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Rule Golden and Other Stories
Another excellent collection of SFWA Grandmaster Damon Knight's always-excellent stories—five novellas in this case, generally circling around "the great unsolved problem of how to keep the bastards from grinding you down." Rule Golden—what if the Golden Rule were enforced in reverse by some force—the bad things you do to others are done to you? Natural State—are cities doomed by genetic engineering? Double Meaning—a race against time to find a shape-shifting alien spy. The Earth Quarter—why did the aliens on a remote planet keep all the humans locked inside a section of the city? The Dying Man—what would it be like to be immortal... then suddenly find out you'd become mortal?
328 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 1979
About the author
Damon Knight
589 books101 followersDamon Francis Knight was an American science fiction author, editor, and critic.
Knight's first professional sale was a cartoon drawing to a science-fiction magazine, Amazing Stories. His first story, "Resilience", was published in 1941. He is best known as the author of "To Serve Man", which was adapted for The Twilight Zone. He was a recipient of the Hugo Award, founder of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA), cofounder of the National Fantasy Fan Federation, cofounder of the Milford Writer's Workshop, and cofounder of the Clarion Writers Workshop. Knight lived in Eugene, Oregon, with his wife Kate Wilhelm.
Knight's first professional sale was a cartoon drawing to a science-fiction magazine, Amazing Stories. His first story, "Resilience", was published in 1941. He is best known as the author of "To Serve Man", which was adapted for The Twilight Zone. He was a recipient of the Hugo Award, founder of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA), cofounder of the National Fantasy Fan Federation, cofounder of the Milford Writer's Workshop, and cofounder of the Clarion Writers Workshop. Knight lived in Eugene, Oregon, with his wife Kate Wilhelm.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
September 20, 2026
As I work through my extended project of reading older science fiction, I am beginning to find that decent printings of their work is increasingly hard to find, and one often has to “make do” with bad quality, print-on-demand sources with crappy AI-generated covers. This has one of the worst covers I’ve ever seen, and I was almost suspicious when I opened it that the interior would turn out to be AI slop rather than what it claimed on the cover (I should note in fairness that the binding is much better than this all suggests, and the book will definitely stand up to a few re-reads). Happily, it is actually four stories by the actual author, including the title story, the one I bought it for. Also, the writing is better than I have come to expect from Sci-Fi authors of this generation. Also, he apparently lived out at least part of his life right here in Eugene, Oregon!
“Rule Golden” was the story I was looking to read. In a brief introduction, written in the 70s for another publication, Knight mentions that he was seeking a Utopian solution to humanity’s problems and mentions the war in Indochina/Vietnam. Hence, we get aliens who come to Earth, Klaatu-like, to pave the way for human integration into a galactic society, but rather than threatening us to wake us up (when has that ever worked), they simply introduce a biological agent which causes us pain whenever we inflict pain on another – equal pain, so if the pain is lethal, the killer is also in danger of dying. The story is less interesting, in that respect, than are the aliens, called “tripeds,” who have a symmetrical trilateral design rather than our binary one. Their physiognomy and technology is neatly thought out, however polemical the central message may be.
The second story was my least favorite – “Natural State” seems to be an attempt at comedy, with civilization as the butt of the joke. The protagonist is an air-headed actor from a vast megapolis on the East Coast, who is recruited as a salesman to the primitive “muckfeet” in the North American backwaters. His buffoonery is rapidly outdone by their superior ecological/biological technologies, and it is implied that humanity is developing into a superior state by way of mutation through genetic engineering – the city dwellers are about to be out-evolved.
I did really like “The Earth Quarter,” which Knight says he had a hard time selling in the 1950s because the humans are distinctly inferior to the aliens. Having encountered a galactic federation of advanced species, human society has largely collapsed and many humans are living in cramped ghettoes as guests on other planets. Inevitably, a group of “activists” decide to prove to the aliens that humans are superior, at least in their capacities for destruction and terror, and go on a killing campaign against the non-interventionist, pacifist federation. The story is told from the perspective of a morally ambiguous civil servant from one of the ghettoes, and his struggle with a sense of ineffectiveness and inferiority carries the narrative. It seems to me that Knight did something truly original and provocative here, and I can’t wait to see the movie version (yeah, right).
I was also pretty happy with “The Dying Man,” which suggests what compromises would be necessary for humans to achieve immortality, and shows the existential value of having a terminus. It is the one story with a female protagonist (or, really, with a non-incidental female character, though “Natural State” introduced one before Knight sort of dropped her partway through). She is one of the immortals, watching the title character age and die and trying to understand what it all means – for her, for him, for the world – but prevented by her own emotional stuntedness from getting far with it.
Even the “lesser” stories here provide some food for thought, and I’m glad that ReAnimus Press is (or was?) preserving his work. They need to hire a human designer for their covers, though – anyone with sense will run screaming from this one
“Rule Golden” was the story I was looking to read. In a brief introduction, written in the 70s for another publication, Knight mentions that he was seeking a Utopian solution to humanity’s problems and mentions the war in Indochina/Vietnam. Hence, we get aliens who come to Earth, Klaatu-like, to pave the way for human integration into a galactic society, but rather than threatening us to wake us up (when has that ever worked), they simply introduce a biological agent which causes us pain whenever we inflict pain on another – equal pain, so if the pain is lethal, the killer is also in danger of dying. The story is less interesting, in that respect, than are the aliens, called “tripeds,” who have a symmetrical trilateral design rather than our binary one. Their physiognomy and technology is neatly thought out, however polemical the central message may be.
The second story was my least favorite – “Natural State” seems to be an attempt at comedy, with civilization as the butt of the joke. The protagonist is an air-headed actor from a vast megapolis on the East Coast, who is recruited as a salesman to the primitive “muckfeet” in the North American backwaters. His buffoonery is rapidly outdone by their superior ecological/biological technologies, and it is implied that humanity is developing into a superior state by way of mutation through genetic engineering – the city dwellers are about to be out-evolved.
I did really like “The Earth Quarter,” which Knight says he had a hard time selling in the 1950s because the humans are distinctly inferior to the aliens. Having encountered a galactic federation of advanced species, human society has largely collapsed and many humans are living in cramped ghettoes as guests on other planets. Inevitably, a group of “activists” decide to prove to the aliens that humans are superior, at least in their capacities for destruction and terror, and go on a killing campaign against the non-interventionist, pacifist federation. The story is told from the perspective of a morally ambiguous civil servant from one of the ghettoes, and his struggle with a sense of ineffectiveness and inferiority carries the narrative. It seems to me that Knight did something truly original and provocative here, and I can’t wait to see the movie version (yeah, right).
I was also pretty happy with “The Dying Man,” which suggests what compromises would be necessary for humans to achieve immortality, and shows the existential value of having a terminus. It is the one story with a female protagonist (or, really, with a non-incidental female character, though “Natural State” introduced one before Knight sort of dropped her partway through). She is one of the immortals, watching the title character age and die and trying to understand what it all means – for her, for him, for the world – but prevented by her own emotional stuntedness from getting far with it.
Even the “lesser” stories here provide some food for thought, and I’m glad that ReAnimus Press is (or was?) preserving his work. They need to hire a human designer for their covers, though – anyone with sense will run screaming from this one
January 17, 2026
omg sooo good! i think this is the first time i've ever read damon knight i was told rule golden is very similar to pluribus and by god! it sort of is! its now my 2nd favorite short story ever! its not very long. i cannot even call it a novella. unfortunately the rest of the stories in this version of the book were mostly forgettable for me. but thats ok it appears knight writes what is now called "hopecore" and what i initially took for anarchist tendencies are mopre anti totalitarian. definitely read rule golden! it will sit with me for a while and i'll probably reread it if i'm having a bad day. i gave the book 5 stars because rule golden was so damn good!
April 28, 2009
A good, solid collection of novelettes by SF great Damon Knight. They don't write 'em like this any more.
The Introduction by Knight is better than most, with interesting and amusing insights into the inspiration for the stories; in many cases, they were at least partially reactions against the SF tropes of the day.
- "Rule Golden", the title story, is a well-written morality fable in science fiction form, basically. An alien comes to Earth and causes an irreversible reaction in all mammals, activating a latent psi ability; they and their descendants instantly feel whatever pain or suffering they inflict on others. A Fugitive-like situation results, for a while.
There are some fairly massive logic holes in the story. It's pointed out that all predators will become extinct. The utter ecological devastation that would result is massively underplayed. Since it was written in 1954, I suppose that's understandable.
It's also noted that death can be caused without suffering; for example, meat animals can be rendered unconscious before being slaughtered. This seems to open the door to a whole generation of "painless" criminality and even war.
I needn't mention the whole problem that the existence of masochists brings to the concept, I suppose?
It's an idealistic story, and therefore less realistic than I would expect - even for science fiction. But it is well-written.
- "Natural State" rather reminds me of the work of Eric Frank Russell, particularly his classic The Great Explosion
- with a light touch of Blish's Cities In Space, to boot. It's a frankly humorous piece with philosophical overtones, in which technologically-advanced but stagnant cities exist in a state of permanent opposition to the surrounding "country", which is based on biological science. City people are raised to loathe and despise country-dwellers, who outnumber them enormously. The hero is a spy, or emissary, sent by New York City to create a trade relationship with the countrified "Muckfeet".
The story can't help but be a bit dated, of course. It was written in 1953, after all, and we've learned a lot more about the potential of the biological sciences. At the same time, some of Knight's extremely clever ideas about bio-engineered animals seem very unlikely.
All in all, a good story, but not one of Knight's best.
- In "Double Meaning", an official in an ossified and decaying Earth empire must deal with a group of alien spies disguised as human beings. Complicating the picture is the presence of an expert from an independent former Earth colony; his unorthodox and highly effective methods cause widespread irritation. Meanwhile, the official is also involved in an unpleasant romantic battle, with abusive overtones.
For some reason this story reminded me of some of the works of Frank Herbert; there's lots of introspection and analysis of emotion and meaning. The end is a little sudden and slightly jarring. All in all, I didn't particularly care for it.
- "The Earth Quarter" is one of the most mature works in the book; that may be because Knight rewrote it in 1961. It's thought-provoking and memorable. It is also, unfortunately, a very depressing story.
I've never cared for stories that portrayed the human race as inextricably flawed and corrupt. Even though this is quite well-written, it's simply not my cup of tea. I like stories that offer at least a little hope.
- "The Dying Man", the final story, is the shortest one in the book. It's also the real gem of the collection. In a world of immortals, one man discovers that he is doomed to age and die. The result is a powerful and extremely memorable reflection on life, aging, and death. I read this story many years ago, and it stuck in my mind; on re-reading it at a more advanced age, I found it even more moving.
Rule Golden and Other Stories is something of a mixed bag; the oldest stories are the weakest and most superficial ones, so the book gives an interesting overview of Knight's maturation as a writer. But even the weaker stories are well done, and the book as a whole is well worth picking up. Of course, it's not in print and is unlikely to ever be published again, I suspect. But if you happen to see it in a used book store somewhere, you could certainly do worse than to pick it up.
The Introduction by Knight is better than most, with interesting and amusing insights into the inspiration for the stories; in many cases, they were at least partially reactions against the SF tropes of the day.
- "Rule Golden", the title story, is a well-written morality fable in science fiction form, basically. An alien comes to Earth and causes an irreversible reaction in all mammals, activating a latent psi ability; they and their descendants instantly feel whatever pain or suffering they inflict on others. A Fugitive-like situation results, for a while.
There are some fairly massive logic holes in the story. It's pointed out that all predators will become extinct. The utter ecological devastation that would result is massively underplayed. Since it was written in 1954, I suppose that's understandable.
It's also noted that death can be caused without suffering; for example, meat animals can be rendered unconscious before being slaughtered. This seems to open the door to a whole generation of "painless" criminality and even war.
I needn't mention the whole problem that the existence of masochists brings to the concept, I suppose?
It's an idealistic story, and therefore less realistic than I would expect - even for science fiction. But it is well-written.
- "Natural State" rather reminds me of the work of Eric Frank Russell, particularly his classic The Great Explosion
- with a light touch of Blish's Cities In Space, to boot. It's a frankly humorous piece with philosophical overtones, in which technologically-advanced but stagnant cities exist in a state of permanent opposition to the surrounding "country", which is based on biological science. City people are raised to loathe and despise country-dwellers, who outnumber them enormously. The hero is a spy, or emissary, sent by New York City to create a trade relationship with the countrified "Muckfeet".
The story can't help but be a bit dated, of course. It was written in 1953, after all, and we've learned a lot more about the potential of the biological sciences. At the same time, some of Knight's extremely clever ideas about bio-engineered animals seem very unlikely.
All in all, a good story, but not one of Knight's best.
- In "Double Meaning", an official in an ossified and decaying Earth empire must deal with a group of alien spies disguised as human beings. Complicating the picture is the presence of an expert from an independent former Earth colony; his unorthodox and highly effective methods cause widespread irritation. Meanwhile, the official is also involved in an unpleasant romantic battle, with abusive overtones.
For some reason this story reminded me of some of the works of Frank Herbert; there's lots of introspection and analysis of emotion and meaning. The end is a little sudden and slightly jarring. All in all, I didn't particularly care for it.
- "The Earth Quarter" is one of the most mature works in the book; that may be because Knight rewrote it in 1961. It's thought-provoking and memorable. It is also, unfortunately, a very depressing story.
I've never cared for stories that portrayed the human race as inextricably flawed and corrupt. Even though this is quite well-written, it's simply not my cup of tea. I like stories that offer at least a little hope.
- "The Dying Man", the final story, is the shortest one in the book. It's also the real gem of the collection. In a world of immortals, one man discovers that he is doomed to age and die. The result is a powerful and extremely memorable reflection on life, aging, and death. I read this story many years ago, and it stuck in my mind; on re-reading it at a more advanced age, I found it even more moving.
Rule Golden and Other Stories is something of a mixed bag; the oldest stories are the weakest and most superficial ones, so the book gives an interesting overview of Knight's maturation as a writer. But even the weaker stories are well done, and the book as a whole is well worth picking up. Of course, it's not in print and is unlikely to ever be published again, I suspect. But if you happen to see it in a used book store somewhere, you could certainly do worse than to pick it up.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 7, 2025
Rule Golden: 1 star. The concept was much better than the execution. The most interesting parts were very short and the ending was anticlimactic
Natural State: 3 stars. This reminded me a bit of dances with wolves. Genetic manufacturing through eating real plants vs sci-fi GMOs is interesting.
Double Meaning: 5 stars. Really well done. There were interesting characters and a kind of mystery. It was also funny with some cool alien design.
The Earth Quarter: 3 stars. An interesting reversal of the usual relationship humans have with aliens in pop sci-fi. There were too many characters to keep track of, and it was too drawn out.
The Dying Man: 5 stars. A very cool exploration of how achieving immortality will change humanity.
Natural State: 3 stars. This reminded me a bit of dances with wolves. Genetic manufacturing through eating real plants vs sci-fi GMOs is interesting.
Double Meaning: 5 stars. Really well done. There were interesting characters and a kind of mystery. It was also funny with some cool alien design.
The Earth Quarter: 3 stars. An interesting reversal of the usual relationship humans have with aliens in pop sci-fi. There were too many characters to keep track of, and it was too drawn out.
The Dying Man: 5 stars. A very cool exploration of how achieving immortality will change humanity.
March 21, 2010
This was a collection of 5 short(ish) stories, all but one with the general theme of man's violent nature. The most depressing of the lot was The Earth Quarter since the other stories generally had a light at the end of the tunnel; man might change, but it would be for the better, while this one had no such hope.
This is the first Knight that I've read, and I enjoyed his work so will look out for more in future.
This is the first Knight that I've read, and I enjoyed his work so will look out for more in future.
February 9, 2013
Five stories, all science fiction, all set in different futures. Each of stories tended to start out slow and made me wonder if they were worth it but by the end of each story I appreciated the imagination of Knight. First one, Rule Golden, was my favorite.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews