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Zen
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.
18 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1952
32 people are currently reading
96 people want to read
About the author
Jerome Bixby
152 books35 followersDrexel Jerome Lewis Bixby (January 11, 1923 Los Angeles, California – April 28, 1998 San Bernardino, California) was a American short story writer, editor and scriptwriter, best known for his comparatively small output in science fiction. He also wrote many westerns and used the pseudonyms D. B. Lewis, Harry Neal, Albert Russell, J. Russell, M. St. Vivant, Thornecliff Herrick and Alger Rome (for one collaboration with Algis Budrys).
He was the editor of Planet Stories from Summer 1950 to July 1951; and editor of Two Complete Science Adventure Novels from Winter 1950 to July 1951.
Probably his best-known work is the Star Trek: The Original Series 1967 episode "Mirror, Mirror", which introduced the series' concept of the Mirror Universe, also "Requiem for Methuselah" (Episode 76, Season 3:) about 'Flint' a 6,000 year old man. He also wrote the short story "It's a Good Life" (1953), adapted as a teleplay for The Twilight Zone by Rod Serling and parodied in the Simpsons Halloween episode "Treehouse of Horror II". His 1968 Star Trek episode "Day of the Dove" is also much respected by fans of science fiction. Bixby also conceived and co-wrote the 1966 film Fantastic Voyage, later novelized by Isaac Asimov.
Jerome Bixby's last work, a screenplay The Man From Earth, was conceived in the early 1960s and completed on his deathbed in April 1998. In 2007, Jerome Bixby's The Man From Earth (as it is now called) was turned into an independent motion picture executive produced by his son Emerson Bixby, directed by Richard Schenkman and starring David Lee Smith, William Katt, Richard Riehle, Tony Todd, Annika Peterson, Alexis Thorpe, Ellen Crawford and John Billingsley.
Bixby wrote the original screenplay for 1958's It! The Terror from Beyond Space, which was the inspiration for 1979's Alien. The Star Trek: Deep Space Nine seventh season (1999) Mirror Universe episode, "The Emperor's New Cloak," is dedicated to Bixby's memory.
He was the editor of Planet Stories from Summer 1950 to July 1951; and editor of Two Complete Science Adventure Novels from Winter 1950 to July 1951.
Probably his best-known work is the Star Trek: The Original Series 1967 episode "Mirror, Mirror", which introduced the series' concept of the Mirror Universe, also "Requiem for Methuselah" (Episode 76, Season 3:) about 'Flint' a 6,000 year old man. He also wrote the short story "It's a Good Life" (1953), adapted as a teleplay for The Twilight Zone by Rod Serling and parodied in the Simpsons Halloween episode "Treehouse of Horror II". His 1968 Star Trek episode "Day of the Dove" is also much respected by fans of science fiction. Bixby also conceived and co-wrote the 1966 film Fantastic Voyage, later novelized by Isaac Asimov.
Jerome Bixby's last work, a screenplay The Man From Earth, was conceived in the early 1960s and completed on his deathbed in April 1998. In 2007, Jerome Bixby's The Man From Earth (as it is now called) was turned into an independent motion picture executive produced by his son Emerson Bixby, directed by Richard Schenkman and starring David Lee Smith, William Katt, Richard Riehle, Tony Todd, Annika Peterson, Alexis Thorpe, Ellen Crawford and John Billingsley.
Bixby wrote the original screenplay for 1958's It! The Terror from Beyond Space, which was the inspiration for 1979's Alien. The Star Trek: Deep Space Nine seventh season (1999) Mirror Universe episode, "The Emperor's New Cloak," is dedicated to Bixby's memory.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
June 25, 2023
Published in 1952, this short sci-fi is quite moving with a nice little twist on which to finish!
October 18, 2022
Free Kindle edition
A decent 1950's science fiction short story with an interesting twist at the end. Alien life comes with big surprises but nothing to do with Eastern or other mystical religion.
Bixby was a writer, editor, and scriptwriter who wrote some notable scripts for Star Trek and The Twilight Zone.
A decent 1950's science fiction short story with an interesting twist at the end. Alien life comes with big surprises but nothing to do with Eastern or other mystical religion.
Bixby was a writer, editor, and scriptwriter who wrote some notable scripts for Star Trek and The Twilight Zone.
August 15, 2014
Trash seems the fitting word,but I shouldn't call it so since it's a book. I found this story in the golden age of sci-fi collection. What I can't understand is,what about this story made the editor include this crap in the golden collection. I wonder if this author wrote anything else. Just to check if he is stupid all the time,or just this once.
(Shift+del) from memory.
(Shift+del) from memory.
October 3, 2013
maybe not a great read by today's ideal's but still a nice old picture of a simpler view not touched by all scientific knowledge accumulated since the fifties.
April 30, 2022
Entertaining listening 🎶🔰
Another will written fantasy Sci-Fi space adventure thriller short story by Jerome Bixby about Zen and what they mean to the solar system. I would recommend this novella to readers looking for a quick read. Enjoy the adventure of books. 🏡🔰⏰😀 2022
Another will written fantasy Sci-Fi space adventure thriller short story by Jerome Bixby about Zen and what they mean to the solar system. I would recommend this novella to readers looking for a quick read. Enjoy the adventure of books. 🏡🔰⏰😀 2022
Read
August 7, 2024Why angel want to die coz the alone
thirsty to comunicat
rarb in many handred years
far alone in galaxy
huge my fear
my rare wound
tired of life
yr bet heart find me
care to be loving
i oth y to be with me
learn my lang
and make me want to breath
sing yr songs
and make many handred
the feal to fall in love so beuty
to find someone to colect many shatter
so diffrent
so beutful feeling
thes truth talking from heart
even stars rain jasmin
its love state that we have
our dream cant be end
beutful feeling to be in love
thirsty to comunicat
rarb in many handred years
far alone in galaxy
huge my fear
my rare wound
tired of life
yr bet heart find me
care to be loving
i oth y to be with me
learn my lang
and make me want to breath
sing yr songs
and make many handred
the feal to fall in love so beuty
to find someone to colect many shatter
so diffrent
so beutful feeling
thes truth talking from heart
even stars rain jasmin
its love state that we have
our dream cant be end
beutful feeling to be in love
July 12, 2010
In the book 'Zen' a scientist on a planet comes upon an animal called well a 'zen' and starts communicating with it. It actually asks him to kill it since 'she' is the only one left, but, coincidentially there's a male 'zen' on board the ship.......
March 25, 2020
Sci fi short story
A sort of Robinson Caruso tale in reverse. The ending is a little abrupt and brief. In real life there would be a lot more debate,maybe some poaching.
A sort of Robinson Caruso tale in reverse. The ending is a little abrupt and brief. In real life there would be a lot more debate,maybe some poaching.
May 23, 2023
🖊 My review: This is akin to a savior story, a savior of not mankind, but a species of life – the Zen. I enjoyed it.
✔️Published in Galaxy Science Fiction October 1952 Vol. 5 No. 1 .
🤔 My rating 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
🟣 Media form: Kindle version.
🟢 Media form Project Gutenberg.
🔲 Excerpts of note:
🚀●▬●💫●💫●▬●🚀
✔️Published in Galaxy Science Fiction October 1952 Vol. 5 No. 1 .
🤔 My rating 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
🟣 Media form: Kindle version.
🟢 Media form Project Gutenberg.
🔲 Excerpts of note:
🔹It's difficult, when you're on one of the asteroids, to keep from tripping, because it's almost impossible to keep your eyes on the ground. They never got around to putting portholes in spaceships, you know—unnecessary when you're flying by GB, and psychologically inadvisable, besides—so an asteroid is about the only place, apart from Luna, where you can really see the stars.
🔹I had left the Lucky Pierre to search for fossils (I'm David Koontz, the Lucky Pierre's paleontologist). Somewhere off in the darkness on either side of me were Joe Hargraves, gadgeting for mineral deposits, and Ed Reiss, hopefully on the lookout for anything alive.
🔹"So. Eert-mn," it said. "And you know what I am?" When I understood, I nodded, too. Then I said, "Yes," realizing that the nod wasn't visible through the one-way glass of my helmet. "I am—last of Zen," it said. I said nothing. I was studying it closely, looking for the features which Yurt had described to us: the lighter red fur of arms and neck, the peculiar formation of flesh and horn on the lower abdomen. They were there. From the coloring, I knew this Zen was a female. . . .
🚀●▬●💫●💫●▬●🚀
January 14, 2025
”They are so frighteningly far away…”
A very sad and then very hopeful take of space exploration, extinction, and rebirth.
When a crew of spacemen are sent to a new planet in search of materials they run into a lone alien, a Zen, whose species had been wiped out 3,000 years prior. She had sat in isolation for centuries, until being reunited with the last of her kind.
A very sad and then very hopeful take of space exploration, extinction, and rebirth.
When a crew of spacemen are sent to a new planet in search of materials they run into a lone alien, a Zen, whose species had been wiped out 3,000 years prior. She had sat in isolation for centuries, until being reunited with the last of her kind.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 9, 2019
Very insubstantial story.
October 23, 2023
Interesting take on a number of things. Give it a read.
January 5, 2024
Didn't like this one bit. It's a convenient intergalactic dating story lol.
January 27, 2024
The Zen sound tasty, breed like tribbles, and sure do keep well. A Christmas or Thanksgiving zen with cranberry sauce and stuffing? 😋
Read
February 12, 2025The brilliant ignorant human-like alien old young creature who was asking me to kill her
April 15, 2016
The story begins with David Koontz, paleontologist of the 29-man crew of the “Lucky Pierre” investigating the asteroid Vesta. It immediately becomes clear that Vesta is crustal remains of Planet X, otherwise known as Sorn. David begins hunting for fossil remains, but stumbles across the Zen.
Please read the rest of the review here.
Please read the rest of the review here.
September 8, 2016
Um, NO.
Really, that's all I can bring myself to say here. Anything more would simply be gilding the lily, or maybe scraping the gilt off with anything I can find to hand.
Really, that's all I can bring myself to say here. Anything more would simply be gilding the lily, or maybe scraping the gilt off with anything I can find to hand.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews