Spawning Ground by Lester Del Rey
The novel is set on a distant planet where humans have established a colony to mine the native mineral resources. The story follows a young man who becomes embroiled in a conflict between rival factions vying for control of the colony's government and economy. As tensions escalate, he must navigate the complex web of alliances and rivalries to prevent a catastrophic war that could destroy the entire colony.
By Lester Del Rey · First published 1950 · Genre: Science Fiction, Adventure, Speculative Fiction · 4,253 words
First lines
They weren't human. They were something more -- and something less -- they were, in short, humanity's hopes for survival!
The Starship _Pandora_ creaked and groaned as her landing pads settled unevenly in the mucky surface of the ugly world outside. She seemed to be restless to end her fool's errand here, two hundred light years from the waiting hordes on Earth. Straining metal plates twanged and echoed through her hallways.
What this Textopian page supports
Spawning Ground is listed on Textopian as a short story by Lester Del Rey, dated 1950 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: Lester Del Rey
- Date: 1950 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Science Fiction, Adventure, Speculative Fiction, Fantasy, Thriller
- Length: 4,253 words
- Structure: 1 section, 95 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Spawning Ground by Lester Del Rey
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering Spawning Ground?
- How does this short story by Lester Del Rey fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Science Fiction first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
- Nightmare Planet by Murray Leinster
- Hellhounds Of The Cosmos by Clifford D. Simak
- Planet Of Dread by Murray Leinster
- The Pygmy Planet by Jack Williamson
- The Ghost Planet by Murray Leinster
- A Thousand Degrees Below Zero by Murray Leinster
Genres
- Science Fiction — The narrative explores themes of space exploration, alien life forms, and the survival of humanity, which are central to the science fiction genre.
- Adventure — The plot involves a perilous journey and encounters with unknown creatures, embodying the adventure genre's elements of exploration and danger.
- Speculative Fiction — The story speculates on the future of humanity and the implications of colonizing alien worlds, fitting the speculative fiction genre.
- Fantasy — The presence of fantastical elements, such as the blobs and the transformation of humans, aligns with fantasy themes.
Tags
Science Fiction · Space Opera · Alien Invasion · Human Evolution · Planetary Colonization · Interstellar Travel · Advanced Technology · Biological Engineering · Ecological Disaster · Environmental Degradation · Survival Story · Human Adaptation