I finished reading The Survivors (1958), also published as Space Prison, by Tom Godwin. This is a short, tightly woven science fiction tale that begins quickly and never lets up. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it!

The premise involves an alien race that captures a ship of humans fleeing Earth en-route to a habitable planet. The humans are brutally dealt with and a large number are dropped on an inhospitable planet and left to die.

This is a story of perseverance, survival, and the indomitable human spirit. I loved the pacing and narrative style, as well as the reflections about human nature, meaning-making, cultural knowledge, and duty. And the creatures known as prowlers are a special treat!

“Tears and fear are futile weapons; they can never bring us any tomorrows. We’ll have to fight whatever comes to kill us no matter how scared we are. For ourselves and for our children. Above all else, for our children…”