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001 63949
003 UtSlPG
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006 m
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040 _aUtSlPG
041 7 _aen
_2iso639-1
050 4 _aPS
100 1 _aCoppel, Alfred,
_d1921-2004
245 1 0 _aTask to Luna
264 1 _aSalt Lake City, UT :
_bProject Gutenberg,
_c2020
300 _a1 online resource :
_bmultiple file formats
336 _atext
_btxt
_2rdacontent
337 _acomputer
_bc
_2rdamedia
338 _aonline resource
_bcr
_2rdacarrier
490 1 _aProduced from Planet Stories January 1951
500 _aRelease date is 2020-12-03
508 _aProduced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
520 _a"Task to Luna" by Alfred Coppel is a science fiction novella published in the early 1950s. The story revolves around a tense confrontation between an American and a Russian astronaut on the Moon, exploring themes of nationalism, competition, and the absurdities of conflict in the face of a larger unknown. Set against the backdrop of the Cold War, the novella captures the intense atmosphere of the space race that characterized this period. In the narrative, two astronauts, Randick and a nameless Russian pilot, arrive on the Moon with the intention of establishing their respective countries' dominance in space. As Randick navigates the harsh lunar landscape, he confronts the Russian and ultimately finds himself in a comedic yet poignant situation where their guns are drawn against each other, but their fates change dramatically as they witness an impending invasion from an unknown force. In a moment of shared humanity, they break into laughter despite the grave circumstances, symbolizing a fleeting connection amidst the absurdity of their rivalry before the arrival of yet another potential threat from space. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
534 _nOriginal publication data not identified
653 _aScience fiction
653 _aShort stories
653 _aSpace flight to the moon -- Fiction
653 _aCold War -- Fiction
700 1 _aMayan, Earl,
_d1916-2009
830 0 _aProduced from Planet Stories January 1951
856 4 0 _uhttps://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/63949
999 _c104773
_d104773