02486cam a22003253u 4500 25234 UtSlPG 20260610133558.0 m cr n 260607r2008||||utu|||||o|||||||||||||| d UtSlPG en iso639-1 PS Garrett, Randall, 1927-1987 Cum Grano Salis Salt Lake City, UT : Project Gutenberg, 2008 1 online resource : multiple file formats text txt rdacontent computer c rdamedia online resource cr rdacarrier Produced from Astounding Science Fiction, May 1959. Release date is 2008-04-29 Produced by Greg Weeks, Bruce Albrecht, LN Yaddanapudi and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net "Cum Grano Salis" by Randall Garrett is a science fiction novella written in the late 1950s. The story revolves around a group of astronauts facing dire circumstances on an alien planet, highlighting themes of survival, human resilience, and the unexpected consequences of encounters with extraterrestrial life. The title itself, which translates to "with a grain of salt," underscores the caution and skepticism the characters must exercise as they navigate their challenging situation. The narrative follows Colonel Fennister and the crew of an exploratory mission to Alphegar IV, who find themselves in a precarious predicament after a lightning strike destroys their food supplies, leaving them with only a month’s worth of rations while awaiting rescue. As they grapple with the threat of starvation, they explore the native flora for potential food sources. Only Broderick MacNeil, a spaceman on the crew, discovers that he can consume a native fruit, the banana-pear, without harmful effects, leading to a critical survival tactic. However, as others try the fruit, they suffer fatal consequences, revealing a deadly chelating agent within it that the others were unaware of. The story captures the conflicts arising from desperation and survival instincts and ultimately reflects on how the body’s chemistry can differ significantly between species. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Original publication data not identified Science fiction Produced from Astounding Science Fiction, May 1959. https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/25234 66235 66235