AboutSue Kayton Expertise Engineer who has read thousands of science fiction books and short stories. Can recommend stories on specific subjects and comment on technical feasibility. Especially good at older out-of-print books and authors.
Question I read this short SF story in a high school textbook in the mid 70's (no later than 1976, as that is the year I graduated). The premise of the story was explorers/miners/colonists on Jupiter or one of its moons as I remember the term "jovian" being used in the story. The explorers have to be changed in some kind of machine to deal with the higher gravity and toxic atmosphere and are sent out on their mission. The leader or commander of this mission has sent people out, but nobody ever returns. He finally decides to go through the transformation process along with his dog, his trusty companion for many years (the dog may even be very old and dying), and is determined to come back and tell the home planet or his superiors after he solves the mystery. Once the transformation of both him and his dog occur, he can communicate with his dog and learns more about their relationship and how the dog has seen and felt about him. Once they go outside into the atmosphere, they sense a 'calling' or impulse to follow to somewhere else and the desire to go back and tell them where the others have gone fades as their thoughts and desires become more alien and ethereal.
I'm sure this story did not appear exclusively in a school textbook and I am looking to reread (online or purchase a book that contains this story).
I would appreciate any help you can offer and hope that I have provided enough information or clues for you.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Mike T
Answer I'm pretty sure this story is the one you're thinking of. If not, it's very, very similar. It's by Clifford Simak, either the story Desertion or Paradise. (Paradise is a sequel to Desertion). Both are in several anthologies which are listed at the bottom of this posting.
You'll also enjoy the short story/novella Call Me Joe, by Poul Anderson, collected in several anthologies including the Science Fiction Hall of Fame, volume 2A. I highly recommend this story which deals with physical transformation to deal with the Jovian environment. The rest of the stories in the Hall of Fame are also excellent - get all the volumes.
Desertion and Paradise are both printed in a book titled "City", Gnome Press, 1952 and a book called "City" Ace Press 1981
Desertion (without Paradise) can be found in:
City 1952, Gnome Press
Astounding Nov 1944
Big Book of Science Fiction, ed. Groff Conklin, Crown 1950
Uberwindung Von Raum Und Zeit, ed. Gotthard Gunther, West Germany: Karl Rauch 1952
Galaxy of Ghouls, ed. Judith Merril, Lion 1955
Big Book of Science Fiction, ed. Groff Conklin, Berkley 1957
Beyond Tomorrow, ed. Damon Knight, Harper & Row 1965
Tomorrow’s Worlds, ed. Robert Silverberg, Meredith 1969
Science Fictions, ed. Arnold Thompson, London: University Tutorial Press 1971
A Spectrum of Worlds, ed. Thomas D. Clareson, Doubleday 1972
Science Fiction 2, ed. Robert Pierce, Houghton Mifflin 1973
Survival Printout, ed. Total Effect, Vintage 1973
Jupiter, ed. Carol Pohl & Frederik Pohl, Ballantine 1973
Looking Back on Tomorrow, ed. John Osborne & David Paskow, Addison-Wesley 1974
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow..., ed. Bonnie L. Heintz, Frank Herbert, Donald A. Joos & Jane Agorn McGee, Holt, Rinehart & Winston 1974
Skirmish, Berkley/Putnam 1977
The Classic Book of Science Fiction, ed. Groff Conklin, Bonanza/Crown 1978
The Road to Science Fiction #3, ed. James E. Gunn, Mentor 1979
Science Fiction: Masters of Today, ed. Dr. Arthur Liebman, Richards Rosen 1981
City, Ace 1981
The Great SF Stories 6 (1944), ed. Isaac Asimov & Martin H. Greenberg, DAW 1981
The Arbor House Treasury of Science Fiction Masterpieces, ed. Robert Silverberg & Martin H. Greenberg, Arbor House 1983
Science Fiction: A Historical Anthology, ed. Eric S. Rabkin, Oxford University Press 1983
Changes, ed. Michael Bishop & Ian Watson, Ace 1983
