Project Gutenberg
2021-10-24
Public domain in the USA.
93
Cox, Irving E.
1917
2001
Cox, Irving England, Jr.
Terry, W. E.
1921
1992
Terry, Willis E.
Terry, Bill
Export Commodity
Produced from Imagination Stories of Science and Fantasy July 1955
Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
"Export Commodity" by Irving E. Cox, Jr. is a science fiction story written in the mid-20th century. The narrative explores themes of humanity and emotion in contrast to cold logic and mechanization, focusing on the character Lieutenant Henig, who is sent to obtain a soil sample from a primitive planet inhabited by a seemingly inferior species. The book delves into the complexities of pervading emotional connections amid a backdrop of interstellar exploration. The story follows Henig's mission as he arrives on a foreign planet, initially underestimating the native inhabitants, whom he views as mere animals lacking civilized qualities. However, encounters with these beings reveal deeply ingrained emotions, particularly love and sacrifice, which starkly contrast with Henig's own society's logic-driven existence. As he navigates the dangers of this world, including violent confrontations and exploration of the emotions exhibited by the aliens, he discovers the profound nature of their connections and ultimately decides against exploiting the planet's resources. Instead, Henig chooses to preserve the unique emotional fabric of this species, leading to a personal transformation that challenges the values of his highly logical civilization. The story makes a poignant statement about the worth of emotional ties over technological superiority. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
Reading ease score: 74.9 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read.
en
Science fiction
Short stories
Extraterrestrial beings -- Fiction
Human-alien encounters -- Fiction
Earth (Planet) -- Fiction
PS
Text
Category: Science-Fiction & Fantasy
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