Science Fiction Short Story Review: "Zen" by Jerome Bixby

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The story begins with David Koontz, paleontologist of the 29-man crew of the Lucky Pierre investigating the asteroid Vesta. It immediately becomes clear that Vesta is crustal remains of Planet X, otherwise known as Sorn. David begins hunting for fossil remains, but stumbles across the Zen. Three thousand years old, or roughly 500 of her own years, she’s equivalent to a 25-year-old human in age. How does David know this? How did David learn to speak what little Zennacai his does know? She believes herself to be the last of her kind. She’s been alone for a long, long time. She remembers when things were different. She asks David to kill her. He refrains. This is a cute little story with a cute ending, but it’s not a new idea. It’s one the reader sees coming from a mile away. Nevertheless, it’s nicely written and a pleasant read. Vesta is a real asteroid orbiting the sun within the asteroid belt. It is now designated as a minor planet and officially named 4 Vesta. Heinrich Wilhem Olbers first observed it in 1807 and named it for the Roman goddess of home and hearth. Author Jerome Bixby wrote short stories that became the basis for well-known “Star Trek” and “Twilight Zone” episodes. This story is available for as a free download from Project Gutenberg and as an audiobook from Librivox. ______ Title: “Zen” Author: Jerome Bixby (1923-1998) First published: Galaxy Science Fiction October 1952 Source: ISFDB *An earlier version of this review appeared on another site. It's been updated and expanded for its inclusion on myLot*