Project Gutenberg 2020-11-13 Public domain in the USA. 128 Matthews, W. J. (William J.) Matthews, William J. Matthews, W.J. Anderson, Murphy 1926 2015 Anderson, Murphy Clyde, Jr. Anderson, M. C. The Derelict Produced from Planet Stories Fall 1946 Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net "The Derelict" by W. J. Matthews is a science fiction novel written in the mid-20th century. Set against the backdrop of Mars, it follows Geoffrey Thorne, a once-esteemed space pilot who has fallen into a life of despair and substance abuse after being marooned on the planet. The narrative explores themes of redemption, the consequences of addiction, and the struggle for self-worth amidst overwhelming odds. The story begins with Thorne in a dismal state, rescued from the beach by tourists who see him as a derelict. Despite his past glories which include pioneering important space routes, he is now defined by his addiction to the dangerous Martian drug known as t'ang. As he encounters a compassionate woman named Helen Thurland and a Martian friend named Hanu, Thorne is forced to confront his failures and the possibility of change. Ultimately, his journey leads him into the Martian desert where he discovers a long-lost treasure—the valuable Vadirrian oil—which symbolizes hope and renewal, yet his path to redemption is filled with doubt about whether he can truly change and return to the society that cast him aside. The climax reveals not only Thorne's physical struggles but also his quest for inner peace and redemption as he grapples with his identity and potential future. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 84.8 (6th grade). Easy to read. en Science fiction Mars (Planet) -- Fiction Drug addicts -- Fiction PS Text Category: Science-Fiction & Fantasy Category: Novels 88813 2025-06-25T08:24:05.487936 text/html 65461 2024-10-18T08:12:39 text/html 468070 2025-06-25T08:24:07.485981 application/epub+zip 467950 2025-06-25T08:24:05.914952 application/epub+zip 90853 2025-06-25T08:24:05.677953 application/epub+zip 513796 2025-06-25T08:24:08.839971 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 506107 2025-06-25T08:24:07.278962 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 129121 2022-09-28T18:25:38.926670 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 81925 2025-06-25T08:24:05.356956 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 62120 2024-10-18T08:12:39 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 17464 2025-06-25T08:24:08.968918 application/rdf+xml 31929 2025-06-25T08:24:05.774930 image/jpeg 4878 2025-06-25T08:24:05.725933 image/jpeg 406511 2025-06-25T08:24:05.502940 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