''A Meeting with Medusa'' is a

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel uni ...

novella by British writer Arthur C. Clarke. It was originally published in 1971 and has since been included in the anthology '' Nebula Award Stories Eight'' as well as several collections of Clarke's writings. A sequel, '' The Medusa Chronicles'', was published in 2016 as a collaborative effort between

Alastair Reynolds Alastair Preston Reynolds (born 13 March 1966) is a Welsh science fiction author. He specialises in hard science fiction and space opera. He spent his early years in Cornwall, moved back to Wales before going to Newcastle University, where he s ...

and Stephen Baxter.

Plot summary

Taking place partly on

Earth Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. While large volumes of water can be found throughout the Solar System, only Earth sustains liquid surface water. About 71% of Earth's surfa ...

and partly in the atmosphere of

Jupiter Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the largest in the Solar System. It is a gas giant with a mass more than two and a half times that of all the other planets in the Solar System combined, but slightly less than one-thousandth t ...

, the story tells of Howard Falcon, the captain of a new and experimental giant-sized helium-filled

airship An airship or dirigible balloon is a type of aerostat or lighter-than-air aircraft that can navigate through the air under its own power. Aerostats gain their lift from a lifting gas that is less dense than the surrounding air. In early ...

. When an accident causes the ship to crash, Falcon is badly injured and takes over a year to fully recover. Later, Falcon promotes an expedition to explore the atmosphere of Jupiter. After several years and many trials, the expedition is launched, with Falcon at the controls of the ''

Kon-Tiki The ''Kon-Tiki'' expedition was a 1947 journey by raft across the Pacific Ocean from South America to the Polynesian islands, led by Norwegian explorer and writer Thor Heyerdahl. The raft was named ''Kon-Tiki'' after the Inca god Viracocha, fo ...

'', a hot-

hydrogen Hydrogen is the chemical element with the symbol H and atomic number 1. Hydrogen is the lightest element. At standard conditions hydrogen is a gas of diatomic molecules having the formula . It is colorless, odorless, tasteless, non-toxic ...

balloon-supported craft that descends through the upper atmosphere of Jupiter. As the craft descends through the various cloud layers, Falcon discovers that the atmosphere supports at least two large forms of life, as well as microscopic and bioluminescent air plankton, producing atmospheric sea-fire. One form is a giant

jellyfish Jellyfish and sea jellies are the informal common names given to the medusa-phase of certain gelatinous members of the subphylum Medusozoa, a major part of the phylum Cnidaria. Jellyfish are mainly free-swimming marine animals with umbrell ...

-like creature (the ''Medusa'' of the title) about a mile across, and the others are manta ray-like creatures about a hundred yards wide that apparently prey on the Medusa. The Medusa begins to show an interest in the ''Kon-Tiki'', and for his own and the expedition's safety, Falcon ignites his emergency power and escapes back into the upper atmosphere. After his return, it is revealed to the reader that because of the airship accident much of Falcon's body was replaced by

prosthetics In medicine, a prosthesis (plural: prostheses; from grc, πρόσθεσις, prósthesis, addition, application, attachment), or a prosthetic implant, is an artificial device that replaces a missing body part, which may be lost through trau ...

, making him a

cyborg A cyborg ()—a portmanteau of ''cybernetic'' and ''organism''—is a being with both organic and biomechatronic body parts. The term was coined in 1960 by Manfred Clynes and Nathan S. Kline.

with increased speed and reactions - allowing him to venture further into deep space than anyone, while leaving him feeling distanced from other humans.

Influence

The story was the inspiration for ''The Medusa Encounter'', the fourth novel in the '' Venus Prime'' series by Paul Preuss. The concept of life on Jupiter was explored in the second episode of Carl Sagan's 1980 PBS series ''

Cosmos The cosmos (, ) is another name for the Universe. Using the word ''cosmos'' implies viewing the universe as a complex and orderly system or entity. The cosmos, and understandings of the reasons for its existence and significance, are studied in ...

'', which featured lifeforms similar in concept to those in this story. Clarke himself revisited the notion of giant lifeforms in the atmosphere of Jupiter in his 1982 novel '' 2010: Odyssey Two''. Ben Bova's 2011 novel '' Leviathans of Jupiter'', part of his ''

Grand Tour The Grand Tour was the principally 17th- to early 19th-century custom of a traditional trip through Europe, with Italy as a key destination, undertaken by upper-class young European men of sufficient means and rank (typically accompanied by a tut ...

'' series, features giant creatures called "Clarke's Medusas" living in the planet's atmosphere.

Awards

*1972 -

Nebula Award for Best Novella The Nebula Award for Best Novella is given each year by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) for science fiction or fantasy novellas. A work of fiction is defined by the organization as a novella if it is between 17,500 and 4 ...

, winner. *1974 -

Seiun Award The is a Japanese speculative fiction award given each year for the best science fiction works and achievements during the previous calendar year. Organized and overseen by , the awards are given at the annual Japan Science Fiction Convention. ...

for Best Foreign Language Short Story.

References

*Clarke, Arthur C. The Best of Arthur C. Clarke, 1956 - 1972. Published 1973

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Meeting With Medusa, A 1970s novellas Works by Arthur C. Clarke Fiction set on Jupiter Works originally published in Playboy Nebula Award for Best Novella-winning works Cyborgs in literature Novels set on balloons

Plot summary

Influence

Awards

See also

References

External links