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001 33839
003 UtSlPG
005 20260610133754.0
006 m
007 cr n
008 260607r2010||||utu|||||o|||||||||||||| d
040 _aUtSlPG
041 7 _aen
_2iso639-1
050 4 _aPS
100 1 _aAycock, Roger D.,
_d1914-2004
245 1 0 _aProblem on Balak
264 1 _aSalt Lake City, UT :
_bProject Gutenberg,
_c2010
300 _a1 online resource :
_bmultiple file formats
336 _atext
_btxt
_2rdacontent
337 _acomputer
_bc
_2rdamedia
338 _aonline resource
_bcr
_2rdacarrier
490 1 _aProduced from the September 1953 issue of Galaxy Science Fiction.
500 _aRelease date is 2010-10-04
508 _aProduced by Robert Cicconetti, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
520 _a"Problem on Balak" by Roger D. Aycock is a science fiction story published in the early 1950s. The narrative focuses on a small crew of space explorers who encounter an unusual alien society on a remote planet called Balak, known for its remarkable race of eight-armed native surgeons. The crux of the story revolves around an intriguing dilemma the explorers must solve involving two identical Terrans, leading to themes of identity and self-understanding. The plot follows the crew members as they land on Balak and swiftly encounter its inhabitants, who present them with a test: they must determine which of two identical Terran men is the original and which is a synthetic duplicate, created by the Balakians. This test leads to a series of humorous and intense moments as the crew grapples with the challenge under a time constraint. Ultimately, their journey becomes not just about solving an external problem but also reflects their deeper understanding of their own species, emphasizing the importance of self-awareness and the complexities of identity in both human and alien forms. The resolution of their dilemma hinges on a clever twist, showcasing Aycock's blend of humor and insight within the sci-fi genre. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
534 _nOriginal publication data not identified
653 _aScience fiction
653 _aShort stories
653 _aHuman-alien encounters -- Fiction
653 _aIdentity -- Fiction
700 1 _aFrancis, Dick
830 0 _aProduced from the September 1953 issue of Galaxy Science Fiction.
856 4 0 _uhttps://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/33839
999 _c74685
_d74685