A Saucer of Loneliness
Encyclopedia
"A Saucer of Loneliness" is a short story by Theodore Sturgeon
which first appeared in Galaxy Magazine
in February 1953. It was later adapted as a radio play for X Minus One
in 1957; and as the second segment of the twenty-fifth episode (the first episode of the second season, 1986–1987) of the television series The Twilight Zone.
In 2004, "A Saucer Of Loneliness" was nominated for a 'Retro Hugo' for Short Story 1954 (Hugo Award for Best Short Story
). It was also the title of the seventh book in the anthology series "The Collected Short Stories of Theodore Sturgeon", published in 2000.
Margaret's mother becomes furious and throws her out. After finding a place to live, Margaret returns to the beach as if searching for something. On the busy boardwalk, she is approached by people who think Jesus came through the saucer to Margaret and want her to heal their son. She runs away crying, unable to explain. Margaret then writes notes in bottles and throws them into the ocean. The notes start with "to the loneliest one..." At work, a patron asks Margaret for a date and she agrees. Margaret gets all dressed up with new clothes and starts to enjoy her date. He then asks about the message and wants to know what it was. Margaret becomes upset and keeps saying that it was private and not for anyone else to hear. Then she storms out and goes home.
Apparently desperate and without hope, Margaret walks along the beach and decides to end it all. She walks out into the ocean, but suddenly a man comes from behind and pulls her out. He explains that he found one of the bottles and the message meant something to him. She tells him it was the only thing she could call her own and the only thing she could do for someone else. He says that when he read it, he knew it was connected to the saucer and the words were like a song. She says that the saucer was not a weapon or anything, just an interstellar "message in a bottle", just like her bottles thrown into the ocean. But she admits that the message were her words, not the message from the saucer, exactly. She reveals the actual message from the saucer to him, as a small glowing orb in the palm of her hand. They both caress the orb in their four hands and then it disappears. Margaret and the man walk off, arm in arm.
.
Theodore Sturgeon
Theodore Sturgeon was an American science fiction author.His most famous novel is More Than Human .-Biography:...
which first appeared in Galaxy Magazine
Galaxy Science Fiction
Galaxy Science Fiction was an American digest-size science fiction magazine, published from 1950 to 1980. It was founded by an Italian company, World Editions, which was looking to break in to the American market. World Editions hired as editor H. L...
in February 1953. It was later adapted as a radio play for X Minus One
X Minus One
X Minus One was a half-hour science fiction radio drama series broadcast from April 24, 1955 to January 9, 1958 in various timeslots on NBC.-Overview:...
in 1957; and as the second segment of the twenty-fifth episode (the first episode of the second season, 1986–1987) of the television series The Twilight Zone.
Short story
The short story is told from the point of view of a man who rescues a would-be suicide at the sea shore. The unnamed woman tells her story reluctantly. She had heard and understood a message from a flying saucer. When she refused to reveal the message, she was imprisoned, rejected, and ridiculed, but she still would not say what the alien space ship had told her...In 2004, "A Saucer Of Loneliness" was nominated for a 'Retro Hugo' for Short Story 1954 (Hugo Award for Best Short Story
Hugo Award for Best Short Story
The Hugo Awards are given every year by the World Science Fiction Society for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year. The award is named after Hugo Gernsback, the founder of the pioneering science fiction magazine Amazing Stories, and was once officially...
). It was also the title of the seventh book in the anthology series "The Collected Short Stories of Theodore Sturgeon", published in 2000.
Twilight Zone Episode
The TV adaptation differs from the short story in several aspects mostly due to TV storytelling requirements. The woman's loneliness, revealed only gradually in the short story, is obvious from the beginning in the episode. The time frame is shorter. The resolution (the orb) is missing in the short story.Synopsis
Margaret is a lonely waitress who seems to enjoy spending time walking on the beach. When she returns home after work one night, her mother berates her for being alone at her age, that she should be married. Margaret just wanders into her bedroom and cries herself to sleep. The next day, Margaret is walking to work on a sunny day, when a crowd at the beach notices a flying saucer. It wanders around as if looking for someone. It follows Margaret and apparently communicates with her, but then she passes out. She awakens telling everyone it spoke to her. She also explains that the saucer specifically wanted her and to tell her a message, but she doesn't reveal what the message was, saying it was private. Later on, the government determines that the saucer, which ended up being confiscated, was empty and the only proof of anything about it, is the mysterious alloy of the hull, which is unknown.Margaret's mother becomes furious and throws her out. After finding a place to live, Margaret returns to the beach as if searching for something. On the busy boardwalk, she is approached by people who think Jesus came through the saucer to Margaret and want her to heal their son. She runs away crying, unable to explain. Margaret then writes notes in bottles and throws them into the ocean. The notes start with "to the loneliest one..." At work, a patron asks Margaret for a date and she agrees. Margaret gets all dressed up with new clothes and starts to enjoy her date. He then asks about the message and wants to know what it was. Margaret becomes upset and keeps saying that it was private and not for anyone else to hear. Then she storms out and goes home.
Apparently desperate and without hope, Margaret walks along the beach and decides to end it all. She walks out into the ocean, but suddenly a man comes from behind and pulls her out. He explains that he found one of the bottles and the message meant something to him. She tells him it was the only thing she could call her own and the only thing she could do for someone else. He says that when he read it, he knew it was connected to the saucer and the words were like a song. She says that the saucer was not a weapon or anything, just an interstellar "message in a bottle", just like her bottles thrown into the ocean. But she admits that the message were her words, not the message from the saucer, exactly. She reveals the actual message from the saucer to him, as a small glowing orb in the palm of her hand. They both caress the orb in their four hands and then it disappears. Margaret and the man walk off, arm in arm.
Closing Narration
Syndication
This episode was stretched into a half-hour run time for syndication, as recently shown on the Chiller TV network.Note
This episode was dedicated to the memory of Theodore SturgeonTheodore Sturgeon
Theodore Sturgeon was an American science fiction author.His most famous novel is More Than Human .-Biography:...
.