"Rescue Party" is a
science fiction
Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...
short story
A short story is a piece of prose fiction. It can typically be read in a single sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the old ...
by English writer
Arthur C. Clarke
Sir Arthur Charles Clarke (16 December 191719 March 2008) was an English science fiction writer, science writer, futurist, inventor, undersea explorer, and television series host.
Clarke co-wrote the screenplay for the 1968 film '' 2001: A ...
, first published in ''
Astounding Science Fiction
''Analog Science Fiction and Fact'' is an American science fiction magazine published under various titles since 1930. Originally titled ''Astounding Stories of Super-Science'', the first issue was dated January 1930, published by William C ...
'' in May 1946. It was the first story that he sold, though not the first one published. It was republished in Clarke's second collection, ''
Reach for Tomorrow
''Reach for Tomorrow'' is a 1956 collection of science fiction short stories by British writer Arthur C. Clarke. All the stories originally appeared in a number of different publications.
Contents
This collection includes:
*"Preface"
*" Rescue ...
'' (1956), and also appears in ''
The Collected Stories of Arthur C. Clarke
''The Collected Stories of Arthur C. Clarke'', first published in 2001, is a collection of almost all science fiction short stories written by Arthur C. Clarke, Arthur C. Clarke. It includes 114 stories, arranged in order of publication, from ...
'' (2001).
Plot summary
Aliens, aware that the Sun will explode very soon, arrive to save as many humans and as much of their culture as possible. Normally the galactic civilizations conduct surveys of planets every million years for new species, but the human race did not exist the previous time the Earth was checked – nearly four hundred thousand years before. However, radio signals had been detected at a planet 200 light years away, indicating intelligent life had arisen.
To the aliens' surprise, the planet seems to be empty of intelligent life, except for the remnants of a civilization. While the aliens explore the old cities, a comment is made that it is typical for species to take thousands of years to go from radio transmission to space travel.
During their exploration of the Earth, the aliens find a communication tower transmitting what is unfolding into what looks like empty space. They follow the beam and find an enormous fleet of ships. The aliens, equipped with
faster-than-light
Faster-than-light (superluminal or supercausal) travel and communication are the conjectural propagation of matter or information faster than the speed of light in vacuum (). The special theory of relativity implies that only particles with zero ...
ships, are amazed that humans have dared to cross interstellar space in sublight ships only 200 years after inventing radio. Humans do not possess faster-than-light ships, but have built
generational starships in the hope that their descendants will one day find a new home.
The aliens jokingly wonder if they should be worried for themselves, given the humans' rapid advancement and apparent determination; twenty years later, the comment is no longer considered funny.
Reception
Arthur C. Clarke spoke of "Rescue Party" in a foreword to the story, republished in ''The Sentinel'', a book of short stories, in 1983:
See also
*"
The Fermi Paradox Is Our Business Model", 2010
Charlie Jane Anders
Charlie Jane Anders (born July 24, 1969) is an American writer specializing in speculative fiction. She has written several novels as well as shorter fiction, published in magazines and on websites, and hosted podcasts; these works cater to both ...
story in which aliens arriving at
post-nuclear holocaust Earth are surprised that some humans have developed the technology to survive
External links
*
"Rescue Party" on the web
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rescue Party, The
Short stories by Arthur C. Clarke
1946 short stories
Post-apocalyptic short stories
Works originally published in Analog Science Fiction and Fact
Dying Earth (genre)
Fiction about supernovae
Fiction about generation ships