Project Gutenberg 2019-05-27 Public domain in the USA. 128 Berry, Don 1932 2001 Emshwiller, Ed 1925 1990 Emsh Emsh, Ed Alexander, Ed Emshwiller, Edmund A. Willer EMSH Routine for a Hornet Produced from Worlds of If Science Fiction, December 1956 Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net "Routine for a Hornet" by Don Berry is a science fiction novella written in the mid-20th century, specifically during the 1950s. The story centers on the perilous missions of a pilot flying a Hornet, a type of spacecraft designed for one-way trips to intercept enemy ships from an alien force known as the Outspacers. The narrative explores themes of sacrifice, the nature of war, and the psychological effects of being an expendable asset in a desperate battle for survival. The protagonist, Cressey, is a seasoned Hornet pilot who grapples with fear and resignation as he faces the grim reality of his missions. Each excursion involves launching into space with minimal equipment and a high likelihood of not returning, as the Hornets are engineered for a single-use scenario. Cressey's internal conflict is fueled by the prospect of heroism and glory that initially enticed him to join, now overshadowed by the harshness of combat and existential contemplation. Throughout the story, he reflects on the futility of the warfare and the consequences of humanity's aggressive stance towards the unknown, ultimately leading to a bittersweet acceptance of his role in the conflict. The gripping tension and philosophical undertones make this work a thought-provoking glimpse into the psyche of a soldier in an unending war. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 74.8 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read. en Science fiction Short stories War stories Human-alien encounters -- Fiction Astronauts -- Fiction PS Text Category: Science-Fiction & Fantasy Category: Novels 52687 2025-06-23T15:48:02.448647 text/html 48932 2019-05-27T13:55:18 text/html 269837 2025-06-23T15:48:04.478660 application/epub+zip 268668 2025-06-23T15:48:02.879680 application/epub+zip 82136 2025-06-23T15:48:02.634683 application/epub+zip 303990 2025-06-23T15:48:05.857689 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 296327 2025-06-23T15:48:04.233642 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 110173 2022-09-27T01:27:53.663813 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 45998 2025-06-23T15:48:02.322659 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 46222 2019-05-27T13:55:18 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 21003 2025-06-23T15:48:06.009681 application/rdf+xml 28944 2025-06-23T15:48:02.727731 image/jpeg 4937 2025-06-23T15:48:02.681648 image/jpeg 454314 2019-05-27T13:55:18 application/octet-stream application/zip 17823 2019-05-27T13:55:18 application/octet-stream application/zip 456213 2025-06-23T15:48:02.463768 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog en.wikipedia en.wikipedia