Science Fiction Short Story Review: "Accidental Death" by Peter Baily

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The story opens with howling wind blowing ice crystals. A figure lies in a furrow in the snow, beginning to move. The man is comes to grips with the idea that he’s still alive. He knows it will be a while before he’s found—if he is, indeed, even found. His space suit has a recorder, so he begins to dictate his story. Matt Hennessy from Farside Observatory based on the moon, is just back from a proving flight/astronomical survey aboard the starship Whale. Hennessy regards himself as lucky to have gotten a spot on the ship. That’s where they came across the Chingsi, natives of a blue-sky planet with a gravity of 1.1 g and at atmosphere of 20% oxygen at 15 p.s.i. The Chingsi were quick to learn and had an odd sense of humor, mostly practical jokes. And that’s when things started going wrong. Little things at first… There was never anything wrong with the Whale till right at the end, Hennessy tells the reader, and even he doubts it was the ship itself that fouled things up. Most of the story is Hennessy’s narration. The reader can’t help but root for him, so dogged is his determination, even he knows from the beginning that things look pretty grim for him. The ending has a nice little twist. I liked it. This short story is available from Project Gutenberg at the link below and as an audiobook from Librivox. _____ Title: “Accidental Death” Author: Peter Baily no bio info available First published: Astounding Science Fiction February 1959 Source: ISFDB _____ *An earlier version appeared at another site. It has been removed and is no longer version there or anywhere else. It has been expanded and updated for its inclusion in myLot.*