Read Ebook {PDF EPUB} Mission of Gravity by Hal Clement Tor.com. Science fiction. Fantasy. The universe. And related subjects. Creator of Worlds: Mission of Gravity by Hal Clement. In this bi-weekly series reviewing classic science fiction and fantasy books, Alan Brown looks at the front lines and frontiers of the field; books about soldiers and spacers, scientists and engineers, explorers and adventurers. Stories full of what Shakespeare used to refer to as “alarums and excursions”: battles, chases, clashes, and the stuff of excitement. Science fiction is a broad category of literature: you can have stories set in the far future, the present day, or the distant past (and even mix these together in a time travel tale). You can set your story right here on Earth, on a distant planet, or some more exotic place. Or you can create a world to your own specifications. Your protagonists can be human, alien, animal, vegetable, mineral, or some combination thereof. But there is one thing that binds all these stories together, and it is printed right up front, “on the tin,” so to speak. That is science. And in writing stories about the hard sciences, no one did it better than Hal Clement. Hal Clement shook the SF community with the publication of his very first story in Astounding Science Fiction , “Proof,” which featured aliens who lived inside a star. Editor John Campbell loved stories where science was at the center, and Clement delivered precisely that kind of adventure: rooted in sound science, but stretching the bounds of imagination. During his career, he had a profound impact, not only on the readers of his work, but on his fellow writers of science fiction. About the Author. Harry Clement Stubbs (1922-2003), better known by his pen name of Hal Clement, was one of the great writers of the Golden Age of Science Fiction. Four of his stories appeared in 1942, when he was a twenty-year-old astronomy student at Harvard. After graduation, he served as a pilot in the Army Air Corps, Eighth Air Force during World War II, flying 35 missions out of England in a B-24. He remained in the reserves after the war, retiring as a Colonel. His postgraduate education included master’s degrees in education and chemistry. He was a native and longtime resident of Massachusetts, and for most of his career was a science teacher at Milton Academy, an elite preparatory school. Clement’s first novel was my own introduction to his work, the juvenile novel Needle . It follows the adventures of a young boy who becomes host to a symbiotic alien being; a law enforcement official who is pursuing a fugitive. His most widely-known novel was Mission of Gravity , where he created the improbable high-gravity world of Mesklin. He also returned to that world for the novels Close to Critical and Star Light . Clement’s work was noted for being scientifically accurate, while at the same time playfully imagining what was possible at the boundaries of science. Science was definitely the center of the tales, with personal issues on the sidelines, and his characters are generally thoughtful and dispassionate (some might even say colorless). Clement was not a prolific writer—his teaching career, service as a reserve officer, and volunteer work as a Scoutmaster was enough to keep anyone busy. The best of his work was collected by NESFA Press in a three-volume set entitled The Essential Hal Clement . He enjoyed taking part in SF conventions, especially those on the East Coast that he could attend without too much travel. Clement’s recognition from the science fiction community was largely in the form of lifetime awards, not awards for individual stories. He was selected to join the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame in 1998, and he was named as a Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America Grand Master in 1999. He was known within the SF community as a generous person, free with scientific advice to those who asked for it. The Joy of Science Fiction Conventions. Especially in the early days of SF fandom, back before the Internet, the life of a science fiction fan could be a lonely one. In a typical high school class, there might be a few dozen of your classmates who read comic books, and perhaps a handful who read science fiction. It is no wonder that fans began to gather together with like-minded friends, traveling further and further to attend SF conventions, or ‘cons’ as they came to be called. These gatherings soon developed their own language; those who did not attend were called ‘mundanes’ and SF-related singing became known as ‘filking.’ There were ‘huckster rooms’ where you could buy your favorite books, and autograph sessions where you could get a chance to exchange a few words with your favorite authors. And a major backbone of these gatherings was the panel discussion, where one or several authors or artists would gather before an audience and discuss a topic, which might center on a particular book, a scientific principle, ideas for cover paintings, or the business of publishing. It was my father who introduced me to the world of cons, and it was at one of the first I attended that he said to me, “Harry is holding one of his world-building panels soon. You can’t miss that.” I didn’t know who Harry was, but followed my father to a function room, where he introduced me to his friend Harry Stubbs. It was easy to see why he and Harry got along: both were soft-spoken and bespectacled, both were WWII vets and reservists, and both were Scout leaders. It was only when the formal introductions were made that I realized that Harry was author Hal Clement. And then the panel began as people started throwing out world-building ideas. Would the planet be bigger than Earth or smaller? What would be its density, and composition? What would the surface temperatures be? Would water, or some other material, be the most common liquid on its surface? What kind of metabolism or forms of life would that support? And at the end, a new and unique setting for science fiction stories had been created. I sat quietly, enthralled by the process, and amazed by the enormous difference all these changing parameters could make when it came to the ultimate form a planet (and the story set there) could take. And through it all, Harry would interject quietly. If you picked this average temperature, this would happen. If you had this length of year, and this axial tilt, here would be the results, and the variation in seasons. If you had a surface gravity of x, the atmospheric density would be such and such. There was some discussion, but when Harry spoke, and especially when he explained his reasoning and the facts he was working from, the issues were soon settled. And he had a marvelous talent for explaining things in such a way that people with a wide range of backgrounds could understand. I had the pleasure to attend several world-building panels with Harry over the years, and they were always the highlight of the convention for me. I have attended many since then, as well, but they are not quite the same. I haven’t found anyone who thinks on their feet quite as well and as quickly as Harry, who has the same authority when they speak, and who can explain things as clearly as he could. Because of that, and because of the many authors he interacted with and advised over the years, he had a huge impact on the science fiction field, an impact far larger than his bibliography might imply. The World of Mesklin. Clement’s first tale of the planet Mesklin appeared in Astounding in 1953. The possible presence of a super-Jovian world had been deduced from a wobbling of images of the star 61 Cygni, a wobbling later found to be an error. The mythical planet was assigned a mass equivalent to 16 Jupiters. Clement gave the planet a super-fast rotation, with days of only 17.75 minutes. All planets are wider at the equator than the poles because of the centrifugal force of their rotation, but Mesklin is compressed almost into a disc. This causes the surface gravity to vary widely, with 3G being experienced at the equator and a staggering 655G experienced at poles. The planet is a good deal colder than Earth, with methane seas and an atmosphere made up largely of hydrogen. Its intelligent life forms live mainly in the intense gravity of the polar regions, and resemble larger versions of the centipedes of Earth. Because of the gravity, they do not build high structures, and because of the atmosphere, they do not have fires. Despite these limitations, they have become adept at navigation, and have explored quite a bit of the planet by sea. Because of the composition of the atmosphere, Mesklinites look at their world as a giant bowl, since from their viewpoint, they can see the horizon curving upwards, rather than down (an effect that is sometimes seen at sea here on Earth). The specific characteristics of the Mesklinites go largely unexplored—Clement is silent on their exact biology, their social structures, and reproduction. Mission of Gravity. The book opens with the Mesklinite trader, Barlennan, master of the ship Bree , which is more a collection of rafts than a single vessel like you would find on Earth. He has traveled to the far lands of the equator in search of rare goods and fortune, and instead has discovered mysterious visitor Charles Lackland. While the Mesklinites are experiencing a remarkable lightness, Charles is suffering under more weight than his kind were intended to endure. The Mesklinites call Charles and his kind “Flyers,” because they have descended from the sky. As the story begins, Barlennan and others have already learned the human’s language, their own speech spanning frequencies that the human ear cannot capture. That effort could have made for an interesting tale, but it is not the story Clement wants to tell. Clement may have journeyed to the furthest reaches of his imagination to create the Mesklinites, but he didn’t have to travel very far to find a template for the personalities of Barlennan and his shipmates. They reminded me strongly of the old Yankee traders and sailors whose memories are kept in places like Mystic Seaport, crafty and clever, and it’s not a stretch to imagine Clement, as a Massachusetts native, casting in that direction for inspiration. They are also, like the human explorers in the story, exclusively male. But they also demonstrate more personality than the human visitors, who are a bland bunch, brave and determined, but almost interchangeable. Lackland has convinced Barlennan to travel to the pole, where a human probe has landed, but because of the gravity is unable to lift off again. The humans are desperate to collect the information from that probe, but need native help to do it. Barlennan sees this journey as an opportunity not only to travel to unknown lands where exotic trade goods can be gathered, but also a chance to gain valuable knowledge from the humans. Clement cleverly pushes not just Lackland, but also Barlennan, into unfamiliar territory. It’s not only the humans that are learning about this new world—the crew of the Bree are learning, as well. This allows information on Mesklin to flow naturally into the narrative, instead of being delivered in one expository lump. The story is rich in detail and information, but it never feels like the information is forced upon us. We follow the protagonists as the humans give the Mesklinites radios and TV cameras that will be used to communicate throughout the journey, and record data when they reach the probe. Lackland uses a tank-like crawler to get around, and Barlennan rides on top of it, learning the advantage of height of eye. But when Lackland leaves the crawler, he finds that mixing Earth and Mesklinite atmospheres can have disastrous consequences, and only the creativity and determination of the natives can save him. They map out the best path to the polar region where the human probe landed, and decide that an overland trip is required. Lackland agrees to use the crawler to tow the Bree over land, and they encounter a strange city built by cousins to Barlennan’s people. They lower the raft segments of the Bree down a cliff to an estuary, and the vessel sails on to uncharted waters. They find huge beasts that could never survive in the higher latitudes, and even Mesklinites who have learned to fly using gliders. Guided by the humans, Barlennan and his crew trade and battle their way across the world, slowly making their way toward the polar regions. By the journey’s end, they have learned things they never could have imagined, and done things they would have thought impossible when they started out. And the humans also learn a valuable lesson in dealing with the Mesklinites—greater knowledge does not mean greater intelligence or greater cleverness. In the end, it is a full partnership between the two groups that achieves their goals. Final Thoughts. Hal Clement was an influential writer, bringing bold scientific extrapolation to the field to a degree that it had never been done before. He raised the bar for all writers who followed him, but also devoted himself to helping others vault that bar by sharing his knowledge. And he was a gentleman, generous with his time, and an example to others in his leadership. Mission of Gravity was a game changer, and at the same time, an engaging and clever tale. And now it’s your turn. Have you read Mission of Gravity , or any of Clement’s other works, and if so, what did you think? Did you ever have the opportunity to see him at a convention or at one of his world-building panels? And where do you see his influence in the works of other authors? Alan Brown has been a science fiction fan for over five decades, especially fiction that deals with science, military matters, exploration and adventure. Hal Clement Books In Order. Publication Order of The Essential Hal Clement Books. Trio for Slide Rule and Typewriter (1999) Hardcover Paperback Kindle Music of Many Spheres (2000) Hardcover Paperback Kindle Variations on a Theme by Sir Isaac Newton (2000) Hardcover Paperback Kindle. Publication Order of Isaac's Universe Books. The Diplomacy Guild (By:Isaac Asimov,Martin H. Greenberg) (1990) Hardcover Paperback Kindle Phases in Chaos (By:Isaac Asimov,Martin H. Greenberg) (1991) Hardcover Paperback Kindle Unnatural Diplomacy (By:Isaac Asimov,Martin H. Greenberg) (1992) Hardcover Paperback Kindle Fossil (1993) Hardcover Paperback Kindle Murder at the Galactic Writers' Society (By:Janet Asimov) (1995) Hardcover Paperback Kindle. Publication Order of Standalone Novels. Iceworld (1951) Hardcover Paperback Kindle The Ranger Boys in Space (1956) Hardcover Paperback Kindle Cycle of Fire (1957) Hardcover Paperback Kindle Ocean On Top (1967) Hardcover Paperback Kindle The Nitrogen Fix (1980) Hardcover Paperback Kindle Still River (1987) Hardcover Paperback Kindle Half Life (1999) Hardcover Paperback Kindle Noise (2003) Hardcover Paperback Kindle. Publication Order of Short Stories/Novellas. Attitude (1943) Hardcover Paperback Kindle The Green World (2010) Hardcover Paperback Kindle Planet for Plunder (2012) Hardcover Paperback Kindle Hot Planet (2016) Hardcover Paperback Kindle. Publication Order of Collections. Natives of Space (1965) Hardcover Paperback Kindle Small Changes (1969) Hardcover Paperback Kindle The Best of Hal Clement (1979) Hardcover Paperback Kindle Intuit (1987) Hardcover Paperback Kindle. Publication Order of Non-Fiction Books. Left of Africa (1976) Hardcover Paperback Kindle. Publication Order of Anthologies. The Ascent of Wonder (1994) Hardcover Paperback Kindle. Hal Clement Hal Clement is the pen name of Harry Clement Stubbs, an American science fiction author born in 1922. The talented author held chemistry, education, and astronomy degrees from Harvard, and he worked as a chemistry teacher and a b-24 pilot for a good portion of his life. Clement is listed among the most astounding science fiction authors, and his debut novel, Mission of Gravity, proves this all too well. Before his death in 2003, Clement had over 120 published works to his name. Mission of Gravity The mission of Gravity is the first in the Mesklin series. This book introduces the reader to a new planet named Mesklin. The planet is an oblate spheroid, which means that gravity levels are different in the poles compared to the equator. Even with the variances, the minimum Gravity on this planet is still three times what we have on earth, and the highest levels amount go up to about 700g. As an adaptation to these conditions, Mesklinites have centipede-like bodies that allow them to stay close to the ground. In this plane, a drop as small as a foot can be fatal, especially in the high gravity areas. Barlennan is an adventurer who sails across uncharted waters into Mesklin. The man would brave any alien for the right amount. While the Mesklinites never knew there were other planets but theirs, they do not respond as bad to aliens. They do not know that Barlennan plans to use their body shapes and giant sizes to his advantage. While the Mesklinites are more advanced in technology, their bodies make it impossible for them to fly. All the science and attention to detail make this story sound real while enhancing the sense of wonder. What would happen if the Mesklinites were forced to fly? Perhaps the most outstanding thing about this book is the world-building. The author has done an excellent job of creating a planet filled with aliens that is a lot like our planet, but it still has unique characteristics that set it apart. This book was first published in 1953. However, the real world that Clement describes in the story is still valid today. It is also refreshing how intriguing the story is from start to finish. Told from Hunter the alien point of view, the story allows you to interact with Barlennan, a cunning yet likable captain, and The Bree. Imagine a world where throwing or flying is unheard of, and everyone is afraid of height? Mission of Gravity is a good-natured story that introduces you to another planet and its inhabitants. Mesklinites are quite intriguing, and it is admirable how adaptable they are when it comes to working with the humans. The plot revolves around a dangerous mission where Barlennan and his crew are tasked with retrieving a stranded rocket containing valuable information. There are loads of adventures on this journey, and Barlennan enjoys every minute of his crew’s exploration. Will the crew manage to retrieve the rocket? This book is about 175 pages, so you can gobble it all in one sitting. There will be no advanced weapons blasting aliens into pieces, but the content here is fascinating and a welcome break from the ordinary. Needle Needle comes first in the Needle series. The book stars Hunter, the good alien, and the rogue one he has been racing through space. When their ships collide in one of the earth’s oceans, Hunter and his enemy survive, but they have to find suitable hosts who would enable them to continue their mission. See, Hunter and his kind are sentient protoplasm blobs who need to live in a host in order to function. The only rule governing these creatures is that they are to do right by their host, and this includes promoting the host’s immune system and ensuring that their safety is guaranteed. My Hunter is following the rogue alien because he keeps on breaking this rule and harming his host without any sense of remorse. From the shipwreck, Hunter binds himself to a shark. When he gets to the shore, he finds an excellent host in 15-year-old Robert Kinnaird. Hunter offers Robert solutions for his problems if he also allows him to get inside his body. This marks the beginning of an exciting period for both Hunter and Robert. The author takes you on a journey to a boarding school in Massachusetts where Robert goes to school and then brings you back to South Pacific, where the hunt for the rogue alien intensifies. Will Robert and hunter manage to hunt down the alien? How does Robert’s change when Hunter gets into his body? This is yet another intriguing science-fiction story by Hal Clement. Unlike his other stories, this one is set on earth though most of the action happens deep in the ocean. The author gives a detailed account of Hunter and Robert’s symbiotic relationship and really gets into its science. You will also enjoy trying to figure out which of Robert’s friends, the rogue alien convinced to host him. The author had done a good job with the human-alien interactions, and it is amazing that none take advantage of the other. How does this story end for Robert and the Hunter? You will have to read the book to the end to find out. Needles was first published in 1950, and science fiction stories were not as popular as they are today. The information here may be dated, but the story will hold your attention from the start to the end. There is a lot of humor here, and the events unfold like this is a mystery story. It is incredible how the author explains the science in detail so anyone can understand the relationship between the protagonist and his host. This book is slightly more than 200 pages. The story flows well, so do not be surprised if you get lost in Hunter’s world as he scouts the South Pacific in search of an enemy without a face. [PDF] Mission of Gravity Book by Hal Clement Free Download (208 pages) Free download or read online Mission of Gravity pdf (ePUB) book. The first edition of the novel was published in 1954, and was written by Hal Clement. The book was published in multiple languages including English, consists of 208 pages and is available in Paperback format. The main characters of this science fiction, fiction story are Barlennnan, Charles Lackland. The book has been awarded with International Fantasy Award Nominee for Fiction (1955), Premio Ignotus for Mejor novela extranjera (1994) and many others. Mission of Gravity PDF Details. Author: Hal Clement Original Title: Mission of Gravity Book Format: Paperback Number Of Pages: 208 pages First Published in: 1954 Latest Edition: October 13th 2005 Series: Mesklin #1 Language: English Awards: International Fantasy Award Nominee for Fiction (1955), Premio Ignotus for Mejor novela extranjera (1994), Retro Hugo Award Nominee for Best Novel (2004) Main Characters: Barlennnan, Charles Lackland category: science fiction, fiction, science fiction fantasy, science fiction, hard science fiction, science fiction, aliens, speculative fiction, space, space opera, literature, 20th century, space, novels Formats: ePUB(Android), audible mp3, audiobook and kindle. The translated version of this book is available in Spanish, English, Chinese, Russian, Hindi, Bengali, Arabic, Portuguese, Indonesian / Malaysian, French, Japanese, German and many others for free download. Please note that the tricks or techniques listed in this pdf are either fictional or claimed to work by its creator. We do not guarantee that these techniques will work for you. Some of the techniques listed in Mission of Gravity may require a sound knowledge of Hypnosis, users are advised to either leave those sections or must have a basic understanding of the subject before practicing them. DMCA and Copyright : The book is not hosted on our servers, to remove the file please contact the source url. If you see a Google Drive link instead of source url, means that the file witch you will get after approval is just a summary of original book or the file has been already removed. Mission of Gravity by Hal Clement. Hooray! You've discovered a title that's missing from our library. Can you help donate a copy? If you own this book, you can mail it to our address below. You can also purchase this book from a vendor and ship it to our address: When you buy books using these links the Internet Archive may earn a small commission. Benefits of donating. 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