
By John W. Campbell, Jr.
In the year 2374, the greatest scientists of Earth and Venus board the space liner Vega, bound for Mars and the annual Interplanetary Society meeting. Their journey is disrupted by the arrival of Ezra Markham, a flamboyant, immensely wealthy industrialist whose mountain of luggage, booming demands, and contempt for official rules make him impossible to ignore.
Yet Markham’s presence is more than an inconvenience. The voyage is tied to a troubling mystery involving an inhabited asteroid, a colony of scientists who have withdrawn from the rest of humanity, and a series of kidnappings and disappearances in space. As the passengers travel between worlds, business interests, scientific ambition, and dangerous unknown forces begin to collide.
Blending interplanetary adventure with bold scientific speculation, the story asks what happens when nature—or technology—refuses to behave as expected. Listeners can expect colorful characters, lively space travel, and an investigation that reaches far beyond the polished decks of the Vega.
Language
en
Duration
~58 minutes (55K characters)
Release date
Sep 2, 2026
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1910–1971
A pioneering force behind science fiction’s Golden Age, he shaped the genre both with imaginative stories and with his influential editorial work. Writing as Don A. Stuart and John W. Campbell Jr., he helped define the future of modern science fiction.
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