Doorstep by Keith Laumer
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"Doorstep" by Keith Laumer is a science fiction short story written in the early 1960s. The narrative revolves around an unidentified massive object that has landed in a rural area, prompting military and scientific investigations. The story explores themes of misunderstanding and consequence in the face of the unknown. In "Doorstep," Brigadier General Straut is in charge of handling the mysterious object, which has provoked a mixture of fear and intrigue among
his men. As he assesses the situation, an unexpected series of events leads to casualties, heightening the tension. A professor urges caution, believing that the creature within the object poses no threat, but Straut, eager for recognition and fearful for the surrounding civilians, opts for aggressive action. After a bombardment that seemingly invalidates the threat, a final communication reveals that the object is actually a plea from an extraterrestrial asking for care for its daughter, turning the perceived threat into a poignant moment of realization and regret. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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About this eBook
| Author | Laumer, Keith, 1925-1993 |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Ritter, Bob |
| Title | Doorstep |
| Series Title | Produced from Galaxy Magazine February 1961 |
| Credits |
Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at www.pgdp.net |
| Reading Level | Reading ease score: 87.0 (6th grade). Easy to read. |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature |
| Subject | Science fiction |
| Subject | Short stories |
| Subject | Extraterrestrial beings -- Fiction |
| Subject | Human-alien encounters -- Fiction |
| Subject | Generals -- Fiction |
| Category | Text |
| eBook-No. | 51509 |
| Release Date | Mar 20, 2016 |
| Last Update | Oct 23, 2024 |
| Copyright | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 318 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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