Gene L. Henderson 18 min read

Probing a cloud-shrouded mystery planet, the crew of a space-cruiser darts through a gap in the mist, toward small, furry, harmless-looking bears that hide a very real peril.

Gene L. Henderson's 1953 story is a wry first-contact space opera. Clever, fun golden-age SF. Read it for a genial cautionary tale about judging by appearances, where deceptively cuddly aliens prove more dangerous than they seem, in a light, well-turned golden-age piece that finds real menace lurking beneath a fur coat.

In its time

Published in 1953, during the 1950s, post-war optimism meets cold war anxiety.

Reading it

18 min read (a short story, a single idea, delivered and gone).