The Good Neighbors by Edgar Pangborn
QR code
"The Good Neighbors" by Edgar Pangborn is a science fiction short story published in the early 1960s. The narrative explores themes of otherness and compassion through the lens of an extraterrestrial visit. Set against the backdrop of a near-futuristic Earth, it deals with the repercussions of an alien creature's unintended arrival, turning a moment of curiosity into chaos and tragedy. The story follows a massive alien creature that escapes from a spaceship,
causing panic as it drifts through major American cities, creating destruction without malice. The creature's lamentation echoes through urban spaces, stirring fear as military forces scramble to address the situation. Eventually, the alien is brought down in New York City by a misguided military pilot, leading to catastrophic damage and loss of life. In the aftermath, the alien's home species sends an apology, expressing regret for the chaos caused by their child's mishap with the airlock and offering a comically inadequate reimbursement to those affected. Through this tale, Pangborn critiques human reactions to the unknown, illustrating how fear can lead to misunderstanding and tragedy, while also hinting at a shared responsibility among neighbors—whether human or extraterrestrial. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
Download for free
For your e-reader or reading app — Kindle, Kobo, Apple Books, Calibre etc.
Kindle → Use Send-to-Kindle
Kobo, Nook etc → Transfer via USB
Phone, tablet or computer → Open in a reading app
Other formats & older devices
There may be more files related to this item.
About this eBook
| Author | Pangborn, Edgar, 1909-1976 |
|---|---|
| Title | The Good Neighbors |
| Series Title | Published in Galaxy magazine, June 1960. |
| Credits |
Produced by Greg Weeks, David Wilson and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at www.pgdp.net |
| Reading Level | Reading ease score: 72.3 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read. |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature |
| Subject | Science fiction |
| Subject | Short stories |
| Subject | Human-alien encounters -- Fiction |
| Category | Text |
| eBook-No. | 26536 |
| Release Date | Sep 5, 2008 |
| Last Update | Jan 4, 2021 |
| Copyright | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 304 downloads in the last 30 days. |
Project Gutenberg eBooks are always free!