"The Liberation of Earth" | |
---|---|
by William Tenn | |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Genre(s) | Science fiction |
Published in | Future Science Fiction |
Publication type | Periodical |
Publisher | Columbia Publications, Inc. |
Media type | Print (Magazine) |
Publication date | May 1953 |
"The Liberation of Earth" is a science fiction short story by American author William Tenn, written in 1950, first published in 1953, and reprinted several times in various anthologies, including 1955 collection Of all Possible Worlds and 1967 anthology The Starlit Corridor . The story, which Tenn described as having been inspired by the Korean War, [1] portrays Earth as a battleground between two powerful alien races, the Troxxt and the Dendi, who repeatedly "liberate" it from each other.
Several centuries in the future, a parent passes down the story of Earth's history to their children while they struggle to "suck air".
Aliens arrive in an enormous spaceship and set up a base in southern France. When it is discovered their language bears some resemblance to Bengali, humanity is finally able to talk to them. The aliens call themselves "Dendi" and are a member of the great Galactic Federation. They have come to Earth to set up a communications relay as part of the galactic war with the evil "Troxxt". The Dendi are otherwise uncommunicative, except for one point when they tell humans to abandon the area of Washington, DC, where they need to set up a huge building which is later discovered to be a recreation hall.
The Troxxt arrive and a battle breaks out, killing millions before the Dendi escape to their ship, blasting Marseille to dust when they leave. The Troxxt land and take what appear to be hostages, but later emerge having been trained as interpreters. They explain that the Dendi are not part of the Galactic Federation, but the only real member, and the war is actually one between carbon- and silicon-based life forms. The Troxxt are fellow carbons, and invite humanity to join them in their great crusade to free protoplasmic life from the Dendi. After killing anyone who collaborated with the Dendi, they work thousands to death in a great effort to defend the planet.
A Dendi fleet arrives and millions more die in the ensuing battle before the eventual reliberation. The Dendi explain the real war is between vertebrates and the evil worm-like Troxxt, asking how humanity could be so easily taken in by invertebrate propaganda? Several more reliberations ensue, sinking Australia, destroying Venus and part of the atmosphere, and changing the planet's orbit. Eventually what remains of Earth is a pear-shaped cinder in an elliptical orbit, slowly losing air, abandoned by both Troxxt and Dendi as it is no longer safe enough to fight on.
The remaining humans now live in a primitive state, but appear proud of their simple lives and their role in the Great War. The parent ends their tale with a traditional adage, that "we can say with pardonable pride that we have been about as thoroughly liberated as it is possible for a race and a planet to be!"
Nick Gevers described "The Liberation of Earth" as "great", [2] and Locus columnist Rich Horton called it "one of 1953's best shorts". [3] In 1986, it was included in the anthology Isaac Asimov Presents The Great SF Stories 15 as one of the best science fiction short stories of 1953. It was also reprinted in the 2016 anthology The Big Book of Science Fiction. Editors Ann and Jeff VanderMeer state that it is "considered one of the classic science fiction stories of all time." [4]
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