Half Around Pluto
The story revolves around a young man who returns to his hometown after being away for several years and becomes embroiled in a mystery involving a local legend about a ghostly figure known as the "half-around Pluto" that supposedly haunts the town's outskirts.
By Manly Wade Wellman · First published 1942 · Genre: Science Fiction, Adventure, Drama · 5,457 words
First lines
Their glassite space helmets fogged, and their metal glove joints stiffened in the incredible surface cold: but the two men who could work finished their job. In the black sky glistened the little arclight of the sun, a sixteen-hundredth of the blaze that fell on Earth. Around them sulked Pluto's crags and gullies, sheathed with the hard-frozen pallor that had been Pluto's atmosphere, eons ago.
From the wrecked cylinder of the scout rocket they had dragged two interior girders, ready-curved at the ends. These, clamped side by side with transverse brackets and decked with bulkhead metal, managed to look like a sled.
What this Textopian page supports
Half Around Pluto is listed on Textopian as a novel by Manly Wade Wellman, dated 1942 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Novel
- Author: Manly Wade Wellman
- Date: 1942 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Science Fiction, Adventure, Drama, Thriller, Speculative Fiction
- Length: 5,457 words
- Structure: 1 section, 160 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Very Easy (5th Grade or below)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Half Around Pluto by Manly Wade Wellman
- 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 Half Around Pluto?
- How does this novel by Manly Wade Wellman fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Science Fiction first become important in the reading?
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Genres
- Science Fiction — The narrative is set in a futuristic space environment, exploring themes of survival and human resilience in an alien landscape.
- Adventure — The plot revolves around a perilous journey across Pluto, highlighting the characters' struggles against harsh conditions and their quest for survival.
- Drama — The story delves into the emotional and psychological states of the characters, particularly their interpersonal conflicts and personal motivations.
- Thriller — Tension arises from the characters' dire circumstances and the looming threat of death, creating a suspenseful atmosphere.
Tags
Science Fiction · Fantasy · Adventure · Space Opera · Alien Invasion · First Contact · Human Evolution · Evolutionary Science · Speculative Fiction · Alternate History · Interstellar Travel · Planetary Colonization