Inadequate Options in Adequate Space

[Philosophy Now]

Kevin Robson’s existential hero finds that you can’t escape having to choose.

https://philosophynow.org/issues/115/In ... uate_Space

[earlbiri]

Regarding this story: please read "The Cold Equations" by Tom Godwin, a very famous short story published in 1954 and reprinted hundreds of times since. The similarity between the two stories is somewhat disturbing. Granted, there are some differences: in the original story, the shuttle is carrying medicine, not documents; in the original, the girl stowed away on a lark (to see her brother), not to escape abuse; in the original, the stowaway is sent through the airlock, not the pilot (the stowaway would not be able to pilot the shuttle to its destination, where the medicine was needed to stop a pandemic).

It is possible that Robson intended his story to be an homage to Godwin's, but I think this would have been indicated within the text (or at least via editorial blurb at the beginning or end).

[henry quirk]

[thedoc]

Regarding this story: please read "The Cold Equations" by Tom Godwin, a very famous short story published in 1954 and reprinted hundreds of times since. The similarity between the two stories is somewhat disturbing. Granted, there are some differences: in the original story, the shuttle is carrying medicine, not documents; in the original, the girl stowed away on a lark (to see her brother), not to escape abuse; in the original, the stowaway is sent through the airlock, not the pilot (the stowaway would not be able to pilot the shuttle to its destination, where the medicine was needed to stop a pandemic).

It is possible that Robson intended his story to be an homage to Godwin's, but I think this would have been indicated within the text (or at least via editorial blurb at the beginning or end).

Yes, it's obviously plagiarism of the earlier story and should be retracted or at least the earlier story acknowledged. Like you said the girl ejected in the original story, though it's been a long time since I read one of the reprints.

[A_Seagull]

Regarding this story: please read "The Cold Equations" by Tom Godwin, a very famous short story published in 1954 and reprinted hundreds of times since. The similarity between the two stories is somewhat disturbing. Granted, there are some differences: in the original story, the shuttle is carrying medicine, not documents; in the original, the girl stowed away on a lark (to see her brother), not to escape abuse; in the original, the stowaway is sent through the airlock, not the pilot (the stowaway would not be able to pilot the shuttle to its destination, where the medicine was needed to stop a pandemic).

It is possible that Robson intended his story to be an homage to Godwin's, but I think this would have been indicated within the text (or at least via editorial blurb at the beginning or end).

Ejecting the stowaway through the airlock is a much better ending. When I read the story in PN, I thought the ending was ridiculous.

[henry quirk]

...Bill is still here, yes?

[earlbiri]

There is a reason for the different endings - this piece is more of an existential thought-piece regarding choice (a la Sartre), Godwin's story was an ethical thought-piece. The key difference is that in Godwin's story many lives depended on his safely completing his mission, whereas in this piece the only lives in consideration are the pilot's and the stowaway's.

This is no way vindicates the author of this piece, though I did a little bit of research and it appears Godwin was also accused of lifting key elements of his story from at least two previous stories (basics can be found on the Wikipedia page for Godwin's story).

I still believe this piece is too similar to Godwin's to go unmentioned by either the author or the editor.

[djangadjo]

If Kevin Robson had submitted the short story "Inadequate Options in Adequate Space" as an assignment in a college fiction course, the instructor would have returned it with a note: "we need to meet with the Department Chair about your continued enrollment in this course."

I thought that PN may have neglected to look more deeply into the author's intent in plagiarizing the original "Cold Equations," because Robson's piece had already been approved by a different publisher:

PN writes "© Kevin Robson 2016

Kevin Robson’s book of short stories and skits, Funder, Chunder, Reign Asunder, is available as an ebook for 99p."

So I searched for "Funder, Chunder, Reign Asunder" and found it listed on https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/541517

Funder Chunder ... reign asunder
By J V Bollinger
Adult
Showcase –some of the stuff what I’m most proud of – hopefully will whet your appetite

Funder-Humorous skits and sketches

Chunder – Darker, more profane, bitter pieces – yes, I do need to be sent to a home for the criminally insane

Reign – Longer pieces- chapters and novelettes (includes plays and poems)

Asunder – throwaway items –musing-ramblings-best kept for a wet Thursday More

[djangadjo]

"There is a reason for the different endings - this piece is more of an existential thought-piece regarding choice (a la Sartre), Godwin's story was an ethical thought-piece. "

I suppose that Godwin's ripoff of "Cold Equations" could have been published with the above rationale, perhaps including a deeper analysis of the difference between an "existential thought-piece" and an "ethical thought-piece."

I think the author calling himself "Kevin Robson" got away with sneaking one past the editors of Philosophy Now.