02561cam a22003613u 4500 50904 UtSlPG 20260610134153.0 m cr n 260607r2016||||utu|||||o|||||||||||||| d UtSlPG en iso639-1 PS Bone, Jesse F. (Jesse Franklin), 1916-2006 On the Fourth Planet Salt Lake City, UT : Project Gutenberg, 2016 1 online resource : multiple file formats text txt rdacontent computer c rdamedia online resource cr rdacarrier Produced from Galaxy Magazine April 1963 Release date is 2016-01-12 Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net "On the Fourth Planet" by J. F. Bone is a science fiction novella written during the early 1960s. The story revolves around the character Ul Kworn, a member of a dwindling alien race, facing a significant obstacle in his path—a mysterious metal structure that blocks his access to food, ultimately representing a barrier to survival and progress for his species. The narrative unfolds in an alien landscape, exploring themes of survival, societal change, and the remnants of a once-great civilization. The plot centers on the challenges faced by Ul Kworn as he confronts a massive metallic disc that has appeared in his feeding territory. Struggling with dwindling energy and food scarcity, he battles both the external obstacles of this artifact and the internal tensions within his community, particularly concerning his untrustworthy neighbors. As the story progresses, Kworn learns the structure possesses life and intelligence, which leads to a moment of transformation for him. The climax reveals a catastrophic event involving his naive offspring, resulting in the destruction of the structure but revealing the potential for rebirth in the society of the Folk. Ultimately, Kworn envisions the possibility of reconciling the old knowledge with new opportunities for growth, hinting at a hopeful future for his civilization. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Original publication data not identified Science fiction Short stories Extraterrestrial beings -- Fiction Finlay, Virgil, 1914-1971 Produced from Galaxy Magazine April 1963 https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/50904 91742 91742