Stranger Station
Written by Damon Knight
www.ink2quill.com

“Stranger Station” is a Scifi, short story written by Damon Knight, who was an American Scifi author, editor and critic. He is famous for the story “To Serve Man” which was turned into a Twilight Zone episode of the same name. “Stranger Station” was first published in the Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction in 1956.

Damon Knight Goodreads webpage

Fantastic Fiction / Damon Knight webpage

Gutenberg.org / Damon Knight webpage

“Stranger Station” is the story of Paul Wesson, a man who volunteers for a position, called a Station Watchman, aboard the Stranger Space Station on a mission of alien contact. The job itself seemed doable to Paul and the rewards were great. He was left alone at Stranger Station, (so named a century ago and appropriately named), in order to meet an alien that would stay on the station with him. This meeting took place every 20 years in which the alien would secrete a yellow substance it would give to the humans for their life prolonging technologies. What the aliens got in return was a great mystery as was the reason for the every two decade meeting. On the station was an Alpha Network, AI computer, named Aunt Jane by Paul after his mother’s sister, that had done the 3 previous missions but was mum to Paul about the aliens and the purpose of the mission. The station was separated into 2 sections. Sector one was were Paul stayed and the second sector was for the huge alien and was 88,000 times larger.

Paul tries to discover the purpose of the mission and thinks that he did so. His reasoning seems a bit simple and does not seem to explain all the secrecy behind the whole project. Paul even asks Aunt Jane could not tell him anything like what the alien looked like or the reason for the mission. So, he tries to get the answers himself. But does he reach the correct assumptions? I don’t quite believe it, but who knows?

One thing I like about this story is how the reader is left in limbo as to the motivations of the aliens and even humans. They display no hostility or even friendliness toward humanity. This is a story about alien/ human contact but it is not an alien invasion story. Neither is it a benevolent aliens visiting Earth story. The yellow goo they give humanity from harvesting the creature in the station comes more across as if humanity was thrown a bone and not necessarily given something valuable. What I mean is that this alien contact has little if any diplomatic arm to it. And wouldn’t you want some kind of diplomatic relationship with a newly discovered alien species initiating contact? I believe that first alien contact like the one in this story would have to have some gigantic diplomatic arm, and that could be what is happening in the background, outside of Paul’s experience. But. Who knows? So many questions and only speculations for answers. The reader could think up their own answers. I know I have a few ideas.

This is also a story with not only great mystery to it but also with a certain amount of the horror element. That is why someone adapting this story into a mini series could easily make this into a horror series. Sure. It would start off harmless where Paul is getting settled in to the station and familiarizing himself with Aunt Jane, but things could change in an instant as Paul asks more questions and discovers more by clues left behind by the previous Watchmen. This could be such a good mini series. Anyway, I digress.

“Stranger Station” is a great read and I hope you think so too.

John Ink2Quill

I2Q Blogs / Written 1956 / 2026 / aunt jane / damon / horror / ink2quill / john / knight / quill / scifi / short story / wesson / written /