Science Fiction Short Story: "A World is Born" by Leigh Brackett

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Mel Gray is a “volunteer,” a world-builder on Mercury, toiling for the father and daughter team of the Moultons, who’d organized the destitute and desperate veterans of the Second Interplanetary War. It’s a service fellow “volunteer” Tom Ward assures him there’s no escape from. But Mel’s had enough unselfish service. He’s going to escape from the prison colony and the planet. Ward, notes of Mel’s discontent with a sly smile. The colony is on the verge of becoming self-sustaining. A monkey wrench in the works is that pitchblende has recently been discovered and there are those who would see the colony fail so as to better be able to exploit this resource. Is Mel’s bad attitude because he’s one of their agents? Or something else? This is a pure adventure story with unlikely science (yeah, good luck with that human colony on Mercury) and some death-cheating escapes by our hero, who, of course, also gets the girl. It’s fun for what it is. It’s told in strictly straightforward fashion, with over-the-top action. Not to be taken seriously, but enjoyable. Author Leigh Brackett also worked on screenplays such as The Big Sleep (1945), The Long Goodbye (1973), and The Empire Strikes Back (1980). She was also married to speculative fiction writer Edmond Hamilton. The story is available from Project Gutenberg at the link below. It’s part of the author’s series of stories on the solar system. She made it to Jupiter. _____ Title: “A World is Born” Author: Leigh Brackett (1915-1978) First published: Comet Stories 1941 Source: ISFDB _____ *An earlier version of this review was posted at another site. It has been removed from there and is no longer visible there or anywhere else. It has been updated for its inclusion at myLot.*