to write a story treatment; no film was ever developed but the story treatment was later published as the novella, Blade Runner (a movie).
His novel Star Surgeon has been recorded as a public domain audio book at LibriVox
His pen names included "Al Edwards" and "Doctor X".
He died in Thorp, Washington.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
May 31, 2020
Real Rating: 3.5* of five
Read the free Kindle story and listen to the free audio on YouTube.
Nobody says anything, they growl or mutter or grate. Nothing's really far away, it's unthinkably far. How, as a matter of interest, does one "breathe impatiently"? I want to take the dead author's thesaurus away and clonk him with it.
It was 1953, but we already knew about physics then; grappling a ship moving at a substantial fraction of light speed as a stationary object? Oh nay nay nay. Mayhem. Carnage. Destruction.
And Brownie, the coded-by-50s-stereotypes-queer little wimpy engineer, versus the vicious thuggish mate? Yech. Noir stereotypes and not particularly well done...not like Peter Lorre and Humphrey Bogart in The Maltese Falcon. The anti-Government paranoia and fascist security state? Close to home, and the grim reality of 2020 seems to me to be taking us down Nourse's grim future-history path.
The ending is really really really bleak. Really. So very grim. I hate the evil world of Nourse's last-ditch shouting against the Security State's inevitable horrors. I don't like the writing. I don't like the story. But I can't forget it.
Read the free Kindle story and listen to the free audio on YouTube.
Nobody says anything, they growl or mutter or grate. Nothing's really far away, it's unthinkably far. How, as a matter of interest, does one "breathe impatiently"? I want to take the dead author's thesaurus away and clonk him with it.
It was 1953, but we already knew about physics then; grappling a ship moving at a substantial fraction of light speed as a stationary object? Oh nay nay nay. Mayhem. Carnage. Destruction.
And Brownie, the coded-by-50s-stereotypes-queer little wimpy engineer, versus the vicious thuggish mate? Yech. Noir stereotypes and not particularly well done...not like Peter Lorre and Humphrey Bogart in The Maltese Falcon. The anti-Government paranoia and fascist security state? Close to home, and the grim reality of 2020 seems to me to be taking us down Nourse's grim future-history path.
The ending is really really really bleak. Really. So very grim. I hate the evil world of Nourse's last-ditch shouting against the Security State's inevitable horrors. I don't like the writing. I don't like the story. But I can't forget it.
October 22, 2020
Derelict is an (at least to me) a rather bland Sci-fi story. The dialog was overwhelming with little in descriptive backup to round out the story.
I listened to the audio version,which Goodreads has no edition for.
It is possible that the story was just not for me.
I listened to the audio version,which Goodreads has no edition for.
It is possible that the story was just not for me.
January 31, 2014
Derelict by Alan Edward Nourse: Librovox audio, special thanks to Mark Nelson, undoubtedly one of the best volunteer readers at Librovox & Feedbooks epub
Originally published in: If: Worlds of Science Fiction May 1953
Just shortly into the story I'm thinking maybe this is the idea that sprouted the idea for Rendezvous with Rama (Arthur C. Clark, ten years later). The easy entry into their deep space “Derelict” shut down any “Rama” resemblance.
I wanted this story to be a 4* or a 5* story. When I was down to the last few paragraphs I was just disappointed. Not so much with the story, or the ideas, or even the ridiculous presumptions about 'space life'. 3 stars.
I don't think the writing was very good. Seemed everything was a cliché. The characters, the gadgets, the old ideas and attitudes of the 50s... all cliché.
To give some credit. If you listen to the Mark Nelson Librovox reading you'll follow along ok and you can get on board with the story. But I doubt you'll be holding your breath at any point.
If you're older... have heard of “If: Worlds of Science Fiction” you might enjoy this story. Younger... probably not so much.
Originally published in: If: Worlds of Science Fiction May 1953
Just shortly into the story I'm thinking maybe this is the idea that sprouted the idea for Rendezvous with Rama (Arthur C. Clark, ten years later). The easy entry into their deep space “Derelict” shut down any “Rama” resemblance.
I wanted this story to be a 4* or a 5* story. When I was down to the last few paragraphs I was just disappointed. Not so much with the story, or the ideas, or even the ridiculous presumptions about 'space life'. 3 stars.
I don't think the writing was very good. Seemed everything was a cliché. The characters, the gadgets, the old ideas and attitudes of the 50s... all cliché.
To give some credit. If you listen to the Mark Nelson Librovox reading you'll follow along ok and you can get on board with the story. But I doubt you'll be holding your breath at any point.
If you're older... have heard of “If: Worlds of Science Fiction” you might enjoy this story. Younger... probably not so much.
August 7, 2017
A 1953 view of life in space. Interest look at the human condition.
Listened to the LibriVox .org audiobook version
Listened to the LibriVox .org audiobook version
January 29, 2024
A derelict alien vessel drifts into the solar system and is detected by the crew of a space station orbiting Saturn. The station’s irascible captain orders his first officer and chief engineer to board the ship after it fails to respond to hails. The order is illegal, but the captain is motivated by the reward he would receive from the government after capturing an interstellar drive.
The alien crew is found dead, their bodies smashed against panels and bulkheads. Upon returning to the station, the engineer files a false report about the ship’s propulsion system, but to what end?
A solid space opera tale of the 1950s with a noir style notable in the captain’s unfailing belligerence and the first officer’s bullying of the engineer after he lies about the alien ship.
The alien crew is found dead, their bodies smashed against panels and bulkheads. Upon returning to the station, the engineer files a false report about the ship’s propulsion system, but to what end?
A solid space opera tale of the 1950s with a noir style notable in the captain’s unfailing belligerence and the first officer’s bullying of the engineer after he lies about the alien ship.
September 16, 2025
More often than not i pick sci-fi stories for what they are not. If you prefer your stories without Woke values, this one is free of that messaging. The story its self, on its own merits, is suitable to listen to (you can find it on Youtube) while falling asleep at night but that's about it. The narrator is Mark Nelson and he does a wonderful job. Very easy to listen to.
December 3, 2019
Strange little book. I enjoyed the read!
January 11, 2020
This was an interesting tale.
December 10, 2021
More about psychology and human failing than a derelict spaceship.
July 12, 2015
I did get a hint of Rama from this.
October 9, 2015
"Derelict" looks at life in space from a 1953 perspective.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews