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| Robert Sheckley, image from NY Review of SF |
The Leech
There is a style from the era in which this story is taken. A lot of liberty in the ability of our founding astronaut fathers and their commanders that they were able to do things more fantastic than in fact they could.A leech or alien being capable of consuming all forms of energy and matter to become larger hits the earth. Unfortunately, all forms of brute strength are not enough. A shovel used to try to remove it is consumed. A jeep used to drive over it gets eaten by it, tires and all. Bombs, including an atom bomb, are used to try to destroy it. All to no avail.
Finally, they get the idea that they can get a lot of radioactive material to use as a kind of carrot for the ass. They at first decide to take the carrot to the sun, but then realize that the entity might consume the sun. So they then lead it away from the sun and then detonate the nuclear warhead. The warhead destroys the leech, but the body of the leech is converted into billions of baby leeches.
The Hour of Battle
There's this idea that one day our curiosity might end us. We might find ourselves going somewhere that results in us making contact with an alien species which has a technology or ability for which we have no adequate defense. In this case, contact is made with beings that have the ability to take over our ability to control ourselves. The telepathic ability is possible to detect, but once detected it's already too late. And then, even if it is detected, then what?A few things that made me laugh a bit: playing gin. The technological world that makes the setting in this story is so advanced that there are ships that can travel to other systems and ships capable of defending mankind from other ships. However, they haven't yet discovered basic forms of entertainment we enjoy today. They don't have any kind of Internet or TV to watch. As a result, the soldiers are experiencing cabin fever. They've been stuck for awhile and are getting antsy with each other.
I can't help but wonder: what is the hardest thing about being stuck out in space? How would I feel?
Forever
Imagine what good might one day come of an immortality drug. Take it, and you can live forever. Then imagine what bad might one day come of an immortality drug. Who would have the right to use it? Who would not? If it comes, will it be a good government in place or a bad one? Would the world be a better place, or a worse one? The author suggests a dystopia.Beside Still Waters
A hermit lives on an asteroid. He has a little farm. Once upon a time, he imagined having the company of a wonderful woman, but she never materialized. He never really looked for her. He sounds very anti-social anyhow.So, the hermit buys a robot which can only say a few things. But it's enough for the man who grows old on his asteroid farm. But the equipment degrades and fails, and he suffocates (but doesn't explode due to air pressure loss, I guess). In any case, the robot stays by his side and then says an unscripted prayer for him (or is it scripted? The author never indicates).
Death Wish
A mechanical problem causes a spaceship to overshoot its destination (Mars), and as a result, the crew members are doomed. They turn on a super computer designed for Mars to see if it can't come up with a solution to their problem. Unfortunately, its solution is much the same as the others, but it has a sense of humour.Warrior Race
This is actually one of the better stories. A ship without enough fuel to make it to wherever they need to go has to stop by a planet for refueling. The alien race that inhabits the planet is a warrior race. But rather than being the kind of warrior who is a great killer, these warriors kill themselves until the others give up.
This makes it difficult for the human visitors as they don't want them to kill themselves and they also need the fuel. They are not under any real threat from the warriors. They wear space suits which are impervious to such primitive weapons. But their conscience refuses to allow them to sacrifice themselves in such a way.
They take the chief hostage and threaten to kill them, thereby stealing from them the honourable way to die (suicide). This works, they get their fuel, and they're on their way.
Bad Medicine
This is actually a good short fiction. I really enjoyed this and had a good laugh at the conclusion. Clearly Sheckley had a good sense of humour. A man wants to kill his friend. But, at the same time, he doesn't. So, he goes to a place where there are machines for sale. He knows he's crazy. He is looking for a cure. So he buys the machine and takes it home.
For whatever reason, the store had on display a model actually meant for Martians. Martians are completely different from humans. I'm not entirely clear on all of these differences, but they seem substantial: how they are raised as young as well as their problems. I am not sure if they are human or something else. In any case, so he gets the wrong treatment.
Police try to track him down, and they do so successfully. However, the psychotic claims that he has been cured despite having the wrong machine. But he hasn't been cured. He still wants to kill his best friend, but not with a gun and not for the same reasons (which were not reasonable in the first place).
Cost of Living
This story has an uncanny relationship with current day problems: everyone is in debt. In this sci-fi setting, parents sign their children up for debts. The items they buy do everything for them: cooking, driving, cleaning. To get them all, they must go into tremendous credit. The credit is so great that they cannot pay for everything in their lifetimes, even though their lives have been extended into the 150s. Furthermore, work is little more than pushing a button for everyone. The author makes it seem quite dystopic. There is nothing to really do. Just relax and push buttons.
Keep Your Shape
After "Bad Medicine", I'd have to say that thus far this is my favorite story of Sheckley's. Aliens who can shift into any shape or any animal they want are sent to Earth to open a portal to their own world for domination. However, when they get to Earth, they find that they are free. In their own world, they are in rigid castes, not unlike what I have heard of India. They may only take the shapes that are passed down to them from generation to generation. So, if your father was a pilot, then you must also be a pilot.
When they come to Earth, they do not want to bring his Grom brothers to colonize it because they want to be free to assume whatever shape they wish. It's an interesting take on immigration and freedom of choice.
Ask a Foolish Question
A machine is programmed to answer questions. It's located on a special planet in orbit around a special star. But no one can ask it the right questions. All the questions are foolish, I suppose. In the end they give up.
"In order to ask a question you must already know most of the answer."
I don't always get the reason for a story. This is one of those stories I don't understand the ending to or the point to.
Diplomatic Immunity
This story is about an alien who is making an attempt to prepare people for the coming of his people.
Some parts of this story make no sense. The takeover is somewhat hostile. That is to say, it is not just a 'hello, nice to meet you. Let's be friends.' It's a, 'We're coming, nothing you can do about it. So just accept it peacefully.' Well, by being diplomatic at all, the alien race is doing itself a disservice. It would have been better if the diplomat had simply found Earth and sat in the park to wait for his people to settle the planet. Instead, he gives the humans all the time in the world to figure out how to destroy him, which they ultimately succeed at.
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