In Arthur C. Clarke’s The Star, a manned spaceship travels to the edge of the galaxy to explore a nebula (cloud of interstellar gas) surrounding a collapsed star. Within the nebula is a burnt out planet that miraculously survived the explosion. On the planet is a huge stone marker left by a highly advanced civilization that did not survive. Under the marker, buried deep inside the planet, is a vault containing the civilization’s secrets. Among these is a disturbing discovery that challenges our traditional concepts of God. Themes: religious faith, science vs. religion, humankind as the center of the universe.
Original Text / PDF / Audio (2,500 words)
Video Version
This is an episode from the 1980’s revival of the famous Twilight Zone TV series. The ending has been changed to make the vault’s secret clearer for viewers. In addition, a poem written by one of the inhabitants is added to the story, presumably to soften viewer concerns about the destruction of such a wonderful civilization.