
A TV production team stuck in a creative rut is hunting for a story that will capture listeners. They encounter Wilbur Murphy, a field reporter who offers a bizarre legend: a man on a horse climbs ten thousand miles into the vacuum to greet incoming starships on the airless world of Sirgamesk. The planet’s sealed valleys, ancient ruins, and stark landscape set a vivid stage for a tale of romance and danger.
The producers debate how to frame the material—whether to sensationalize it with neon‑lit rituals or present it as sober fact from a distant frontier. Their banter reveals the tension between commercial hype and genuine curiosity about an alien culture that might hide such a legend. Listeners get a glimpse of the lid‑covered valleys and the impossible sight of a rider silhouetted against the void as the crew decides how far to stretch the truth.
Language
en
Duration
~56 minutes (54K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Greg Weeks, Stephen Blundell and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
Release date
Sep 16, 2009
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
Subjects

1916–2013
A master of science fiction and fantasy, he built dazzling worlds with dry wit, elegant prose, and a gift for making the strange feel vivid and real. His stories range from far-future adventures to sly mysteries, and they still feel unlike anyone else’s.
View all books
by Jack Vance

by Friedrich Gerstäcker

by Ernest Thompson Seton

by Albert Bigelow Paine

by Alfred John Church

by John Bennett

by G. A. (George Alfred) Henty