Before we meet again next Monday to begin watching Forbidden Planet, type up your summary of Tom Godwin’s “The Cold Equations” and the lecture notes from today’s class. Copy-and-paste them into a comment to this blog post.
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“The Cold Equations” by Tom Godwin starts in an EDS (Emergency Dispatch Ship) on its way to Woden a discovered planet in need of help. A party of six men on Woden were stricken with a fever but had no serum due to a tornado that had passed. The Stardust had received this distress call from the party. Therefore, sent an EDS to provide them with supplies and serum to continue their expedition. The pilot of the EDS was on his way to aid them, when the ship detected extra weight from the supply closet. At first instinct thought that the stowaway in the closet was a man with a hidden agenda. The pilot was ready to serve the law of not only the ship but also science. The EDS was powered by a nuclear converter, which required fuel. Any extra weight that was not accounted for had to be released in space. Otherwise, the ship upon landing would take a nosedive right into the planet, due to the fuel required to land safely. The extra weight when landing multiplies exponentially in that situation. The pilot demanded the stowaway to come out from the closet and she obliged to his command. He was surprised that she was an 18 yr old, blue eyes, and brown haired girl. As she announced herself, ready to accept her punishment, stated why she was there. She had sneaked on to the ship to visit her brother on Woden because she didn’t want to wait another year to see him. She had graduated and taken a job on Mimir. The pilot not answering any of her questions about her punishment, called in to the Stardust. The pilot spoke to the commander stated the situation and asked if there were any other alternative than the law. He tried to get alternative calculations from the Stardust but they led to the same answer. The girl could not fathom the idea of a sweet gesture to see her brother would end up in her death. The girl now knew now that she had to be released from the ship. Preparing for her departure she wrote a letter to her brother and parents. She had a brief but meaningful conversation with her brother. And finally the pilot did his job.
Marshall McLuhan stated the medium is the message/each medium has affordance. Literature uses ideas using words meaning we see descriptions in the writing. Film deals with ideas by giving them visual shape. Film does things that literature cannot do/ film can use illusion.
The story “The Cold Equations” written by Tom Godwin is about a pilot named Barton that is flying a ship to planet Woden that needs supplies. During the trip, Barton discovers a stowaway teenage girl. The teenage girl, Marilyn Cross, boarded the ship, even though she saw the warning, she thought she would only have to pay a fine. There is a law that any stowaway found on an EDS is to be jettisoned into space because there is only a limited amount of fuel and the computer calculated the exact amount of fuel needed to make the trip for the exact amount of mass. Marilyn boarded the ship to try to go see her brother, Gerry Cross. Much to Barton’s dismay, he was forced to jettison Marilyn out or everyone in the crew will die.
In class, we learned more about hard SF, including one of the story we read, “The Cold Equation” by Tom Godwin, published in 1954 in Astounding. Alan Steele’s definition for hard SF is “Hard SF is the form of imaginative literature that uses either established or carefully extrapolated science as its backbone. “The Cold Equations” is considered an exemplary example of hard SF. We also talked about the lecture that we will be having for the next day, which is notes about SF films. The 4 points of how SF literature function differently from SF films are: 1.Marshall Mcluhan: The medium is the message, 2. SF literature deals with ideas using words, 3. SF film deals with ideas by giving them visual shape, 4. SF film does things that SF literature cannot do.
In the short story “The Cold Equations” written by Tom Godwin is a science fiction story that’s about being aboard for the whole story on a Emergency Dispatch Ship name the Starship headed for the frontier planet Woden with a cargo of very important needed medical supplies. Barton the pilot of the starship while aboard the ship finds a eighteen year old girl name Marilyn whose a stowaway which is not such a good thing to come upon in this era of time or society of pilot Barton because by law, all EDS aka Emergency Dispatch Ship stowaways are to be dumped out or kicked off in space. Though it seems very unfair and soulless to do this to the girl who just wants to see her colonist brother of Woden; who she hasn’t seen for ten years and her unknowing of the law around this time there’s a reason, being EDS vessels can only carry no more fuel than the amount that’s completely needed to land securely at their destination. Marilyn when going a board on the Starship sees the unauthorized personnel sign, but she thinks it’s not a big deal that the most trouble she will have to face if she is caught is a paying of a fine though that’s not what happens. Marilyn is told by Barton that she being on board will destroy the mission they were sent to do and will be the end of the colonists in death and in the end the young girl Marilyn is ejected into space by the force of pilot Barton; which had hard time acceptance to writer Tom Godwin who tried to save the girl when writer the story but had to think what was morally accurately in his time, the logically way of thinking of life in society which he argue a lot with editor John W. Campbell; it’s the main reason why this short story is a Hard Science story in Science Fiction stories as talked about in class lecture it involves the differences of science fiction literature from science fiction movies the First is the Marshall Mcluhan which is the medium is the message, Second Science Fiction literature deals with ideas using words, Third Science Fiction film deals with ideas by providing those ideas with visual shape, and Last Science Fiction film does certain things that Science Fiction literature can’t do.
Mike Paar
After Class Summery
3/21/16
“Cold Equations,” by Tom Godwin is a short story detailing the mission of EDS pilot, Barton, delivering medical supplies to the frontier planet, Woden. After launching he discovered a stowaway hidden away on the ship, which, due to the limited supplies that he had available with him on his mission, he was required to dispose of out of the airlock, otherwise he would be unable to accomplish his mission. Upon discovering that the stowaway was a young girl who only made her way onto the ship to see her brother on Woden, he obviously had hesitations about carrying out his orders. He tried to find a way around it, even went as far as calling back to his carrier that he launched from, but there was no way around it. He either had to kill the girl, or risk killing both of them and the sick men on the planet.
Eventually the girl realized the situation that she placed herself into. She pleaded for an alternative, but eventually she accepted the reality of the situation. Knowing that she had very little time left, she wrote a letter to both her brother and her parents back on earth, explaining what had occurred. As they approached the planet, they were able to make radio contact with her brother as well, who knew instantly the ramifications of her actions. Before breaking up, she was able to say her goodbyes. After ending the transmission, she decided that she was ready, willingly entered the airlock bay and was ejected into space.
Much of the class was devoted to the discussion of Hard SF, which “Cold Equations” could be described as such due to its heavy leaning on the mathematical equations involved in space travel. There was a brief mention of EC Tubbs as being an example of pre-Hard SF in which “Cold Equations” was influenced by. The next part of the lecture was devoted to discussing SF cinema and how it differs from SF literature, namely how one format is focused on expression of ideas through words and the other, being visual, can express its ideas through physical shape. As well as using the illusion of the screen to make the imagined seem real in cinema.
The Cold Equations by Tom Godwin is a short story about a stowaway aboard an EDS headed to the planet wooden. The ship is carrying medical supplies that is needed on the planet. The ships pilot Barton must ultimately make the decision to eject the stowaway, Marilyn, out into space in order for the ship to arrive in one peace with the medical supplies. If not they will both perish along with the supplies. He must do so because the ship has only enough fuel for Barton and the supplies meaning that there is no margin for error, the additional weight of the girl would crash the ship. Realizing her fate Marilyn decides to step into the airlock on her own free will. Before ejecting her out of the ship Marilyn says goodbye to her brother. Cold Equations was published in 1954 in astounding magazine. Despite his recognition in the hard SF world Godwin did not have an easy life and became an alcoholic later in his life. Some differences discussed in class between SF film and literature are the advantages of words in SF literature vs visual shape, and the use of illusion in film to make the unreal real whereas SF literature lacks this quality. The first SF film Levoyage dans la lune came out in 1902. However the first major SF film came out in 1926, Metropolis by fritz lang. SF films soon began taking the world by storm with some directors taking on stories such as Frankenstein and doing their own takes on it.
“Cold Equations” written by Tom Godwin explores the relationship between nature and man. Through the use of rocket science, Godwin has created a hard science fiction story. It begins with a space pilot on an emergency mission to a frontier planet named Woden. Barton, the pilot is onboard an Emergency Dispatch Ship (EDS) to deliver a cure to the explorers on Woden. After launching from a larger space craft, Barton discovers a stowaway on his ship. By law, the EDS only carries enough fuel for the pilot and its cargo. This same law also dictates that any stowaways should be jettisoned into the cold hard vacuum of space. Barton discovers the stowaway is a young girl from Earth named Marilyn. Marilyn had grown up on Earth and was thus unaccustomed to the cold harsh reality of outer space. Barton discovers that Marilyn had snuck onboard to visit her brother on Woden as they have not seen each other for years. Faced with the realization that Marilyn would have to be jettisoned into space, Barton messaged his captain to see if anything could be done. With no other ship in range, there was no help. Marilyn would have to be jettisoned, otherwise the EDS would crash dooming the pilot and the people that depend on the cure. Realizing the significance of the situation, Marilyn willingly allows herself to be jettisoned into space, thus saving the mission.
The lecture discussed the concept of hard science fiction. Hard science fiction uses equations from physics, chemistry, and by extension biology in its plot. The next part of the lecture discussed how mediums in which a certain work is convoyed through changes its meaning. As such SF literature differs from SF films. Films can provided illusions, while books allows the reader to view the internal struggles of a character.
“The Cold Equation” by Godwin it’s about a place entirely aboard an Emergency Dispatch Ship (EDS) headed for the frontier planet Woden with a load of desperately needed medical supplies. The pilot, Barton, discovers a stowaway: an eighteen-year-old girl. By law, all EDS stowaways are to be jettisoned because EDS vessels carry no more fuel than is absolutely necessary to land safely at their destination. The girl, Marilyn, merely wants to see her brother, Gerry, and was not aware of the law. When boarding the EDS, Marilyn saw the “UNAUTHORIZED PERSONNEL KEEP OUT!” sign, but thought she would at most have to pay a fine if she were caught. Barton explains that her presence dooms the mission by exceeding the weight limit, and the subsequent crash would kill both of them and doom the colonists awaiting the medical supplies. After contacting her brother for the last moments of her life, Marilyn willingly walks into the airlock and is ejected into space.
In today’s class we talked about the hard science fiction. “The Cold Equations” is considered an exemplary example of hard SF. I think most important things we learned today was the 4 points of how SF literature functions differently from SF films are: 1. the medium is the message, 2. SF literature deals with ideas using words, 3. SF film deals with ideas by giving them visual shape, 4. SF film does things that SF literature cannot do.
Soshana
This story is about a pilot, Barton on a small emergency ship making a trip to a group who needs medicine. However as soon as he sets off he notices a heat signal on the ship. When he goes to find out what “he” was doing there he finds it to be a girl. Marilyn tells him about her brother and wanting to work to earn her keep so she can see him. However the physical law is that only a certain weight will make it a certain distance. With her on board he can’t make it to the sick group and back to his ship. He calls his commander and asks if there’s anything he can do and he says no she must be jettisoned. So he ends the communication and Marilyn freaks out. She said she didn’t do anything wrong and now she has to die. He assures her he doesn’t want to but there isn’t enough fuel. He calls her brother so they can say goodbye and she writes two letters to her parents and her brother. The commander calls back and asks about the jettison report. And the pilot had accelerated to conserve fuel so he can keep Marilyn on board. After the call to her brother she willingly gets in the airlock and was thrown into space.
“The Cold Equations”, by Tom Godwin is definitely an emotional story. Reading it, I knew Marilyn’s death was inevitable, and I hoped inside that she would somehow be able to survive. Barton is an EDS ship pilot, on his way to the planet Woden to give supplies to a group of men who need it. EDS ships are smaller ships that travel great distances to get resources to groups, and these ships carry just enough fuel to make it to these destinations. As the ship was making it halfway to its destination, Barton realized the ship’s weight was much heavier than expected, so there must’ve been a stowaway on the ship. The rules are that all stowaways must be sent into space (jettisoned) or else the ship would use more fuel to carry more weight than calculated and the ship would run out of fuel and upon entry of a planet, the ship would freefall, killing everyone on board. The stowaway ended up being Marilyn Cross, an 18 year old girl who snuck onto the EDS ship to see her brother Gerry, who was on another planet. Gerry was in the same government as Barton. Barton was ready to jettison the stowaway until he realized it was a girl. The rest of the story is Barton trying to convince himself that this is what has to happen, and although he goes through with it, he knows it’s wrong. Marilyn is scared and confused and didn’t realize the cost of sneaking on board, but she realizes that it’s either her life or her life plus the lives of seven crew members. Barton calls the Stardust, which is a base of operations ship, and they are able to give Barton instructions to slow the ship down enough so the girl can spend a little more time alive, but that it all anyone can do, being that the nearest ship is about 40 light years away. The end of the story shows Marilyn writing letters to her family, and talking to Gerry though a communicator before she is jettisoned into space. Once they lose contact with Gerry, Marilyn goes into a space pod, Barton shuts and seals a hatch, and releases her into the depths of space.
In class we spoke about Hard SF, relating this term to Allen Steele. The definition of Hard SF would be”a form of imaginative literature that uses either established or carefully extrapolated science as its backbone.” We also spoke about “The Cold Equation”, whose author is Tom Godwin (1915-1980). It was published in 1954 in Astounding Magazine. We also spoke of 4 points of how SF films differ from SF literature, and the first SF film, which was “Le Voyage dans La Lume” (1902) by Georges Melies. We concluded by speaking about other SF films.
Darius Freeman
ENG 2420
Professor Ellis
After Class Summary: “The Cold Equations”
“The Cold Equations” by Tom Goodwin starts out in the frontier of space with an EDS pilot being dispatched to Woden. An EDS is monitored extremely closely as to use as little resources as possible. The EDS calculates the exact amount of fuel needed for the journey that it is making. There is no room for flexibility. The EDS is launched from the Stardust, a larger ship that can accommodate passengers. Once the Stardust is gone, it cannot be turned around less it will be too far behind schedule. This all comes to us when and EDS is dispatched to Woden carrying medical supplies as the colony’s was destroyed by an unforeseen tornado. Soon after, the pilot discovers that there has been a stowaway on his ship. The protocol for such a situation calls for the immediate ejection of said stowaway as the EDS cannot handle any unaccounted for weight and will crash killing everyone and destroying whatever supplies it may be carrying. As the pilot resolves himself to eject what he thinks to be an unruly man, it turns out to be a young girl and his conscience kicks in as he does not want to sentence her to death for not knowing better. However this is out of his or anyone else’s control. The pilot tries to recalculate decent times and get the Stardust to turn around as well as see if another EDS can help, there is no such luck. The girl just wanted to see her brother who is stationed on Woden but in doing so she made a mistake that would cost her gravely. The pilot radios for her brother Gerry but he is out and won’t be back for a while. The girl decides to write her family while she waits for her brother to radio back and the pilot will mail the letter for her. Gerry gets back at nightfall just as the radio is about to go out of range due to the planets rotation and he speaks to her. Being a man of the frontier, Gerry knows exactly what will happen to her when she tells him she stowed away. She tells him she isn’t scared and that she wants him to remember her in her best light and not as what death in space looks like. He agrees to always remember her how she wanted. She then accepts her fate and steps into the air lock and with a pulse in her voice says, “I’m Ready”.
In the lecture we learned that “The Cold Equations” is one of the more perfect examples of hard Science Fiction. Everything is based on science and mathematics. The story relies only on science to explain it’s story.
Mathew Tackett
5.24.2016
Tom Goodwin’s story “The Cold Equations” is a story about an EDS pilot sent to a planet called Woden. The EDS ships are carefully calculated in trajectory to use as little resources as possible. Once an EDS ship is launched it cannot be recalled to the Stardust. The EDS ship sent to Woden is laden with medical supplies for the colony since it was wrecked by a tornado. Unfortunately aboard the ship, there is a stowaway named Marilyn Cross; an 18 year old girl looking for her brother on the planet Woden. Barton who is piloting the ship find’s Marilyn and is about to airlock her off the ship when he realizes it’s a girl. The majority of the story is Barton trying to come to grips with what he must do lest the ship and his life be sacrificed as well as the girl’s. Marilyn realizes that because of her actions she has basically condemned the ship and its crew from reaching their destination. After this realization she writes letters to her family, and makes contact with her brother Gerry who is planetside. Once they lose contact with Gerry, they jettison Marilyn into space to save the lives of the other people aboard the ship. This story comes from a type of science fiction called Hard SF, because it uses extrapolated science as its plot backbone.
The Cold Equations
Today we discussed science fiction film (through the 1950’s)
Marshall Mcluhan- “the medium is the message”. Each medium has certain affordances – limiting factors and strength
SF literature deals with ideas using words, it is more analytical
SF films deals with ideas by giving them visual shape
Sf film does things SF literature cannot do . use illusion to make the images seemingly real.
For class today we read Tom Godwin’s “The Cold Equation”. The story is about a EDS making a trip to Woden, there are sick people and supplies need to be delivered. The pilot Barton discovers a female, Marilyn, has stowed away on board the ship. She was hoping to see her brother and only expected to be fined for the incident. Due to certain rules there was exactly enough fuel to make the trip without the girl. With the extra weight the ship will be unable to make the journey. Protocol dictates that any extra cargo or persons must be thrown out/jettisoned from the spacecraft. For a bit the two try to rationalize a solution to save the girl. There is an idea to toss out some of the inventory on the ship. This would be jeopardizing the lives of the people on Woden. The girl is able to briefly talk to her brother and she voluntarily leaves the ship killing her.
“The Cold Equations”, by Tom Godwin the story is about a pilot on a mission to delivery medicine to the planet Woden for people who are in need. During the course of the trip the pilot find a young girl on a planet who tell him that’s she wish to see her brother again but she had no way to get where he was. The pilot realized that’s if he took her on board with him the mission will not succeed since there was no capacity for two and the fuel wouldn’t be enough to get there due to the weight of both of them. The young girl when on board with the pilot and inside the aircraft (EDS) an alarm sound was made since the ship was full to capacity. The young girl got to speak with her brother and realized that’s the pilot and herself will die if she did not leave since it was too much weight on the aircraft (EDS). The young mad the brave decision to eject herself from the aircraft and save the pilot.