The Nothing Equation by Tom Godwin
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"The Nothing Equation" by Tom Godwin is a science fiction novella written in the late 1950s. The story centers on a lone attendant, Green, who is stationed in a small observation bubble positioned ten thousand light-years beyond the galaxy’s outermost sun. The narrative explores themes of isolation, psychological terror, and the existential threat posed by the vast emptiness of space, which is portrayed as a malevolent force. In the plot, Green is
tasked with observing data in this bubble after previous attendants have experienced terrifying episodes resulting in insanity or death. As he spends time alone in the bubble, he becomes increasingly aware of an intangible yet oppressive presence he refers to as "Nothing," which seems to haunt the space surrounding him. His fears escalate as he discovers structural weaknesses in the bubble that could lead to catastrophic failure. Struggling with his sanity, he isolates himself further, believing that hiding from this unseen threat is his only chance at survival. Ultimately, the story culminates in an eerie reflection on the nature of fear and the unknown, leaving the reader with questions about the reality of the threats lurking in the void of space. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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About this eBook
| Author | Godwin, Tom, 1915-1980 |
|---|---|
| Title | The Nothing Equation |
| Series Title | Produced from Amazing Stories December 1957. |
| Credits |
Produced by Greg Weeks, Stephen Blundell and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at www.pgdp.net |
| Reading Level | Reading ease score: 70.5 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read. |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature |
| Subject | Science fiction, American |
| Subject | Short stories, American |
| Category | Text |
| eBook-No. | 25628 |
| ISBN (HTML) | 979-8-238-25628-3 |
| Release Date | May 27, 2008 |
| Last Update | Jan 3, 2021 |
| Copyright | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 474 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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