| Author |
Teichner, Albert |
| Illustrator |
Adkins, Dan, 1937-2013 |
| Title |
The wellsprings of space
|
| Original Publication |
New York, NY: Ziff-Davis Publishing Company, 1961.
|
| Note |
Reading ease score: 75.4 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read.
|
| Credits |
Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
|
| Summary |
"The Wellsprings of Space" by Albert Teichner is a science fiction story written in the early 1960s. The narrative explores the concept of continuous matter creation in space and its implications for space travel, particularly how it might alleviate the challenges faced by spacecraft operating far from their solar origin. The story positions itself within the broader reality of humanity's quest to overcome the limitations of the solar system, delving into themes of scientific discovery and the interplay between knowledge and existence. The plot follows the aging scientist Old Huddleston, who, despite being in his final years, is visited by a trio of younger scientists—Lowen, Crane, and Fitzhugh. They present him with groundbreaking news regarding the Lowen-Crane-and-Fitzhugh Hypothesis, which proposes that matter is continuously created at specific points in the universe, alleviating the problem of electron leakage that has hindered space travel. As they embark on a mission aboard the ship "New Cosmos" to test their theory, a shocking realization dawns on them: while they do replenish their vessel with matter, they unwittingly pay the price with their own lifespan. Ultimately, the journey reveals a haunting truth about time and existence, leaving the crew changed irrevocably and humorously obsessed with trivial pursuits like collecting old bottles—symbolic of the time they have lost. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
|
| Language |
English |
| LoC Class |
PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature
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| Subject |
Science fiction
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| Subject |
Short stories
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| Subject |
Scientists -- Fiction
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| Subject |
Interstellar travel -- Fiction
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| Category |
Text |
| EBook-No. |
73226 |
| Release Date |
Mar 21, 2024 |
| Copyright Status |
Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads |
66 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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