Science Fiction Hall of Fame: "Arena" by Frederic Brown.

I picked up a copy of The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume One, 1929-1964 a couple of weeks ago and have been slowly making my way through it. I like to read short story anthologies between my readings of books. Sometimes I’ll only read a few stories and then move along to the next novel on my list, and sometimes the anthology will be so engrossing that I read all of them before moving on. Sadly, that hasn’t been my experience with this anthology. That isn’t to say I’m not enjoying it because I really and truly am! But the stories are on the longer side and older so some don’t quite hold up or are just written in a style that was popular and has faded out. 

Last night I came across what might be my favorite story in it so far: “Arena” by Frederic Brown. It was written in 1944. It’s about Bob Carson, a pilot for the Earth military, who is attempting to engage in combat with an Outsider, an alien race invading our galaxy. Before the fight can commence in space a higher evolved alien takes them out of typical space-time and makes them fight as the champions for their respective races. Whoever wins the battle one on one will win the war as the higher being will destroy the loser’s army. This is meant as a generous gesture by the higher being who notes that war between the two advanced races—Earthlings and Outsiders—will result in the destruction of both their cultures. The arena that they are sent to isn’t made for typical combat. A force field runs the length of it so that they cannot actually touch each other and must rely on ingenuity rather than brute strength.

If this plot sounds a little bit familiar it may be because an earlier post of mine has you thinking about Star Trek and the episode “Arena” is loosely based on this short story. I mean, technically the episode was written and only afterwards was it realized that it shared a striking resemblance to Brown’s story. Whether it was accidental plagiarism or a total happenstance Brown was contacted and got the story credit. But that’s neither here nor there! In the episode it’s Kirk not Bob Carson and a Gorn not an Outsider. There isn’t a force field keeping them separate in the episode either, though it’s Kirk’s use of intelligence that wins him victory over the Gorn’s simple use of force. 

 

I like both the short story and the episode. I don’t find one to be particularly better than the other. Bob Carson isn’t a character I find myself as emotionally invested in as Captain Kirk. The Gorn is a more intimidating foe (in the story the Outsider is just a red ball). However, the short story has a stronger sense of desperation and the stakes are higher there as well. Whichever you choose to indulge in both stories are worth the time. Of course, maybe I’m being biased. Being a small and lacking upper body strength myself I’m always interested in reading about fights and battle that are one through something other than physicality.