Homesick

by Lyn Venable

Homesick
By LYN VENABLE




.......What thrill is there in going out among the stars if coming back means bitter loneliness?

Genres: Science Fiction, Short Stories, Fiction

26 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1952

Reviews

[Cole Jack · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short story, written by Marilyn Venable under the pseudonym Lyn Venable, follows a group of aging astronauts who return to Earth after a thirty-year trip only to find they must remain in their ship.

I was surprised how much I loved the writing, the plot, the thought process behind this story. Venable's consideration about the toll space travel can have on astronauts is particularly interesting because of what we know about the toll even short missions can have on astronauts' bodies.

[Viji (Bookish endeavors) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice plot,but lousy presentation. The title is apt,in a wicked sense. Homesick-sick of home. Can't even imagine such an existence. Even stars get to be boring after some time.

[Zen · Rating 3 out of 5]

An Average Story, with a Really Interesting Idea as a Plot Premise but with a Really Poor Narrative Execution.

"Thirty years of breathing purified, sterilized, filtered air, thirty years of drinking distilled water and swallowing synthetic food tablets had changed us. The only things we weren't allergic to were the metal and plastic and synthetics of our ship, this ship. We're allergic to Earth. That's funny, isn't it?"

That and Watering Geraniums.

And that's essentially the story. The rest is all just Clunky, Dull Filler. Just Average Writing. None of the Four Characters have any likable qualities about Them, and in the end, as a Reader, you don't really care about Their Plight.

What is Interesting is that it Anticipates something that did come about in the Future. Superbugs. That is, the overuse and misuse of antibiotics led to the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria that were difficult to keep in check. Not exactly a "Prediction" but the General Idea is there.

Read it if You want but it's Not One I would recommend for Its entertainment value.

[Martine · Rating 4 out of 5]

What would happen to men that come back to Earth after 30 years in space?

Five things:
- Short story
- Journey back to earth
- All male characters, but written by a female author
- Space travel
- Gardening

[Tony Ciak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scifi,horror, short story, twilight zone, by a master and narrated by a great narrator!!!

[Chris Aldridge · Rating 4 out of 5]

6/20 16 mins. Part of LibriVox Audiobook “Short SF Collection Vol. 058”. Well narrated by Dale Grothmann. Astronauts return home to a changed world..or is it? Interesting parallel with modern rise in autoimmune diseases, allergies etc possibly due to our increased hygiene and isolation from the natural world .

[Forked Radish · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just like the muscles, the immune system needs exercise. That's why I eat things from off the floor, out of the bin, and even from street vendors.

[Tim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent story...cool enough idea but the execution wasn't as good as it could have been. But as they say...these are some astronauts ... in.... trouble.

[Denise · Rating 3 out of 5]

The four aging men have been confined to the space ship since they were in their 20s. A sad, understated story.

Please read the full review here.