They Also Serve by Donald E. Westlake
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"They Also Serve" by Donald E. Westlake is a science fiction short story published in the early 1960s. The narrative revolves around an alien perspective on humanity, exploring themes of conflict and the potential for self-destruction among humans, depicted through the lens of extraterrestrial observers. The story delves into the challenges faced by a space base situated on a moon, highlighting the anxiety of its inhabitants as they monitor Earth's primitive yet
chaotic civilization. The plot follows Captain Ebor, who arrives at a lunar base operated by Commander Darquelnoy, only to discover that the inhabitants of Earth have developed the capability to build a spaceship. The two characters engage in dialogue about the implications of human advancements, particularly concerning the dangerous tendencies of humanity to unite against external threats while simultaneously being prone to internal conflict. As they wait for potential disaster to unfold on Earth, the narrative encapsulates a sense of unease regarding what may happen if humans were to realize they are being watched, ultimately reflecting on the themes of war, survival, and the complex nature of intelligence in the universe. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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About this eBook
| Author | Westlake, Donald E., 1933-2008 |
|---|---|
| Title | They Also Serve |
| Series Title | Produced from Analog Science Fact & Fiction September 1961. |
| Credits |
Produced by Greg Weeks, Barbara Tozier and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at www.pgdp.net |
| Reading Level | Reading ease score: 84.6 (6th grade). Easy to read. |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature |
| Subject | Science fiction |
| Subject | Short stories |
| Category | Text |
| eBook-No. | 30474 |
| ISBN (HTML) | 979-8-238-30474-8 |
| Release Date | Nov 14, 2009 |
| Last Update | Oct 24, 2024 |
| Copyright | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 513 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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