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The Cold Equations (The Twilight Zone), Another Television Adaptation
"The Cold Equations" is a science fiction short story by American writer Tom Godwin (1915–1980), first published in '' Astounding Magazine'' in August 1954. In 1970, the Science Fiction Writers of America selected it as one of the best science-fiction short stories published before 1965, and it was therefore included in '' The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume One, 1929–1964''. It has been widely anthologized and dramatized. Plot summary In the year 2178, a small Emergency Dispatch Ship (EDS) is launched from the interstellar cruiser ''Stardust'' to deliver desperately needed medicine to the frontier planet Woden. The EDS pilot, Barton, soon discovers a stowaway: 18-year-old Marilyn Lee Cross. By law, all EDS stowaways are to be jettisoned because an EDS carries only enough fuel to reach its destination. Marilyn wanted merely to visit her brother Gerry on the remote planet and was unaware of the law. When she saw the "UNAUTHORIZED PERSONNEL KEEP OUT!" sign while she wa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tom Godwin
Tom Godwin (June 6, 1915 – August 31, 1980) was an American science fiction author active throughout the 1950s into the 1970s. In his career, Godwin published three novels and around thirty short stories. He is best known for his short story, "The Cold Equations". Published in 1954, the short story was Godwin’s fourth work to be published and was one whose controversial dark ending helped redefine the genre. Early life and education Godwin was born in Maryland in 1915. He had a rough childhood that was marked by much loss and suffering. At the age of five, his younger sister died as a result of an accidental shooting that occurred after he had been "playing with the gun that killed her". After his mother's death, he was raised by his father, with whom he did not have the best relationship. He withdrew from school after the third grade, but he went on to teach himself multiple other subjects to expand his knowledge and be able to write better stories. Personal life Godwi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
