Title: The Cold Equations
Author: Tom Godwin
Published: Astounding, 1954
Genre: Science Fiction, short story
Url: http://www.oakmeadow.com/curriculum/overviews/english10_sample.pdf (Skip the english part of the lesson -- the story starts below)
Rating: 7/10
Thoughts: The story takes place on an EDS (Emergency Dispatch Ship) where the pilot discovers a stowaway on the ship. However, there is not enough fuel in the ship to take both of them to their destination and the two on the ship must deal with that.
I am of two minds about the story. On one hand it was quite touching, there was lots of tugging on the heartstrings and there were some very nice descriptions. On the other hand, I did not feel impacted by the story beyond the immediate pity that the situation warranted.
The story does bring up a number of ethical questions and questions of human nature, but I feel Tom Godwin doesn't supply any of the answers in the story. The ending did not surprise me, but I was glad of it. Good story overall, but I guess I was expecting more as it came recommended by Carl.
Possible Spoilers
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry you didn't like it as much as I did. It still stands as one of my favorite short stories. I think the point is that Godwin doesn't provide the answers. As a story the dilemma is supposed to make you think, not tell you how to think. Especially since it is an example of the kind of moral and ethical dilemmas the world faces every day. Frankly if Godwin had the answers at all he would be our Messiah! LOL!
Similar situations have happened and will continue to happen all throughout history. Had there been a situation where, for example, both characters had been able to live, or had the guy been able to sacrifice himself, the story would not have had any impact at all. The realism of the story is that there is not always an easy answer and sometimes the only choice is the one that no one wants to have make.
I'd be interested in knowing what the 'more' is that the story could have that would make you feel different about it. I'm glad you read it and sorry to disappoint you. I'm the first to admit that I certainly like things that others don't, though I do hope that more often than not I pick winners. :)
So cool that you posted something about what you read on your blog and I'm glad you are participating. Hope the rest of your selections this week, should you be reading more, are more up to snuff.
Spoiler Warning
ReplyDeleteI can see why this story is considered a classic. I guess I just didn't feel as connected to the story as I should have. It seems heartless to say, but from the beginning it seemed clear that it's the right thing for the girl to go.
This is a theme that comes up in a lot of military sci-fi and fantasy and while different authors resolve conflict differently, I did not feel the story added novelty. Of course it's been written a long time ago and as such it's unfair to say it's unoriginal based on readings that came after.
I think the change I would make to the story might kill the original intention, but I would have liked the author to tell us something about the girl that would make her stand out, make her special. Something that would have given us motivation to want to save her for more reasons than her youth and innocence.
You are heartless!!! ;) Just kidding. You are a reading/commenting machine today though!
ReplyDeleteI think he told us what he wanted to tell us about her through her interactions with the guy and her brother. She is probably supposed to be somewhat generic...a sort of 'every woman'. But who am I to know, just a guess.
I generally don't care about originality in stories, as long as I'm engaged it doesn't matter much if I've read it before. That is a generalization of course as there are some things I've read that are way too similar to other things and that bothers me.
The friend who turned me on to this is much older than me...was reading a lot of these stories when they came out...and he claims it was a pretty unconventional idea for its time. Interestingly one of the two guys who put this in the collection I have it in has huge problems with the plot but in the end still really likes the story because he finds it emotionally gripping. Maybe its a guy thing since its a young girl who has to die?
By the way, forgot to mention in my Chiang comment that the story there reminded me of the Twilight Zone episode Nick of Time. Although they are barely similar, it was the first thing that popped into my head as I was reading this. Wish I had that on DVD, it was a fun episode.
I think you may have hit on something here. Most men are taught by society that it's wrong to harm women, let alone put them out of the airlock, so this situation might seem more dire to men.
ReplyDeleteOne of the things that did not endear the girl to me is how reckless she is. First she climbs onto the ship. She doesn't seem to think through the fact that the ship may go to a different destination on a planet. Her family is supposedly living on very limited means, but she thinks it's acceptable to go off somewhere even though she would have to delay starting her new job somewhere for a long time (since the transportation there is so rare). Climbing across an EDS is reckless to start with, after all emergency dispatch is not for emergencies of the happy kind. But together with her story of not being wealthy and needing to help her parents by working, it makes her very irresponsible. She mentions she would see her brother in about a year regardless. Perhaps it's too harsh a judgment, but her character is part of the reason the story did not hit a chord in me the same way. I have to say she did redeem herself somewhat by how she handled the consequences.
I can certainly see that affecting your feelings for the story. I didn't really examine her character that much, just took her for who she was. I knew...we all knew...that early on she had a chance of dying, but it still surprised me that he chose to not give the story the typical 'happy ending'.
ReplyDeleteWell, even though I am giving all the reasons I did not rank it a 10, I still thought it was a good story. I am glad you recommended it and I read it :) I certainly agree that I was waiting throughout the story for the author to bring in some sort of trick and save her, and the fact that he didn't finish with a fake 'happy ending' is an impressive move.
ReplyDeleteI completely respect your reasons for the way you feel about it and really appreciated reading those and being able to discuss them somewhat. Very interesting. Exactly the sort of thing I always hope happens when people get together to talk about books/stories online.
ReplyDeletethe book is cruel and why cudnt he just take the chair off the floor and ship that out? i mean come on!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteTHIS IS IN REFERENCE TO THE STORY BY TOM GODWIN'S "THE COLD EQUASIONS". I'VE READ THE STORY AND HAVE SEEN THE TWILIGHT ZONE EPISODE.
ReplyDeleteIT IS THE SADDEST TV EPISODE I'VE EVER SEEN AND SHOULD BE REQUIRED VIEWING FOR ANYONE GOING INTO THE AEROSPACE INDUSTRY. THIS IS TELEVISION AND SCIENCE FICTION AT IT'S FINEST.
THE AUTHOR, PUBLISHER, LETTER WRITERS OF THE '50'S, AND THE BLOGERS OF TODAY, AS WELL AS THE FUTURE, ARE DOING EXACTLY WHAT THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO DO. TALK ABOUT IT NOW, TALK ABOUT IT IN THE FUTURE, BEFORE THIS SCENARIO HAPPENS.
THIS STORY CAN STILL HAVE A HAPPY ENDING. THAT IS, IF PEOPLE NOW AND IN THE FUTURE KEEP IT ALIVE IN THEIR HEARTS AND SEE TO IT THAT NO PILOT OR CAPTAIN WOULD EVER HAVE TO EXECUTE SUCH A TERRIBLE PROCEDURE. THAT NO IGNORANT, NAIVE GIRL EVER WOULD HAVE TO DIE. AND, NO PARENT (WHICH VERY WELL COULD BE OUR GREAT GRAND CHILDREN) EVER RECEIVES SUCH A HEART WRENCHING LETTER.
I THINK IT'S EVERYBODY'S DESIRE THAT THIS STORY REMAINS FICTION AND NEVER BECOMES PROPHECY. IF THIS IS ACHIEVED, AND LIVES ARE SAVED, THEN SCIENCE FICTION WILL HAVE DONE IT'S JOB.
Ok so does anyone know exactly what the pilot wanted? Was the girl likely to succeed? What does the government want? And like examples for them becuz im lost!
ReplyDelete