Exploration Team

Colonial Survey #3

by Murray Leinster

The novelette is set in a future time during which humanity has begun colonizing planets in other solar systems. The Colonial Survey agency has decreed the (fictional) planet of Loren Two to be off-limits, due to the extremely dangerous native animals. Despite its decree, the Colonial Survey has authorized an experimental colony on the planet. At about the same time, the overcrowded inhabitants of another planet have established an unauthorized reconnaissance station on Loren Two. Neither group is aware of the other's existence. The authorized colony is well-funded, consisting of one dozen persons equipped with advanced robotic and other equipment. The unauthorized reconnaissance team consists of a single man, Huyghens (no first name given), accompanied by an eagle and four specially-bred Kodiak bears. The bears have been bred (the story uses the term "mutated") so as to have the psychological profile of dogs. They are friendly to humans and able to work in teams. When the story begins, Huyghens receives a signal indicating that a ship is about to land near his station. The ship drops off its sole passenger, an officer with the Colonial Survey named Roane (no first name given), and then departs. Roane soon learns that Huyghens is an illegal trespasser on the planet and that his (Huyghens') signal beacon was not that of the authorized colony. For his part, Huyghens is surprised to learn that there was an authorized colony on the same planet. The two men put their minds to the question of why the authorized colony's signal beacon was not working and soon determine that it has been replaced with a low-technology emergency beacon. From this, the two men surmise that the authorized colony has been overrun by the indigenous predators, but that some colonists might still be alive in the mine tunnels that the colony was expected to have dug. Huyghens and Roane, along with the bears and the eagle, undertake a dangerous cross-country trek to determine the status of the authorized colony.

Genres: Science Fiction, Short Stories

Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 1955

About the author

see also:
Will F. Jenkins
William Fitzgerald Jenkins

Murray Leinster was a nom de plume of William Fitzgerald Jenkins, an award-winning American writer of science fiction and alternate history. He wrote and published over 1,500 short stories and articles, 14 movie scripts, and hundreds of radio scripts and television plays.

An author whose career spanned the first six decades of the 20th Century. From mystery and adventure stories in the earliest years to science fiction in his later years, he worked steadily and at a highly professional level of craftsmanship longer than most writers of his generation. He won a Hugo Award in 1956 for his novelet “Exploration Team,” and in 1995 the Sidewise Award for Alternate History took its name from his classic story, “Sidewise in Time.” His last original work appeared in 1967.

Reviews

[Joseph Carrabis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exploration Team was a gift amidst a bunch of mediocre stories I read in an anthology on a flight from Boston to SanFran.
Exploration Team made it worth the trip. Some incredible dialogue, some amazing insights regarding automation that are relevant today (possibly more so today than when he wrote them) and best of all, everything moves the story forward. There's no wasted anything. Anybody writing like that anymore?

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hugo Winner 1956, explored notions of risks and reward in a vivid action piece featuring GMOs. Again, pretty current. He hit the theme a bit too heavily, but it was otherwise great.

[Alex Memus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Глоток свежего воздуха в душных 50х.

Благодаря этой новелле я узнал, что моя палатка Kodiak, в которой я жил на Burning man, названа в честь кадьяка: медведя с Аляски.

Новелла читается легко. Это классные приключения, по духу похожие на фильм Черная дыра.

В мире Лейнстера уже есть айфоны, дроны и GoPro!

Когда он снизился, Хайдженс посмотрел на лежащую у него на ладони маленькую пластинку. В ней отражалось все, что фиксировал телевизионный аппарат на груди Семпера, — кусок качающейся земли с какими-то движущимися между деревьями точками.
Рон посмотрел на пластинку. Она была размером четыре на шесть дюймов, совершенно гладкая и блестящая. Изображение на пластинке двигалось и поворачивалось, так как аппарат, который нес орел, тоже все время двигался.

А в мире Матрицы его герои точно были бы частью сопротивления.

Я уважал бы робота, если бы он плюнул мне в глаза, когда я заставлю делать его то, что он не хочет.

Я прочитал эту книгу для обсуждения на подкасте про научную фантастику «Худо Не Было». Послушать можно тут: https://share.transistor.fm/s/dfe723ce

[Rikard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vintage sci-fi with good world-building. The protagonist runs an illegal colony on a hostile planet with his trusty companions, some genetically enhanced kodiak bears and an eagle named Semper Tyrannis….

[Артюхин Алексей · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Planet Where Brains Beat Brawn: "Exploration Team" by Murray Leinster

Good science fiction isn’t just about starships, lasers, and distant worlds. Sometimes, it’s about how intellect triumphs over brute force. "Exploration Team" is exactly that kind of story. Surprisingly, this novella by Murray Leinster, first published back in the mid-20th century, still reads with a refreshing energy, without the dusty feel of something pulled from a museum shelf.

The premise seems simple: somewhere deep in space, a group of colonists has gone missing, and a small exploratory team is sent to find out what happened. But this isn't a squad of elite soldiers or military experts — rather, it's a hastily assembled crew of whoever was available. Some are thinkers, some are fighters, but each of them is in the right place at the right time. The group feels more like an informal club of explorers than a proper rescue team. Among them are even some massive, tamed predators. And so this odd mix of people and creatures sets off.

Leinster doesn’t turn his characters into superheroes. He shows them as real people: each with their quirks, doubts, and unique personalities. The situations they face are sometimes absurd, sometimes dangerous, but always require creativity. Encounters with aggressive alien lifeforms — called Sphigs — aren’t just excuses for battles, but intellectual challenges. You can’t simply fight these beings — you need to think, plan, negotiate, and strategize. That’s what makes it all so engaging.

The author succeeds not only in building the mystery of an alien world but also in capturing the feel of true exploration. While reading, you feel like you're walking alongside the characters, peeking around corners, weighing threats, deciding on your next move. The prose is straightforward but vivid — no overwrought descriptions, just clear and immersive storytelling. Dialogue is snappy, action is measured and well-placed, and the overall pacing is just right.

It’s no surprise the novella won a Hugo Award. This isn't dry classic sci-fi that’s respected just for its age — it’s genuinely entertaining, a story that highlights not grand-scale wars, but the very human ability to adapt and survive.

This kind of sci-fi is rare today: solid but not flashy, smart without being preachy. "Exploration Team" is a short but complete adventure, one that leaves you with a satisfying aftertaste. If you enjoy science fiction where the hero is not just brave but also clever, Leinster delivers.

8 out of 10

[Sean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice short story with good moral undertones

[Mark Rabideau · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a pretty interesting albeit short adventure tale.

[Tony Ciak · Rating 4 out of 5]

scifi, longer short story, space aliens, smart bears.

[Juniper · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story starts out as adventure pulp indistinguishable from fantasy, except for that it makes use of guns and transmitters instead of swords and smoke signals. It later becomes a commentary on the need for human ingenuity and self-respect (religion) in uncivilized environments. Colonies built with robotic servants result in humans who exist to keep them working and built environments with consistency and control in mind. Man's relationship with domestic intelligent animals (bears in the story but also dogs by extension) is, by contrast, presented as a dynamic partnership.

A fun story! It wrapped up a bit abruptly but satisfactorily. I really enjoyed the illustrations.

[Xabi1990 · Rating 3 out of 5]

6/10. Media de los 14 libros leídos del autor : 6/10

Otro de los autores clásicos "de ideas". en general se deja leer pero los que más me gustaron suyos son "Un lógico llamado Joe" o "El señor de los Uffis"