Hot Planet

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This short story is a bit of classic hard science fiction by the master of Hard Science Fiction, yet it is definitely dated in terms of writing style, plotting, and science.

The story centers on an expedition to Mercury. The expedition faces the question of why Mercury seems to be developing an atmosphere. Clement presents the reader with a Mercury that is in constant volcanic action, which creates a sense of constant threat. The main character is a young, radio man who uses his specialization to save the day when disaster threatens the expedition. It is all done in the grand style where some insight leads to the development of a technology or a creative application of some existing application.

The characters are enjoyable, particularly the interaction of the other characters, who are generally older, with the callow lead character, whose youth seems to involve him in commenting social gaffes. What is interesting is that Clement has female scientists, but they are older - to the young main character. They are in their late thirties. They don't seem to have their own distinct personality as women, but they are certainly in the story, which ought to put the lie to those who constantly imply that females were invisible in science fiction prior to the last ten years or so. (Fn. 1)

1. Actually, on doing some research, this story was published in 1963, so it is not like it was from the benighted 1950s, and, yet, we are still talking more like a half-century ago.