Project Gutenberg
2022-08-18
Public domain in the USA.
114
Leinster, Murray
1896
1975
Jenkins, Will
Jenkins, William Fitzgerald
Fitzgerald, William
Jenkins, Will F.
Freas, Kelly
1922
2005
Freas, Frank Kelly
The swamp was upside down
$aUnited States :$bStreet & Smith Publications, Inc.,$c1956.
Colonial Survey
Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
"The Swamp Was Upside Down" by Murray Leinster is a science fiction novella published in the mid-20th century, specifically in 1956, within the pages of "Astounding Science Fiction." The story revolves around the complexities of a colonial survey mission on a planet called Canna III, focusing on the profound environmental issues that arise when civilization interacts with alien ecosystems. The narrative involves elements of space travel, crisis management, and the responsibilities of scientific authority in the face of looming disaster. In the plot, Senior Officer Hardwick is summoned to Sector Headquarters after peculiar changes occur on the planet due to extensive irrigation practices that have led to the soil destabilization. As the situation worsens, tensions arise between civilian populations and the Survey personnel, particularly regarding their approach to the extensive groundwater issues generated by their irrigation systems. Hardwick and his junior officer, Lieutenant Barnes, work against time to find solutions, including utilizing ship-fuel to modify the soil structure while preventing catastrophic outcomes like landslides or explosions. The story explores themes of authority, ingenuity, and the consequences of human interference in nature, ultimately portraying a race against time to save both the island and its inhabitants from disaster. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
20220610171339leinster
1956
US
Reading ease score: 77.0 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read.
en
Science fiction
Space colonies -- Fiction
Geology -- Fiction
PS
Text
Category: Science-Fiction & Fantasy
Category: Environmental Issues
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