Colvin, Donald creator Barth, Ernest Kurt 1929-2001 text utu 2016 monographic en 1 online resource : multiple file formats "Half Past Alligator" by Donald Colvin is a science fiction story written in the early 1950s. The book explores themes of alien culture and the interaction between humans and extraterrestrial beings, particularly focusing on the dynamics of cooperation and leadership in a primitive society. It presents a fictional world where native creatures known as Quxas struggle to survive amidst external threats, while human characters attempt to understand and assist them. In the narrative, Bill Bradley, a human camp leader on an alien planet, navigates his feelings for Candace Mathews and his frustration with Vance Montgomery, a commanding figure in the appraisal group. As baseball emerges as a bonding activity between the humans and the Quxas, Bill observes the significant cultural differences that complicate their interactions. Tension builds when Montgomery imposes a monarch-like leadership on the Quxas, appointing the brutish Ratakka as their king, which leads to oppressive dynamics. However, through the spirit of teamwork and play, Bill influences the Quxas positively, turning their love for baseball into a vehicle for self-governance and cooperation. The story culminates in a confrontation between the newly empowered Quxas and their former king, raising questions about leadership, culture, and societal development in both alien and human contexts. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Release date is 2016-01-10 Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net Original publication data not identified Science fiction Short stories Extraterrestrial beings -- Fiction Human-alien encounters -- Fiction Baseball -- Fiction Extrasolar planets -- Fiction PS Original publication data not identified https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/50889 https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/50889 UtSlPG 260607 20260610134153.0 50889