| Author |
Aycock, Roger D., 1914-2004 |
| Illustrator |
Francis, Dick |
| Title |
Problem on Balak
|
| Note |
Reading ease score: 79.7 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read.
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| Credits |
Produced by Robert Cicconetti, Mary Meehan and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
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| Summary |
"Problem on Balak" by Roger D. Aycock is a science fiction story published in the early 1950s. The narrative focuses on a small crew of space explorers who encounter an unusual alien society on a remote planet called Balak, known for its remarkable race of eight-armed native surgeons. The crux of the story revolves around an intriguing dilemma the explorers must solve involving two identical Terrans, leading to themes of identity and self-understanding. The plot follows the crew members as they land on Balak and swiftly encounter its inhabitants, who present them with a test: they must determine which of two identical Terran men is the original and which is a synthetic duplicate, created by the Balakians. This test leads to a series of humorous and intense moments as the crew grapples with the challenge under a time constraint. Ultimately, their journey becomes not just about solving an external problem but also reflects their deeper understanding of their own species, emphasizing the importance of self-awareness and the complexities of identity in both human and alien forms. The resolution of their dilemma hinges on a clever twist, showcasing Aycock's blend of humor and insight within the sci-fi genre. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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| Language |
English |
| LoC Class |
PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature
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| Subject |
Science fiction
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| Subject |
Short stories
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| Subject |
Human-alien encounters -- Fiction
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| Subject |
Identity -- Fiction
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| Category |
Text |
| EBook-No. |
33839 |
| Release Date |
Oct 4, 2010 |
| Copyright Status |
Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads |
63 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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