The Asses of Balaam by Randall Garrett
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"The Asses of Balaam" by Randall Garrett is a science fiction novella written in the early 1960s. The story explores themes of ecological balance and the responsibilities of intelligent species toward their environment, all set against a backdrop of an alien world inhabited by unique creatures. The novella employs a blend of humor and philosophical musings to delve into the complexities of evolution and survival in a managed ecosystem. The narrative follows
Dodeth Pell, an official in charge of predator control on his planet, who discovers a new species dubbed the “wygorex.” Initially, concerns arise about this species disrupting the ecological balance, as they pose a threat to a native herbivore known as the hurkle. As Dodeth investigates further, he learns that these creatures exhibit behaviors suggesting intelligence, compelling him to rethink his initial assumptions. Eventually, the arrival of an alien ship suggests a deeper connection to the wider universe, challenging the notion of what constitutes intelligence and reinforcing the need for communication and understanding between species. The story concludes with the possibility of new beginnings as they confront their misconceptions and anticipate collaboration with the newcomers. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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About this eBook
| Author | Garrett, Randall, 1927-1987 |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Schoenherr, John, 1935-2010 |
| Title | The Asses of Balaam |
| Series Title | Produced from Analog Science Fact Fiction October 1961. |
| Credits |
Produced by Sankar Viswanathan, Greg Weeks, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at www.pgdp.net |
| Reading Level | Reading ease score: 83.0 (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. | 30583 |
| ISBN (HTML) | 979-8-238-30583-7 |
| Release Date | Dec 2, 2009 |
| Copyright | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 360 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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