New Worlds Science Fiction No. 25

New Worlds, Vol. 9, No. 25 (September 1954)

This issue features a novelette and five short stories. James White's "Starvation Orbit" follows Dr. Russell, the medical officer of a Venus base, conducting a search for survivors after the space-station Queen of Darkness collides with a rotating orbital station. Russell and two crew members find seven victims in the wreckage; some died from explosive decompression, while four survive sealed in spacesuits with injuries requiring urgent medical attention. The story emphasizes the medical challenges and physical dangers of space operations. Additional contents include David Gardner's "Staying Guests," Lan Wright's "The Ethical Question," E. R. James's "Man on the Ceiling," Francis G. Rayer's "Pipe Away Stranger," Peter Hawkins's "Ship From the Stars," and Robert Sheckley's "The Odour of Thought." The issue includes a technical article on semiconductors by John Newman and editorial/review features. Editor John Carnell provides commentary on Britain's Manchester science fiction convention and a Canadian writer encounter.