Nebula Science Fiction, Number 40

About this issue

To See Ourselves by Philip E. High is a science fiction survival story. Ten volunteers are dropped onto an alien planet to investigate why 157 crew members from four previous survey ships died there, despite instruments showing the planet is safe for human habitation. The narrative follows their descent in a drop-tube while monitors track vital signs implanted in their bodies. The first volunteer, Hobson, descends reporting normal conditions until experiencing inexplicable terror—his hands seemingly affected—before dying. When offered the chance to withdraw, five volunteers flee; the remaining four prepare to continue the investigation. The story emphasizes the psychological tension of facing an invisible threat in an environment that appears safe but has proven deadly.