Course of Empire by Richard Wilson
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"Course of Empire" by Richard Wilson is a science fiction short story published in the mid-20th century. The narrative explores themes of colonization, cultural misunderstanding, and the unintended consequences of human actions as they extend their reach into the cosmos. Through a blend of humor and critique, the story reflects on the inefficiencies and mistakes inherent in the process of establishing human colonies on other planets. The story unfolds with two men,
Roger Boynton and Allister, discussing past efforts to colonize Mars, Venus, and Jupiter under a World Government framework. Boynton shares anecdotes about the decisions made during these colonization efforts, revealing how they were often based on whimsical choices rather than sound strategies. As they reminisce, they realize that their initial plans were thwarted by cultural and environmental misunderstandings, such as the wild Martian camels liberating domesticated ones and rain not falling in the expected manner on Venus. The story takes a sharp turn when 'Medeans, the inhabitants of Ganymede, successfully colonize Earth, highlighting the irony of human colonization efforts being outdone by a more capable alien species. The men’s conversation serves as a critique of human hubris and the unpredictable nature of interplanetary relations. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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About this eBook
| Author | Wilson, Richard, 1920-1987 |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Stallman, Emmanuel, 1927-1997 |
| Title | Course of Empire |
| Original Publication | United States: Royal Publications, Inc,1955. |
| Series Title | Produced from Infinity Science Fiction, February 1956 |
| Credits | Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at www.pgdp.net |
| Reading Level | Reading ease score: 85.7 (6th grade). Easy to read. |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature |
| Subject | Science fiction |
| Subject | Short stories |
| Subject | Space colonies -- Fiction |
| Category | Text |
| eBook-No. | 67334 |
| Release Date | Feb 6, 2022 |
| Last Update | Oct 18, 2024 |
| Copyright | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 252 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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