A Little Knowledge by R. R. Winterbotham
"A Little Knowledge" by R. R. Winterbotham is a science fiction short story published in the mid-20th century. The narrative explores themes of interplanetary life and the inherent dangers of human ambition, as an alien named Olbu visits Earth to assess whether humanity poses a threat to the galaxy. The story reflects the burgeoning interest in space exploration and societal introspection prevalent during this time. The plot centers around a telecast featuring
Olbu, the alien ambassador from the planet Xvik, and Earth scientists Dr. Bruber and broadcaster Ralph Rodkey. As Olbu shares his observations about humanity, he observes that Earthmen are ambitious and dangerous — an assessment that sparks discussions about the future of mankind. Through moments of humor and tension, Olbu reveals his planet's view of Earthlings and the possibility that they may need to be eliminated for the safety of the universe. However, the story takes a twist when Dr. Bruber informs Olbu that his home star has gone supernova, leaving the alien stranded on Earth. Ultimately, the story comments on the cyclical patterns of ambition and destruction inherent in human nature and hints that the fate Olbu feared for humanity may be the one his own kind has already faced. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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About this eBook
| Author | Winterbotham, R. R. (Russell Robert), 1904-1971 |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Emshwiller, Ed, 1925-1990 |
| Title | A Little Knowledge |
| Series Title | Produced from Worlds of If Science Fiction, December 1956 |
| Note | Reading ease score: 77.3 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read. |
| Credits |
Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature |
| Subject | Science fiction |
| Subject | Short stories |
| Subject | Extraterrestrial beings -- Fiction |
| Subject | Human-alien encounters -- Fiction |
| Subject | Television programs -- Fiction |
| Category | Text |
| EBook-No. | 59616 |
| Release Date | May 26, 2019 |
| Copyright Status | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 76 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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