The Cold Equations

Interstellar Consequences The numbers calculate and recalculate relentlessly; factoring in the mass of the ship, its cargo, the precise weight of the single pilot, and the velocity in which the vessel will travel. They take no time to consider that an unforeseen variable could spiral into the equation. The algorithm developed to produce their answer leaves no room for error, after-all it is a formula birthed by the forces that keep planets spinning and maintain gravitational pressure, human hands cannot alter the design of such a thing. The product of the equation is exact. There are never miscalculations, only misconceptions about what the answer should have been made within the mind. The mind and its muddled morals, nor its perception…

The cold equation written by Tom Godwin’s is a science fiction story that highlights the story of a girl named Marilyn who wanted to visit her brother Gerry in Woden since she has not seen him in years. She did that by hiding in the stowaway on the ship who has an EDS cruiser named Thomas Barton that is getting to Woden to transfer the medicine serums. Although in 1989 “The cold equation” was transformed into an episode of a twilight zone, which was made to create even more of a suspension story…

Mood in the Cold Equations Sometimes, even the most innocent and smallest of mistakes can have a drastic effect on things. Since space is pretty much the full extent of human exploration, small mistakes almost always have a very drastic effect. In the short story “The Cold Equations” by Tom Godwin, he creates an intense and tragic mood, by foreshadowing the inevitability of Marilyn’s death, even when she was innocent and…

In the short story “The Cold Equations” by Tom Godwin the main point was to never do something that you shouldn't be doing because it can end in a very different way than you intended it to. In the short story “The Cold Equations” by Tom Godwin the main character gets on a spacecraft although she is not supposed to. When she does this she gives herself up and comes out and tells the guy why she came on the ship. The main reason she came on the ship was to see her brother because she hadn't seen…

As children, short stories told the tales of malevolent beasts guarding mountains of gold or of a damsel locked away from society only to be freed by her one true love, however, as the clock turns hours to days and days to years, details begin to protrude, warping the facade of childhood stories to their true state, presenting anything but a happy ending. Such stories are presented as Popular Mechanics by Raymond Carver, The Cold Equations by Tom Godwin, and This Year’s Class Picture by Dan…

Cold Equation Narrative There have been many difficult decision that I have had to make in my life. The one I’m going to write about happened recently. The day that it had happened, I had gone with my dad the night before. My step dad's son, daughter- in- law, and their children had just moved in a few months back. They had also moved their dog in with them, he was a rottweiler. At that time I had a chihuahua yorkie mix. When they first moved in, I didn’t think anything of their dog…

Who is Hal Clement and why would he make the statement that "in hard sf the universe itself is the antagonist"? In order to understand both Hal Clement, his statement referencing hard science fiction and the universe, it was critical to begin my research and analysis with background information on author Hal Clement, before explaining his statement and the relationship to the theme of “The Cold Equation.” Harry Clement Stubbs, a man of multiple names, used the name Hal Clement when he wrote…

Technology today has a very negative impact on humanity and society in general. People today have become more lazy and rude all because of technology. The short stories “The Cold Equations” and “The Pedestrian” prove just that. Technology today is increasing faster than ever, and in “The Pedestrian” it shows what technology will do to humanity here in a few decades. In “The Pedestrian” the man got pulled over because he was walking and that was not normal in the year around 2052. The policeman…

A short story by Tom Godwin called “The Cold Equations” interprets the theme life isn't always fair. This story takes place in the year 2178 and is about a girl, Marilyn, who stows away on a space craft called “Stardust.” The girl get's caught because of the heat radiation from her body. She is told about the rules and how she would have to be killed, because the craft has only a certain amount of fuel to get from point A to point B. She had no idea of the rules, and was only trying to get to…

choose between living out her nostalgic fantasy or buying practical things for her family. These choices are ones that can be related to real life issues, real life character traits, and real life values. In the short stories “The Cold Equations,” “A&P,” and “A Pair of Silk Stockings,” the main characters are forced to face difficult decisions that are sometimes a matter of survival or death; their choices not only reveal character traits and values that these characters possess, but result in a…