
When astronaut Leonard Sale’s ship is violently knocked off course, he crash‑lands on a quiet, sun‑lit planetoid that seems almost too perfect for survival. With breathable air, a modest food supply, and a working radio, he quickly contacts a rescue ship that promises to arrive in six days. The initial relief feels like a holiday in the void, and Sale settles in for a few days of rest.
But the planet’s silence soon gives way to a chorus of disembodied voices that whisper, coax, and then command him to sleep. As Sale tries to close his eyes, the murmurs grow louder, turning from soothing lullabies into frantic, maddening chants that blur the line between reality and hallucination. The story spirals into a tense battle of willpower as he fights to keep his mind intact while the unseen forces press ever harder.
The tale blends classic space‑survival with psychological horror, keeping listeners on edge as ordinary comforts turn into terrifying traps. It’s a compact, pulse‑quickening adventure that asks what happens when the greatest enemy is the silence of the cosmos itself.
Language
en
Duration
~26 minutes (25K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
Release date
2020-11-21
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1920–2012
A master of wonder and warning, he turned rocket ships, carnivals, small towns, and burning books into stories that still feel vivid and human. His work helped bring science fiction and fantasy into the center of American literature.
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