Black Sheep Astray
Encyclopedia
Black Sheep Astray is a short story
by Mack Reynolds
. It was first published in Astounding: The John W Campbell Memorial Anthology
in 1973.
in about the year 2020.
Dr Homer Crawford, for many years the tyrant
of North and most of Central Africa, under the name of El Hassan, faces a military coup led by his closest supporters, who believe that he is overdue to introduce democracy to his people. Promised a pension and safe passage if he submits, he leaves Africa to retire to Switzerland with his wife Isobel and son Abraham. He escapes an assassination attempt by army officers on board his aeroplane, and makes it safely to Switzerland.
Six months later, now a frustrated semi-alcoholic, Crawford learns of a counter-coup in Africa by a dissident army cabal
. Most of the junta
have been shot, but one has managed to make it through to meet Crawford in Switzerland. They decide on desperate measures, contact those of the former supporters of their regime that escaped, and return, one by one, and in disguise, to Africa. Their rendezvous is an afforestation project in what was Southern Algeria.
Ostensibly there to launch a counter-coup, it is revealed by Crawford that he wants his son Abraham to plan and launch the coup himself. His father and what allies he can gather will form a guerrilla campaign to distract the army and give Abraham time to contact students and form a new political organisation against the ruling colonels.
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
by Mack Reynolds
Mack Reynolds
Dallas McCord "Mack" Reynolds was an American science fiction writer. His pen names included Clark Collins, Mark Mallory, Guy McCord, Dallas Ross and Maxine Reynolds. Many of his stories were published in Galaxy Magazine and Worlds of If Magazine...
. It was first published in Astounding: The John W Campbell Memorial Anthology
Astounding: The John W Campbell Memorial Anthology
Astounding: The John W. Campbell Memorial Anthology is a 1973 festschrift honoring noted science fiction and fantasy editor John W. Campbell, in the form of an anthology of short stories by various science fiction authors, edited by Harry Harrison...
in 1973.
Plot introduction
The story is the third part of the North Africa series of stories, and a sequel to Border, Breed Nor Birth.Plot summary
The story is set in AfricaAfrica
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
in about the year 2020.
Dr Homer Crawford, for many years the tyrant
Tyrant
A tyrant was originally one who illegally seized and controlled a governmental power in a polis. Tyrants were a group of individuals who took over many Greek poleis during the uprising of the middle classes in the sixth and seventh centuries BC, ousting the aristocratic governments.Plato and...
of North and most of Central Africa, under the name of El Hassan, faces a military coup led by his closest supporters, who believe that he is overdue to introduce democracy to his people. Promised a pension and safe passage if he submits, he leaves Africa to retire to Switzerland with his wife Isobel and son Abraham. He escapes an assassination attempt by army officers on board his aeroplane, and makes it safely to Switzerland.
Six months later, now a frustrated semi-alcoholic, Crawford learns of a counter-coup in Africa by a dissident army cabal
Cabal
A cabal is a group of people united in some close design together, usually to promote their private views and/or interests in a church, state, or other community, often by intrigue...
. Most of the junta
Military dictatorship
A military dictatorship is a form of government where in the political power resides with the military. It is similar but not identical to a stratocracy, a state ruled directly by the military....
have been shot, but one has managed to make it through to meet Crawford in Switzerland. They decide on desperate measures, contact those of the former supporters of their regime that escaped, and return, one by one, and in disguise, to Africa. Their rendezvous is an afforestation project in what was Southern Algeria.
Ostensibly there to launch a counter-coup, it is revealed by Crawford that he wants his son Abraham to plan and launch the coup himself. His father and what allies he can gather will form a guerrilla campaign to distract the army and give Abraham time to contact students and form a new political organisation against the ruling colonels.