000 02570cam a22003613u 4500
001 64173
003 UtSlPG
005 20260610134458.0
006 m
007 cr n
008 260607r2020||||utu|||||o|||||||||||||| d
040 _aUtSlPG
041 7 _aen
_2iso639-1
050 4 _aPS
100 1 _aThomas, Theodore L.,
_d1920-2005
245 1 4 _aThe Fatal Third
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 November 1953
500 _aRelease date is 2020-12-30
508 _aGreg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
520 _a"The Fatal Third" by Theodore L. Thomas is a science fiction novel likely written in the early 1950s, reflecting the technological aspirations and fears of a post-war society. The narrative centers around the devastating attack by the Uranians on an Earth fleet, leading to a crisis in space exploration and the resilience of humanity in a world that has seen peace for over a century. The book explores themes of violence, conflict, and the cultural consequences of a long-lasting absence of war. The story follows Hanford Webster, the third officer aboard the spaceship "Polaris", as he grapples with a mysterious and catastrophic incident that destroys the majority of the Earth fleet, leaving his ship as the last survivor. The narrative unfolds as Webster and his fellow officers attempt to uncover the causes and motivations behind the sudden and unprovoked Uranian attack. Through a mix of tension, humor, and scientific speculation, Thomas develops Webster's character—an enormous man born for action in a peaceful time—as he uses his intellect and physicality to devise a solution to counter the new threat posed by the Uranians, ultimately seeking a chance to break his third-officer jinx and rise in rank. The story blends elements of adventure and intrigue while providing commentary on humanity's capacity for violence and the complexities of interplanetary relations. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
534 _nOriginal publication data not identified
653 _aScience fiction
653 _aShort stories
653 _aSpace ships -- Fiction
653 _aWeapons -- Fiction
830 0 _aProduced from Planet Stories November 1953
856 4 0 _uhttps://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/64173
999 _c104996
_d104996