영어로 읽는 고전 _ 스탠리 뮬렌의 S.O.S.아프로디테
스탠리 뮬렌의 「S.O.S. 아프로디테!」는 20세기 중반에 쓰인 공상과학 소설이다. 이 소설은 우주 해적과 정부 음모와 관련된 위험한 임무를 맡게 된 ISP 순찰대원 스티브 코란을 중심으로 전개된다. 이야기는 우주 여행, 음모, 복잡한 인물 관계의 요소들을 특징으로 하며, 행성간 영역에서 혼란을 조장하려는 조직화된 집단에 맞선 투쟁을 보여준다.
스토리는 스티브 코란이 일련의 우주 운송 범죄와 연관된 도망자로부터 기밀 문서를 회수하는 임무를 부여받으면서 시작되고, 그는 이민선 "아프로디테"를 타고 여행을 떠난다. 그 과정에서 그는 범죄에 연루된 오빠를 찾아 금성에 도달하려고 필사적으로 노력하는 여성 게르다 모르스와 우연히 엮이게 된다. 긴장이 고조되면서 우주선이 소행성과 충돌하게 되고, 이는 해적들과의 일련의 대결로 이어지며 결국 등장인물들 사이의 숨겨진 연관성을 드러낸다. 이야기는 충성심, 도덕적 모호함, 그리고 생존이라는 주제들을 정교하게 엮어가며, 코란의 개인적 신념과 인간관계에 도전하는 극적인 결말로 절정에 달한다.
Classics Read in English _ S.O.S. Aphrodite! by Stanley Mullen
Stanley Mullen's "S.O.S. Aphrodite!" stands as a notable mid-twentieth century science fiction work that blends space adventure with political intrigue. The story centers on ISP patrol officer Steve Coran, who finds himself caught in a web of interplanetary crime and governmental deception while pursuing a classified mission against space-borne criminals.
The narrative unfolds as Coran boards the emigration vessel "Aphrodite" with orders to retrieve crucial intelligence from a wanted criminal connected to a string of space transport violations. His mission becomes complicated when he encounters Gerda Mors, a determined woman whose desperate quest to reach Venus stems from her search for her missing brother?a man whose fate is intertwined with the very crimes Coran investigates.
The plot thickens when the "Aphrodite" suffers a catastrophic collision with an asteroid, transforming the voyage into a survival ordeal marked by encounters with ruthless space pirates. These dangerous confrontations gradually expose the intricate relationships binding the passengers and crew together, revealing that their connections run deeper than anyone initially suspected.
Through its exploration of duty versus personal conviction, the novel examines how extreme circumstances force individuals to question their loyalties and moral certainties. The story builds toward a climactic resolution that not only tests Coran's professional dedication but also forces him to confront uncomfortable truths about the people he has come to care about during their shared ordeal in the void of space.
Among the contents
On the high metallic wall across the street was a big sign: VENUS TRANSPORT and a smaller sign which read CONTAMINATION AREA?KEEP OUT! Steve Coran turned away from the window and faced the ISP official across the desk.
"From the time you leave this office, you'll be in deadly danger," the official said. "We aren't dealing with sporadic cases of space piracy. This is a well-organized group of saboteurs, pirates and assassins backed by a ring of powerful and unscrupulous men, some of them in high places. They have more on their minds than mere looting. They have certain political objectives?and will stop at nothing to cause unrest, even war or revolution, to gain their ends. Fishers in troubled waters...."
Coran laughed harshly. "Doesn't sound like a rest cure. Why'd you pick me for the job?"
The official opened a file drawer and riffled the cards.
