Hal Clement's The Cold Equation

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 science fiction stories and is known as a leader, if not the leader of the hard science fiction subgenre. Interestingly, if he wrote a science article, he attached his full name, while he painted as George Richard ("Authors: Clement, Hal: SFE: Science …show more content…
It is this summarized definition of hard science fiction that substantiates how the Golden Age of Science fiction, Clement is able to emphasize the importance of the physical sciences while marrying that with his ideas around the universe being a good place.
“The Cold Equation” by Tom Godwin is a story about what happens aboard the Stardust when a stowaway attempt to hitch a ride to Woden. The Stardust is a small spaceship also known as an Emergency Dispatch Ship (EDS). This EDS is charted for the planet Woden, which is a frontier that is being explored for future inhabitation, but has run into an issue that requires medical supplies for the people there or they will die. Our EDS pilot is named Barton and as the story begins, we are told that he is not alone because the instruments onboard have indicated that that is additional weight and body heat radiating from the closet, where he discovers a stowaway. It is a written law that any EDS stowaway is to be immediately jettisoned because EDS spaceships are calculated to carry only the required fuel and ship’s pilot in order to reach the emergency destination. As the story unfolds we learn that