• Complain

Harlan Ellison - Blind Lightning

Here you can read online Harlan Ellison - Blind Lightning full text of the book (entire story) in english for free. Download pdf and epub, get meaning, cover and reviews about this ebook. year: 1956, publisher: King-Size Publications, Inc., genre: Science fiction. Description of the work, (preface) as well as reviews are available. Best literature library LitArk.com created for fans of good reading and offers a wide selection of genres:

Romance novel Science fiction Adventure Detective Science History Home and family Prose Art Politics Computer Non-fiction Religion Business Children Humor

Choose a favorite category and find really read worthwhile books. Enjoy immersion in the world of imagination, feel the emotions of the characters or learn something new for yourself, make an fascinating discovery.

No cover
  • Book:
    Blind Lightning
  • Author:
  • Publisher:
    King-Size Publications, Inc.
  • Genre:
  • Year:
    1956
  • Rating:
    3 / 5
  • Favourites:
    Add to favourites
  • Your mark:
    • 60
    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
    • 4
    • 5

Blind Lightning: summary, description and annotation

We offer to read an annotation, description, summary or preface (depends on what the author of the book "Blind Lightning" wrote himself). If you haven't found the necessary information about the book — write in the comments, we will try to find it.

From Robert Silverbergs Earthmen and Strangers anthology, 1966: The Budrys story depicts meek, peaceful alien beings, intelligent but simple. Now we meet a very different sort of creature: a ravenous beast out of nightmare, rippling with strength, coursing with barely repressed violence. Yet Harlan Ellisons Lad-nar and Algis Budrys Tylus both regard the Earthmen who visit them as supernatural beings. They recognize in them the skills and powers of superior civilizations. In this story, intelligence meets brute force in a conflict that is not quite a conflict, and a strange, curiously touching relationship develops between man and monster on this rugged lightning-blasted world. Harlan Ellison has been a professional writer since 1955, and this was one of his first published stories. It reveals the power and intensity of imagination that has since carried him to a successful career as an author of screenplays for television and motion pictures.

Harlan Ellison: author's other books


Who wrote Blind Lightning? Find out the surname, the name of the author of the book and a list of all author's works by series.

Blind Lightning — read online for free the complete book (whole text) full work

Below is the text of the book, divided by pages. System saving the place of the last page read, allows you to conveniently read the book "Blind Lightning" online for free, without having to search again every time where you left off. Put a bookmark, and you can go to the page where you finished reading at any time.

Light

Font size:

Reset

Interval:

Bookmark:

Make

Blind Lightning

by Harlan Ellison

When Kettridge bent over to pick up the scurrying red lizard, the thing that had been waiting in shadows struck.

The thing rose nine feet on its powerfully muscled legs. It had an iridescent, glistening fur, and if resembled a gorilla and a Brahma bull and a Kodiak bear and a number of other Terran animals. But it was none of these creatures.

The comparison was as inaccurate and as brief as Kettridges last moment of horrified awareness. He saw one of the things huge paws crashing down toward him. Then the brief moment ended, and Kettridge lay unconscious.

Thought: This is the prelude to the Time of Fast. In bulk this strangely formed one will equal many cat litters. It is warm and does not lose the Essence. When the Essence-Stealer screams from the heavens, the strangely formed one will be many feastings for me. Safety and assured Essence are mine.

O boon at last granted! To the Lord of the Heaven I turn all thought! Lad-nars Essence is yours at Ending!

The huge creature bent sharply from the waist and scooped up the man in the form-fitting metallic suit. It brushed in annoyance at the belt of tools around the humans waist and looked over one massive shoulder at the sky.

Even as Lad-nar watched, the rolling dark clouds split, and a forked brilliance stabbed down at the jungle. Lad-nar squinted his eyes, unconsciously lowering the thin secondary lids, and filtering out the worst of the light.

He shivered as the roar screamed across the sky.

Off to his left another blast of lightning slanted down, striking a towering blue plant with a shower of sparks and a dazzling flash. A peal of thunder followed it. The jungle smoked.

Thought: Many risings and settings of the Great Warmer it has taken this Time of Fast to build. Now it will last for many more. The Great Warmer -will be hidden, and the cold will settle across the land. Lad-nar must find his way to the Place of Fasting. This strangely formed one will be many feastings.

He shoved the man under one furry arm, clasping his unconscious burden tightly. Lad-nars eyes were frightened. He knew the time of Death and Forbidden Walking was at hand.

He loped off toward the mountains.

The first thing Kettridge saw when he awoke was the head of the creature. It was hanging terrifyingly suspended by the light from the storm. The roar of the rain pelting down in driving sheets and the brilliant white of the lightning heightened the dreadfulness of the huge creatures head. The wide, blunt nose had three flaring nostrils. The massive double-lidded eyes seemed to be lighted from within by fires which blazed up in them like flickering twin comets. It had a high, hairy brow, and there were black half-moons under its cheekbones.

It seemed to be snarling. Certainly its pointed teeth could not have been bared more maliciously.

Kettridge was a man past the high tide of youth. He was not a strong man. At the beasts snort, he lost consciousness for the second time.

There followed a short stretch of half-slumber, confused, tormenting. Finally Kettridge blinked several times and raised himself on his elbows.

Lad-nar was still sitting with his powerfully muscled legs crossedsitting just inside the mouth of the small cave regarding Kettridge steadily.

Whatwhat are you? Kettridge groaned. We werent expecting anything so large. The survey said Kettridges voice quavered into silence.

Thought: What is this? The strangely formed one speaks in my head! He is not one with the cat litters. They cannot speak! Is he a symbol, an omenfrom the Lord of the Heaven?

What is it you ask, strangely formed one?

Kettridge felt the surge of thoughts in his mind. He felt it smash against one nerve after another, sliding down in his head as the questions reverberated like an echo from far away.

My God, the thing is telepathic! Youre telepathic! he murmured, hardly daring to believe it could be true.

Thought: What does he mean? What do you bring to me, strangely formed one? What is it that you say to me and that I hear as a Reading of the Essence? How do you speak? Are you from the Lord of the Heaven?

Lad-nars thick, leathery lips had not moved. The fanged mouth had not even twisted in speech. But to Kettridge it seemed that there must be a third being in the cave. A speaker who roared in his mind, in a voice sharp and alert.

Thought: There is no one else here. This is the Place of Fasting. Lad-nar has cleansed it of all previous Fasting Ones. You do not answer. There is fear blended into your Essence, as it has always been with the cat litters. Yet you are not one with them. Speak! Are you an omen ?

Kettridges lips began to tremble. He stared up in awe at the startlingly bright, double-lidded eyes, suddenly realizing that the creature was more than telepathic. It was two-way receptive. It could not only direct thoughts into Kettridges mind. It could just as easily pluck the ideas from his reeling brain.

II am from earth, whispered Kettridge, sliding up against the warm stone wall _of the cave.

Thought: The Heaven Home! I might have known. The Lord of the Heaven has sent you to me as many feastings.

In the space of a few short seconds, as Lad-nar spoke deep in his mind, Kettridge received a complete mental picture of the beings incredible life. He had known there were living creatures on Blestonemany animal oddities in a barbaric hiding state. But the preliminary survey had not prepared him for any life of so complex a nature. Obviously Lad-nars race was dying off.

Kettridge tried to blank out his thoughts but was terrifyingly unsuccessful.

Thought: You cannot hide the speaking in my head.

Kettridge became frantic. He knew exactly what the thing planned to do. He had received a cold mental image of the creature crouched mercilessly above him, ripping his right arm loose from its socket with a cruel purposefulness. The picture was hideously clear.

Thought: You have seen the feasting. Yet you are not like the cat litters that squeal in fear every moment that I feast on them. If you are not to eat, an omen from the Heaven Lordwhat are you ?

Kettridge felt his throat muscles tighten. His hands inside the heat-resistance gloves clenched. He felt his age settle around him like a heavy mantle.

Im an alien ecologist, he said, knowing he would not be understood.

Thought: That has no meaning for me.

Im from Earth. Im from one of the other He stopped, drawing in his breath quickly and pulling the resilient hood of the suit against his mouth with an effort. The being could not possibly know about the other planets. It could not see a single one of the stars. Only occasionally could it see the sun. The dense cloud blanket of Blestone hid space forever from its gaze.

Thought: Urth! The Heaven Home! I knew! I knew !

There was a jubilation, a soaring happiness in the thoughtan emotion at once incongruous and terrifying. But blending with it was a humanness, a strange warmth.

Thought: Now I will sleep. Later I will feast.

With the single-minded simplicity of the aborigine, the creature put from its mind this revelation of its religion and obeyed the commands of its body. Tired from hunting, Lad-nar began to sleep.

The thoughts dimmed and faded out of Kettridges mind like dwindling smoke wraiths as the huge creature slipped over onto its side and sprawled out in the gloom, completely blocking the open mouth of the cave.

Kettridges hand closed over the service revolver at his belt. It was reassuring to realize that the charges in the weapon were powerful enough to stop a good-sized animal.

Grimly he looked at the nine feet of corded muscle and thick hide that lay directly in his path. Then his gaze swept the narrow confines of the cave. It was just possible that he could kill before it could rip him to shreds. But did he really

Next page
Light

Font size:

Reset

Interval:

Bookmark:

Make

Similar books «Blind Lightning»

Look at similar books to Blind Lightning. We have selected literature similar in name and meaning in the hope of providing readers with more options to find new, interesting, not yet read works.


Harlan Ellison - Wonderbird
Wonderbird
Harlan Ellison
Harlan Ellison - The Power of the Nail
The Power of the Nail
Harlan Ellison
Harlan Ellison - Runesmith
Runesmith
Harlan Ellison
Harlan Ellison - Brillo
Brillo
Harlan Ellison
No cover
No cover
Randall Garrett
No cover
No cover
Algis Budrys
No cover
No cover
Harlan Ellison
Harlan Ellison - Deathbird Stories
Deathbird Stories
Harlan Ellison
Harlan Ellison - Partners in Wonder
Partners in Wonder
Harlan Ellison
Harlan Ellison - Troublemakers
Troublemakers
Harlan Ellison
Reviews about «Blind Lightning»

Discussion, reviews of the book Blind Lightning and just readers' own opinions. Leave your comments, write what you think about the work, its meaning or the main characters. Specify what exactly you liked and what you didn't like, and why you think so.