Exile to Hell
Encyclopedia
Exile to Hell is a science fiction
short story
by Isaac Asimov
. It appeared in the May 1968 issue of Analog
and was included in the 1975 collection Buy Jupiter and Other Stories
.
The serialization of his novelization of Fantastic Voyage
in The Saturday Evening Post
in 1966 filled Asimov with the ambition to publish an original story there before the magazine ceased publication. He therefore wrote "Exile to Hell" in June 1967. The Post rejected the story, though, just as they would have in their heyday twenty years before (as Asimov noted in In Joy Still Felt). It then occurred to Asimov that he had not submitted a story to Analog since Thiotimoline and the Space Age in 1960. The story was accepted, and appeared in the May 1968 issue. In Asimov's introduction to the story in Buy Jupiter and Other Stories, he notes that when the story first appeared in Analog, the pre-story blurb
by editor John W. Campbell
spoiled
the story by telegraphing the ending.
that potentially could have a disastrous effect on the totally computerized underground society in which he lives. The trial, which is carried out by computers programmed with prosecution and defence arguments, finds Jenkins guilty of equipment damage, a major crime by the society's laws. He is sentenced to permanent exile
.
Only at the end of the story is it revealed that the society is built beneath the surface of the Moon
, with a totally conditioned and computer-controlled environment, and that the place of exile is on the surface of the Earth
.
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
short story
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 Isaac Asimov
Isaac Asimov
Isaac Asimov was an American author and professor of biochemistry at Boston University, best known for his works of science fiction and for his popular science books. Asimov was one of the most prolific writers of all time, having written or edited more than 500 books and an estimated 90,000...
. It appeared in the May 1968 issue of Analog
Analog Science Fiction and Fact
Analog Science Fiction and Fact is an American science fiction magazine. As of 2011, it is the longest running continuously published magazine of that genre...
and was included in the 1975 collection Buy Jupiter and Other Stories
Buy Jupiter and Other Stories
Buy Jupiter and Other Stories is a 1975 collection of short stories by American writer Isaac Asimov.It includes the following stories:*"Darwinian Pool Room"* "Day of the Hunters" * "Shah Guido G." * "Button, Button"...
.
The serialization of his novelization of Fantastic Voyage
Fantastic Voyage
Fantastic Voyage is a 1966 science fiction film written by Harry Kleiner, based on a story by Otto Klement and Jerome Bixby.Bantam Books obtained the rights for a paperback novelization based on the screenplay and approached Isaac Asimov to write it....
in The Saturday Evening Post
The Saturday Evening Post
The Saturday Evening Post is a bimonthly American magazine. It was published weekly under this title from 1897 until 1969, and quarterly and then bimonthly from 1971.-History:...
in 1966 filled Asimov with the ambition to publish an original story there before the magazine ceased publication. He therefore wrote "Exile to Hell" in June 1967. The Post rejected the story, though, just as they would have in their heyday twenty years before (as Asimov noted in In Joy Still Felt). It then occurred to Asimov that he had not submitted a story to Analog since Thiotimoline and the Space Age in 1960. The story was accepted, and appeared in the May 1968 issue. In Asimov's introduction to the story in Buy Jupiter and Other Stories, he notes that when the story first appeared in Analog, the pre-story blurb
Blurb
A blurb is a short summary or some words of praise accompanying a creative work, usually used on books without giving away any details, that is usually referring to the words on the back of the book jacket but also commonly seen on DVD and video cases, web portals, and news websites.- History :The...
by editor John W. Campbell
John W. Campbell
John Wood Campbell, Jr. was an influential figure in American science fiction. As editor of Astounding Science Fiction , from late 1937 until his death, he is generally credited with shaping the so-called Golden Age of Science Fiction.Isaac Asimov called Campbell "the most powerful force in...
spoiled
Spoiler (media)
Spoiler is slang for any element of any summary or description of any piece of fiction that reveals any plot element which will give away the outcome of a dramatic episode within the work of fiction, or the conclusion of the entire work. It can also be used to refer to any piece of information...
the story by telegraphing the ending.
Plot summary
A man named Jenkins is put on trial after accidentally damaging a computer systemComputer
A computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem...
that potentially could have a disastrous effect on the totally computerized underground society in which he lives. The trial, which is carried out by computers programmed with prosecution and defence arguments, finds Jenkins guilty of equipment damage, a major crime by the society's laws. He is sentenced to permanent exile
Exile
Exile means to be away from one's home , while either being explicitly refused permission to return and/or being threatened with imprisonment or death upon return...
.
Only at the end of the story is it revealed that the society is built beneath the surface of the Moon
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
, with a totally conditioned and computer-controlled environment, and that the place of exile is on the surface of the Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
.