Project Gutenberg 2020-11-08 Public domain in the USA. 165 Stearns, Charles A. Stearns, Chas. A. Vestal, Herman B. 1916 2007 Vestal, H. B. (Herman B.) Vestal, Herman Beeson Beeson The Pluto Lamp Produced from Planet Stories Fall 1954 Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net "The Pluto Lamp" by Charles A. Stearns is a science fiction novella published in the mid-20th century. The narrative revolves around the misfit character Knucklebone Smith and his ironic destiny of being chosen to install a beacon on the distant and inhospitable planet of Pluto. The tale is both a space adventure and a commentary on fate and personal worth, exploring themes of heroism and the unexpected contributions individuals can make. The story unfolds as Knucklebone Smith, an awkward and underappreciated human, is assigned to work with Professor Salvor-Jones to set up the Pluto Lamp, a self-sustaining warning beacon for starships. Initially disenchanted with his fate, Knucklebone's character evolves as he confronts various mishaps during their isolation, leading to a critical meteor storm. In a moment of unforeseen bravery, he attempts to assist Salvor-Jones during a crisis, ultimately sacrificing himself to save the beacon and the ship, thereby ensuring its vital function. The legacy of their endeavor results in a monument honoring both men, suggesting that every individual, no matter how unremarkable, plays a significant role in the grand tapestry of life. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 75.1 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read. en Science fiction Short stories Pluto (Dwarf planet) -- Fiction PS Text Category: Science-Fiction & Fantasy Category: Adventure Category: Novels 44679 2025-07-25T08:51:40.133207 text/html 20830 2024-10-18T08:02:00 text/html 439579 2025-07-25T08:51:41.906236 application/epub+zip 438413 2025-07-25T08:51:40.560202 application/epub+zip 73137 2025-07-25T08:51:40.314211 application/epub+zip 472468 2025-07-25T08:51:43.123187 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 465445 2025-07-25T08:51:41.654200 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 100400 2022-09-28T17:56:27.283166 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 38498 2025-07-25T08:51:40.017214 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 18681 2024-10-18T08:02:00 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 17063 2025-07-25T08:51:43.271188 application/rdf+xml 29315 2025-07-25T08:51:40.421223 image/jpeg 5033 2025-07-25T08:51:40.363207 image/jpeg 421136 2025-07-25T08:51:40.148238 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