The color of space by Charles R. Tanner
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The color of space by Charles R. Tanner is a science fiction short story written in the early 20th century. It follows a kidnapped scientist confronted with a supposed Russian discovery that cancels gravity and enables spaceflight, exploring themes of deception, technological awe, and scientific skepticism. A Russian agent, Godonoff, abducts Dr. Henshaw to force him to sell a secret process. In a metal room with a huge circular window, Godonoff claims
Russia has created “helium fluoride” that negates gravity, built giant rotating discs, and even stolen famous buildings for transport to Venus. He points out reflective shields, a solar engine, and gas jets, while a starry panorama shows Earth, the Moon, and the captured structures drifting past. Henshaw notices fatal errors: a blue, sparsely starred sky instead of black space crowded with stars, the lack of blinding solar glare from nearby metal, and an “airlock” door that opens easily despite the supposed vacuum outside. He steps through and finds an ordinary city street, escaping the staged illusion. Later he explains to reporters how simple physical facts exposed the hoax. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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About this eBook
| Author | Tanner, Charles R., 1896-1974 |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Paul, Frank R. (Frank Rudolph), 1884-1963 |
| Title | The color of space |
| Original Publication | New York, NY: Stellar Publishing Corporation, 1930. |
| Series Title | Produced from the March 1930 issue of Science Wonder Stories magazine. |
| Credits | Prepared by volunteers at BookCove (bookcove.net) |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature |
| Subject | Science fiction |
| Subject | Short stories |
| Subject | Kidnapping -- Fiction |
| Category | Text |
| eBook-No. | 77610 |
| Release Date | Jan 3, 2026 |
| Copyright | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 365 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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