The Road Not Taken (short story)
Encyclopedia
"The Road Not Taken" is a short story by Harry Turtledove
, set in 2039, in which he presents a fictitious account of a first encounter between humanity and an alien race, the Roxolani.
weapons and black powder explosives. Humans retaliate with automatic weapons
and missile
s. The battle is short, and most of the invaders are killed. A few are captured alive.
When they are interrogated, the truth becomes evident. The Roxolani's method of manipulating gravity is absurdly simple, and they were thus able to begin utilizing aircraft
, spacecraft
, and even faster than light travel during their Age of Sail
. This enabled them to engage in wars of conquest not only on a planetary but a galactic scale. However, gravity technology by itself had no application other than transportation, and was such a bizarre discovery that their scientific theorems couldn't accommodate it. As a result, the scientific method was abandoned and their technological development ground to a halt. They have never achieved, for example, their equivalent of the Industrial Revolution
, much less the Information Revolution. Most civilizations experience this at an even earlier stage of development, and the Roxolani found conquest a simple and productive endeavor.
In contrast, humanity somehow missed developing gravity technology, and its unfocused expenditure of creativity and resources thus resulted in less immediately rewarding but ultimately more versatile applications and development of a very wide range of knowledge - medicine
, heavy industry
, electric motor
s, computers, nuclear power
, etc. But without gravity technology, they were restricted to a single solar system, and until recently a single planet.
The key phrase being were. The captured Roxolani ships reveal their secrets to any moderately trained eye, and gravity technology will spread like wildfire. Earth is overpopulated, the galaxy is filled with civilizations even less advanced than the Roxolani - the stage is set for humanity to build an interstellar empire.
In the course of the story Turtledove presents what might happen if a technologically inferior species, with two advanced technologies unconnected to anything else, were to engage humanity in warfare. The story directly references the poem The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost
when the conquered aliens are discussing why humanity is, in their eyes, so advanced.
In the discussions among the characters, the possible problems of life on Earth in the future are mentioned, with the expanded population and food shortages referenced as possible causes of war. One Roxolani wonders if there is truth to the Earth weapons of which they have heard, but not seen. His comrade said he believed them, because he heard the fear in their voices when speaking of nuclear weapons.
As the characters realize the impact of the narrow but critical Roxolani technology for another, generally more advanced society, the story closes with the characters asking themselves, "what have we done?"
Turtledove published a sequel story -- "Herbig-Haro", set several centuries after humanity has conquered the galaxy -- under the name "Eric Iverson".
Harry Turtledove
Harry Norman Turtledove is an American novelist, who has produced works in several genres including alternate history, historical fiction, fantasy and science fiction.- Life :...
, set in 2039, in which he presents a fictitious account of a first encounter between humanity and an alien race, the Roxolani.
Plot summary
The story is told through limited third person point of view, with most of the story concerning a single Roxolani captain. During a routine journey of conquest, they happen upon Earth. The Roxolani anticipate a simple and rewarding campaign, as they can detect no use of gravity manipulation, the cornerstone of their civilization. Humanity is awed by the invaders, as the maneuverability granted by that technology suggests the rest of their civilization is equally impressive. But as they begin their assault, things take a turn for the absurd - the Roxolani attack with matchlockMatchlock
The matchlock was the first mechanism, or "lock" invented to facilitate the firing of a hand-held firearm. This design removed the need to lower by hand a lit match into the weapon's flash pan and made it possible to have both hands free to keep a firm grip on the weapon at the moment of firing,...
weapons and black powder explosives. Humans retaliate with automatic weapons
Automatic firearm
An automatic firearm is a firearm that loads another round mechanically after the first round has been fired.The term can be used to refer to semi-automatic firearms, which fire one shot per single pull of the trigger , or fully automatic firearms, which will continue to load and fire ammunition...
and missile
Missile
Though a missile may be any thrown or launched object, it colloquially almost always refers to a self-propelled guided weapon system.-Etymology:The word missile comes from the Latin verb mittere, meaning "to send"...
s. The battle is short, and most of the invaders are killed. A few are captured alive.
When they are interrogated, the truth becomes evident. The Roxolani's method of manipulating gravity is absurdly simple, and they were thus able to begin utilizing aircraft
Aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...
, spacecraft
Spacecraft
A spacecraft or spaceship is a craft or machine designed for spaceflight. Spacecraft are used for a variety of purposes, including communications, earth observation, meteorology, navigation, planetary exploration and transportation of humans and cargo....
, and even faster than light travel during their Age of Sail
Age of Sail
The Age of Sail was the period in which international trade and naval warfare were dominated by sailing ships, lasting from the 16th to the mid 19th century...
. This enabled them to engage in wars of conquest not only on a planetary but a galactic scale. However, gravity technology by itself had no application other than transportation, and was such a bizarre discovery that their scientific theorems couldn't accommodate it. As a result, the scientific method was abandoned and their technological development ground to a halt. They have never achieved, for example, their equivalent of the Industrial Revolution
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...
, much less the Information Revolution. Most civilizations experience this at an even earlier stage of development, and the Roxolani found conquest a simple and productive endeavor.
In contrast, humanity somehow missed developing gravity technology, and its unfocused expenditure of creativity and resources thus resulted in less immediately rewarding but ultimately more versatile applications and development of a very wide range of knowledge - medicine
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
, heavy industry
Heavy industry
Heavy industry does not have a single fixed meaning as compared to light industry. It can mean production of products which are either heavy in weight or in the processes leading to their production. In general, it is a popular term used within the name of many Japanese and Korean firms, meaning...
, electric motor
Electric motor
An electric motor converts electrical energy into mechanical energy.Most electric motors operate through the interaction of magnetic fields and current-carrying conductors to generate force...
s, computers, nuclear power
Nuclear power
Nuclear power is the use of sustained nuclear fission to generate heat and electricity. Nuclear power plants provide about 6% of the world's energy and 13–14% of the world's electricity, with the U.S., France, and Japan together accounting for about 50% of nuclear generated electricity...
, etc. But without gravity technology, they were restricted to a single solar system, and until recently a single planet.
The key phrase being were. The captured Roxolani ships reveal their secrets to any moderately trained eye, and gravity technology will spread like wildfire. Earth is overpopulated, the galaxy is filled with civilizations even less advanced than the Roxolani - the stage is set for humanity to build an interstellar empire.
In the course of the story Turtledove presents what might happen if a technologically inferior species, with two advanced technologies unconnected to anything else, were to engage humanity in warfare. The story directly references the poem The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost
Robert Frost
Robert Lee Frost was an American poet. He is highly regarded for his realistic depictions of rural life and his command of American colloquial speech. His work frequently employed settings from rural life in New England in the early twentieth century, using them to examine complex social and...
when the conquered aliens are discussing why humanity is, in their eyes, so advanced.
In the discussions among the characters, the possible problems of life on Earth in the future are mentioned, with the expanded population and food shortages referenced as possible causes of war. One Roxolani wonders if there is truth to the Earth weapons of which they have heard, but not seen. His comrade said he believed them, because he heard the fear in their voices when speaking of nuclear weapons.
As the characters realize the impact of the narrow but critical Roxolani technology for another, generally more advanced society, the story closes with the characters asking themselves, "what have we done?"
Publication history
The story was first published in Analog Science Fiction in 1985.Turtledove published a sequel story -- "Herbig-Haro", set several centuries after humanity has conquered the galaxy -- under the name "Eric Iverson".