Short Fiction · Chapters
Chapters explained
Chapter companions for Short Fiction by Clifford D. Simak.
Chapter 1
Hellhounds of the Cosmos
The chapter opens with the world in chaos as the 'Black Horror' attacks major cities, including London, Paris, and Berlin. Reporter Henry Woods is sent to interview Dr. Silas White, who theorizes that the Horror is a fourth-dimensional lifeform invading Earth. Dr. White reveals he has built a machine capable of projecting three-dimensional matter into the fourth dimension, offering a potential counterattack.
Chapter 2
The Street That Wasn’t There
Mr. Chambers, a disgraced academic who wrote a heretical book about the power of collective human thought to maintain physical reality, witnesses the world dissolving around him. A plague has decimated humanity, and the remaining minds are too few to hold matter's form. As his street, his house, and his possessions fade into a gray nothingness, he realizes that a malevolent intelligence from another dimension is taking over. He makes a last stand in his living room, the place he has imbued with the most concentrated will, as the void closes in.
Chapter 3
Message from Mars
A mysterious message is received from Mars, sparking intrigue and concern among the characters as they attempt to decipher its meaning and implications for Earth.
Chapter 4
I
Gavin Duncan, a planter on the planet Layard, discovers that a creature called the Cytha has destroyed ten rows of his vua crop. Despite the warnings and fears of the native foreman Zikkara, Duncan resolves to hunt the Cytha. He forces Zikkara to provide a tracker, Sipar, and prepares for the chase, leaving the sociologist Shotwell behind at the farm.
Chapter 5
II
Duncan and Sipar track a wounded Cytha through the bush of Layard. Duncan gets his first shot late in the afternoon, but the beast escapes. They camp at a waterhole, and Duncan reflects on the strange nature of the native Sipar and the cosmic culture built from multiple planets. Sipar pledges to stay with Duncan to the death.
Chapter 6
III
Duncan and Sipar continue their hunt for the Cytha, facing increasingly cunning evasion tactics including a near-fatal arrow attack and a triggered rockslide. They discover a new forested region beyond the escarpment and witness a destructive skun storm. Duncan grows uneasy as the Cytha's behavior becomes more strategic and threatening.
Chapter 7
IV
Duncan and Sipar continue their relentless hunt for the Cytha, crossing a river and entering a dense forest. Duncan reflects on the primal nature of the chase, his own bloodlust, and the alien psychology of Sipar, who remains loyal despite fear. At the climax, Sipar asks for Duncan's knife to remove a thorn, then suddenly cuts its own throat.
Chapter 8
V
Duncan, trapped under a fallen tree and surrounded by hostile screamers, faces imminent death. After a temporary reprieve, he attempts to free himself but admits defeat. The Cytha appears with a donovan, which frees Duncan. They make a bargain: the Cytha will stop eating the vua if Duncan stops hunting it. The Cytha then offers to escort Duncan home.
Chapter 9
Mr. Meek—Musketeer
Oliver Meek, a fifty-year-old bookkeeper, resigns from Lunar Exports, Inc. to fulfill a thirty-year dream of exploring the Solar System in his own ship. He visits Asteroid City on Juno, where he meets Old Stiffy Grant, who tells him about the Asteroid Prowler and the Lost Mine. After a series of adventures, Meek decides to leave his newfound fortune behind and continue his solitary journey, determined to see the rest of space.
Chapter 10
I
Gavin Duncan, a planter on the planet Layard, discovers that a creature called the Cytha has destroyed ten rows of his vua crop. Despite the warnings and fears of the native foreman Zikkara, Duncan resolves to hunt the Cytha. He forces Zikkara to provide a tracker, Sipar, and prepares for the chase, leaving the sociologist Shotwell behind at the farm.
Chapter 11
II
Duncan and Sipar track a wounded Cytha through the bush of Layard. Duncan gets his first shot late in the afternoon, but the beast escapes. They camp at a waterhole, and Duncan reflects on the strange nature of the native Sipar and the cosmic culture built from multiple planets. Sipar pledges to stay with Duncan to the death.
Chapter 12
III
Duncan and Sipar continue their hunt for the Cytha, facing increasingly cunning evasion tactics including a near-fatal arrow attack and a triggered rockslide. They discover a new forested region beyond the escarpment and witness a destructive skun storm. Duncan grows uneasy as the Cytha's behavior becomes more strategic and threatening.
Chapter 13
IV
Duncan and Sipar continue their relentless hunt for the Cytha, crossing a river and entering a dense forest. Duncan reflects on the primal nature of the chase, his own bloodlust, and the alien psychology of Sipar, who remains loyal despite fear. At the climax, Sipar asks for Duncan's knife to remove a thorn, then suddenly cuts its own throat.
Chapter 14
Mr. Meek Plays Polo
Oliver Meek arrives at a remote repair shop on a small rock in Saturn's Inner Ring, where he learns about 'educated bugs' that play a game on a board. After observing them, he realizes they are actually solving mathematical equations. He accidentally falls onto the board, scattering the bugs, and flees back to Gus Hamilton's shack. There, they recapture the bugs while a radio broadcast announces a space polo game that will settle a long-standing feud between sectors of the Inner Ring.
Chapter 15
I
Gavin Duncan, a planter on the planet Layard, discovers that a creature called the Cytha has destroyed ten rows of his vua crop. Despite the warnings and fears of the native foreman Zikkara, Duncan resolves to hunt the Cytha. He forces Zikkara to provide a tracker, Sipar, and prepares for the chase, leaving the sociologist Shotwell behind at the farm.
Chapter 16
II
Duncan and Sipar track a wounded Cytha through the bush of Layard. Duncan gets his first shot late in the afternoon, but the beast escapes. They camp at a waterhole, and Duncan reflects on the strange nature of the native Sipar and the cosmic culture built from multiple planets. Sipar pledges to stay with Duncan to the death.
Chapter 17
III
Duncan and Sipar continue their hunt for the Cytha, facing increasingly cunning evasion tactics including a near-fatal arrow attack and a triggered rockslide. They discover a new forested region beyond the escarpment and witness a destructive skun storm. Duncan grows uneasy as the Cytha's behavior becomes more strategic and threatening.
Chapter 18
IV
Duncan and Sipar continue their relentless hunt for the Cytha, crossing a river and entering a dense forest. Duncan reflects on the primal nature of the chase, his own bloodlust, and the alien psychology of Sipar, who remains loyal despite fear. At the climax, Sipar asks for Duncan's knife to remove a thorn, then suddenly cuts its own throat.
Chapter 19
V
Duncan, trapped under a fallen tree and surrounded by hostile screamers, faces imminent death. After a temporary reprieve, he attempts to free himself but admits defeat. The Cytha appears with a donovan, which frees Duncan. They make a bargain: the Cytha will stop eating the vua if Duncan stops hunting it. The Cytha then offers to escort Duncan home.
Chapter 20
VI
Duncan and the Cytha part ways on a knoll overlooking a farm. The Cytha, exhausted from maintaining intelligence, decides to return to its animal state, but Duncan worries it will eat the vua crops. They agree that if Duncan finds it in the fields, he should hunt it to trigger its intelligence again. The Cytha watches Duncan leave, admiring him, and plans a surprise for its friend.
Chapter 21
The Call from Beyond
A mysterious signal from beyond Earth triggers a series of events that challenge humanity's understanding of the cosmos, drawing key figures into a web of fear, curiosity, and existential dread.
Chapter 22
I: The Pyramid of Bottles
Frederick West lands on Pluto's moon and discovers a bizarre pyramid built of whisky bottles. He enters a nearby hut and meets a drunken, dying man—revealed to be the once-great biologist Walter J. Darling—who lives in squalor with a strange creature named Annabelle. Darling speaks cryptically of a painting and of Louis Nevin on Pluto before collapsing dead. West realizes the Pluto commission's mission was not as reported, and that his plan to hide on Pluto may be complicated by the presence of survivors.
Chapter 23
II: The White Singer
West lands his craft on Pluto, evading the space patrol, and reflects on his status as a mutant exiled by a fearful Earth. He meets Cartwright and Nevin, who are involved with the mysterious alien singer Stella, and negotiates for a share in their secret enterprise, revealing his knowledge of their operations.
Chapter 24
III: The Painting
West dines with Nevin and Cartwright, who reveal their secret painting that seems to open into another world. West learns about the hormone research, the exile of Darling, and the existence of other mutants. Belden later confronts West, proposing a deal to find Darling's hidden hormone formula.
Chapter 25
IV: The Last Man
Frederick West, alone in a house on Pluto, discovers a bottle containing the 'hormones' that enhance mental abilities. He realizes the bottle was the object of a long search by Belden and Darling, and that it was hidden by Langdon. With his newfound mental clarity, West identifies the flaw in the space drive of the Alpha Centauri, offering a chance to reach the stars. He also reflects on the alien threat from 'otherwhere' that Nevin and Cartwright unleashed, and decides to stay on Pluto as a fugitive from humanity.
Chapter 26
Second Childhood
Andrew Young, an immortal who has lived for 5,786 years, petitions the immortality commission for the right to die, arguing that his endless life has become a burden of loneliness, boredom, and lost meaning. He recounts how his friends have all died through reckless accidents, and he himself longs for the innocence and wonder of childhood that he can never recapture.
Chapter 27
Project Mastodon
A group of explorers, including Oliver Meek, Gavin Duncan, and Frederick West, embark on a mission to the planet Mastodon, facing the unknown dangers of space and the psychological strain of isolation. The chapter explores themes of survival, fear, and the human drive to push beyond known boundaries.
Chapter 28
I
Gavin Duncan, a planter on the planet Layard, discovers that a creature called the Cytha has destroyed ten rows of his vua crop. Despite the warnings and fears of the native foreman Zikkara, Duncan resolves to hunt the Cytha. He forces Zikkara to provide a tracker, Sipar, and prepares for the chase, leaving the sociologist Shotwell behind at the farm.
Chapter 29
II
Duncan and Sipar track a wounded Cytha through the bush of Layard. Duncan gets his first shot late in the afternoon, but the beast escapes. They camp at a waterhole, and Duncan reflects on the strange nature of the native Sipar and the cosmic culture built from multiple planets. Sipar pledges to stay with Duncan to the death.
Chapter 30
III
Duncan and Sipar continue their hunt for the Cytha, facing increasingly cunning evasion tactics including a near-fatal arrow attack and a triggered rockslide. They discover a new forested region beyond the escarpment and witness a destructive skun storm. Duncan grows uneasy as the Cytha's behavior becomes more strategic and threatening.
Chapter 31
IV
Duncan and Sipar continue their relentless hunt for the Cytha, crossing a river and entering a dense forest. Duncan reflects on the primal nature of the chase, his own bloodlust, and the alien psychology of Sipar, who remains loyal despite fear. At the climax, Sipar asks for Duncan's knife to remove a thorn, then suddenly cuts its own throat.
Chapter 32
V
Duncan, trapped under a fallen tree and surrounded by hostile screamers, faces imminent death. After a temporary reprieve, he attempts to free himself but admits defeat. The Cytha appears with a donovan, which frees Duncan. They make a bargain: the Cytha will stop eating the vua if Duncan stops hunting it. The Cytha then offers to escort Duncan home.
Chapter 33
VI
Duncan and the Cytha part ways on a knoll overlooking a farm. The Cytha, exhausted from maintaining intelligence, decides to return to its animal state, but Duncan worries it will eat the vua crops. They agree that if Duncan finds it in the fields, he should hunt it to trigger its intelligence again. The Cytha watches Duncan leave, admiring him, and plans a surprise for its friend.
Chapter 34
VII
The general, head of Project Mastodon, reflects on the immense potential of time travel for military and civilian purposes, lamenting the shortsightedness of others who failed to see its value. He worries about the three men sent into the past and fears the project will be shut down if they don't return soon.
Chapter 35
VIII
Hudson, Cooper, and Adams complete their pyramid of stones intended for time travel, but when Adams presses the button, the time unit fails to work.
Chapter 36
Chapter IX
The President and his advisors discuss an imminent threat from an unnamed enemy who believes the United States has secretly continued Project Mastodon and is close to achieving time travel. Despite the project being abandoned years ago, the enemy is convinced otherwise and plans a preemptive strike within 30 to 90 days. The possibility of bluffing about having time travel is dismissed as ineffective.
Chapter 37
The Empty Purpose
Hudson and Cooper return from a hunt, burdened not only by the deer they carry but by the weight of their stranded existence in the Pleistocene. They discuss Wes Adams's obsessive guilt and his futile attempts to repair the time machine, while confronting the deeper dread of living without hope or purpose in a world without society. Returning to the cabin, they find a note from Wes claiming he may have fixed the machine—and discover the rock pyramid they built has vanished.
Chapter 38
Chapter XI
General Leslie Bowers is awakened by a crash as Wesley Adams crashes his car into a pile of rocks. Adams is greeted with surprise and relief by the general, who has been waiting for him for twenty-five years. The general, believing Adams has returned from a long mission, offers to call the White House to secure recognition and aid for him.
Chapter 39
XII
The night editor reads a bulletin announcing the recognition of Mastodonia, but he and the copy chief are unsure of its location, prompting a plan to include a map in the next edition.
Chapter 40
XIII
Cooper and Hudson discuss the absence of Wes, who left five years ago to repair a time unit. Cooper remains hopeful that Wes will return, while Hudson expresses doubt. Their conversation reveals the tension between hope and despair as they wait in isolation.
Chapter 41
XIV
A massive coordinated effort begins as a thousand workers race against time to calibrate time machines for precise jumps into the past, launching Project Mastodon to save two men trapped in time and secure lasting peace.
Chapter 42
I
Gavin Duncan, a planter on the planet Layard, discovers that a creature called the Cytha has destroyed ten rows of his vua crop. Despite the warnings and fears of the native foreman Zikkara, Duncan resolves to hunt the Cytha. He forces Zikkara to provide a tracker, Sipar, and prepares for the chase, leaving the sociologist Shotwell behind at the farm.
Chapter 43
II
Duncan and Sipar track a wounded Cytha through the bush of Layard. Duncan gets his first shot late in the afternoon, but the beast escapes. They camp at a waterhole, and Duncan reflects on the strange nature of the native Sipar and the cosmic culture built from multiple planets. Sipar pledges to stay with Duncan to the death.
Chapter 44
III
Duncan and Sipar continue their hunt for the Cytha, facing increasingly cunning evasion tactics including a near-fatal arrow attack and a triggered rockslide. They discover a new forested region beyond the escarpment and witness a destructive skun storm. Duncan grows uneasy as the Cytha's behavior becomes more strategic and threatening.
Chapter 45
IV
Duncan and Sipar continue their relentless hunt for the Cytha, crossing a river and entering a dense forest. Duncan reflects on the primal nature of the chase, his own bloodlust, and the alien psychology of Sipar, who remains loyal despite fear. At the climax, Sipar asks for Duncan's knife to remove a thorn, then suddenly cuts its own throat.
Chapter 46
V
Duncan, trapped under a fallen tree and surrounded by hostile screamers, faces imminent death. After a temporary reprieve, he attempts to free himself but admits defeat. The Cytha appears with a donovan, which frees Duncan. They make a bargain: the Cytha will stop eating the vua if Duncan stops hunting it. The Cytha then offers to escort Duncan home.
Chapter 47
VI
Duncan and the Cytha part ways on a knoll overlooking a farm. The Cytha, exhausted from maintaining intelligence, decides to return to its animal state, but Duncan worries it will eat the vua crops. They agree that if Duncan finds it in the fields, he should hunt it to trigger its intelligence again. The Cytha watches Duncan leave, admiring him, and plans a surprise for its friend.
Chapter 48
The Shipshape Miracle
Cheviot Sherwood, a fugitive stranded on a desolate planet rich with diamonds, is rescued by a sentient spaceship that houses a human brain merged with its systems. Initially grateful, Sherwood soon realizes the Ship intends to absorb him as its next brain, trapping him in a living machine. He must use his cunning to survive and possibly seize control of the Ship.
