Short story about astronauts fertilizing soil with their own bodies
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There was a short-story about astronauts who lost in space on lifeless planet.
They tried to grow crops but all attempts failed until the last one buried their bodies into ground.
Those plants started a evolution chain so when the next expedition discovered the planet they were surprised by Earth-like plants and the absolute absence of animals.
I read it in the 1990s, but likely it is a bit older.
The storyline itself was self-contained and not related to other stories in book.
There is a chance it was Robert Sheckley but I reviewed his bibliography and haven’t found it yet.
story-identification short-stories
edited Apr 21 at 16:11
Stormblessed
3,05211245
asked Apr 21 at 7:37
st78st78
2086
New contributor
st78 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
add a comment |
There was a short-story about astronauts who lost in space on lifeless planet.
They tried to grow crops but all attempts failed until the last one buried their bodies into ground.
Those plants started a evolution chain so when the next expedition discovered the planet they were surprised by Earth-like plants and the absolute absence of animals.
I read it in the 1990s, but likely it is a bit older.
The storyline itself was self-contained and not related to other stories in book.
There is a chance it was Robert Sheckley but I reviewed his bibliography and haven’t found it yet.
story-identification short-stories
edited Apr 21 at 16:11
Stormblessed
3,05211245
asked Apr 21 at 7:37
st78st78
2086
New contributor
st78 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
4
Welcome to Science Fiction & Fantasy! This question would be improved by going through the checklists here; How to ask a good story-ID question?
– Valorum
Apr 21 at 7:54
2
In which short story escape-pod occupant stays inside to die while the outside was transformed? was closed as duplicate to short story about astronauts/colonists in a hostile planet. The answer to both is the same as the answer here; Isaac Asimov's Founding Father. I guess that guy must have written some memorable stories. ;-)
– uhoh
Apr 22 at 7:28
1
@uhoh: Indeed. Apparently when people asked Asimov to help identify one of his stories, though, it was always the same one.
– Kevin
Apr 22 at 16:15
add a comment |
There was a short-story about astronauts who lost in space on lifeless planet.
They tried to grow crops but all attempts failed until the last one buried their bodies into ground.
Those plants started a evolution chain so when the next expedition discovered the planet they were surprised by Earth-like plants and the absolute absence of animals.
I read it in the 1990s, but likely it is a bit older.
The storyline itself was self-contained and not related to other stories in book.
There is a chance it was Robert Sheckley but I reviewed his bibliography and haven’t found it yet.
story-identification short-stories
edited Apr 21 at 16:11
Stormblessed
3,05211245
asked Apr 21 at 7:37
st78st78
2086
New contributor
st78 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
There was a short-story about astronauts who lost in space on lifeless planet.
They tried to grow crops but all attempts failed until the last one buried their bodies into ground.
Those plants started a evolution chain so when the next expedition discovered the planet they were surprised by Earth-like plants and the absolute absence of animals.
I read it in the 1990s, but likely it is a bit older.
The storyline itself was self-contained and not related to other stories in book.
There is a chance it was Robert Sheckley but I reviewed his bibliography and haven’t found it yet.
story-identification short-stories
story-identification short-stories
edited Apr 21 at 16:11
Stormblessed
3,05211245
asked Apr 21 at 7:37
st78st78
2086
New contributor
st78 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
edited Apr 21 at 16:11
Stormblessed
3,05211245
asked Apr 21 at 7:37
st78st78
2086
New contributor
st78 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
edited Apr 21 at 16:11
Stormblessed
3,05211245
edited Apr 21 at 16:11
Stormblessed
3,05211245
edited Apr 21 at 16:11
Stormblessed
3,05211245
3,05211245
asked Apr 21 at 7:37
st78st78
2086
New contributor
st78 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked Apr 21 at 7:37
st78st78
2086
asked Apr 21 at 7:37
st78st78
2086
2086
New contributor
st78 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
New contributor
st78 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
st78 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
4
Welcome to Science Fiction & Fantasy! This question would be improved by going through the checklists here; How to ask a good story-ID question?
– Valorum
Apr 21 at 7:54
2
In which short story escape-pod occupant stays inside to die while the outside was transformed? was closed as duplicate to short story about astronauts/colonists in a hostile planet. The answer to both is the same as the answer here; Isaac Asimov's Founding Father. I guess that guy must have written some memorable stories. ;-)
– uhoh
Apr 22 at 7:28
1
@uhoh: Indeed. Apparently when people asked Asimov to help identify one of his stories, though, it was always the same one.
– Kevin
Apr 22 at 16:15
add a comment |
4
Welcome to Science Fiction & Fantasy! This question would be improved by going through the checklists here; How to ask a good story-ID question?
– Valorum
Apr 21 at 7:54
2
In which short story escape-pod occupant stays inside to die while the outside was transformed? was closed as duplicate to short story about astronauts/colonists in a hostile planet. The answer to both is the same as the answer here; Isaac Asimov's Founding Father. I guess that guy must have written some memorable stories. ;-)
– uhoh
Apr 22 at 7:28
1
@uhoh: Indeed. Apparently when people asked Asimov to help identify one of his stories, though, it was always the same one.
– Kevin
Apr 22 at 16:15
4
4
Welcome to Science Fiction & Fantasy! This question would be improved by going through the checklists here; How to ask a good story-ID question?
– Valorum
Apr 21 at 7:54
Welcome to Science Fiction & Fantasy! This question would be improved by going through the checklists here; How to ask a good story-ID question?
– Valorum
Apr 21 at 7:54
2
2
In which short story escape-pod occupant stays inside to die while the outside was transformed? was closed as duplicate to short story about astronauts/colonists in a hostile planet. The answer to both is the same as the answer here; Isaac Asimov's Founding Father. I guess that guy must have written some memorable stories. ;-)
– uhoh
Apr 22 at 7:28
In which short story escape-pod occupant stays inside to die while the outside was transformed? was closed as duplicate to short story about astronauts/colonists in a hostile planet. The answer to both is the same as the answer here; Isaac Asimov's Founding Father. I guess that guy must have written some memorable stories. ;-)
– uhoh
Apr 22 at 7:28
1
1
@uhoh: Indeed. Apparently when people asked Asimov to help identify one of his stories, though, it was always the same one.
– Kevin
Apr 22 at 16:15
@uhoh: Indeed. Apparently when people asked Asimov to help identify one of his stories, though, it was always the same one.
– Kevin
Apr 22 at 16:15
add a comment |
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
That is "Founding Father" by Isaac Asimov.
I have it here in front of me in the short story collection "Buy Jupiter."
The story is from 1965.
You have the basics of the story pretty much correct.
A ship crash-lands on a planet that has a high amount of ammonia in the atmosphere.
Since the astronauts can't leave(and can't call for help), they explore the planet a bit, and then start trying to get Earth style plants to grow.
The plants all do poorly and eventually die.
They try again and again.
Eventually the ammonia starts to poison them and the men die, one by one.
The last living astronaut buries the others in the plots where they had been trying to grow Earth plants. That gives the plants the nutrients they needed to get a good start.
At the end, the last one lays down to die among the flourishing plants, dreaming of a day when men might again discover this planet. A planet with Earth type plants and no ammonia.
edited Apr 22 at 7:41
Booga Roo
1034
answered Apr 21 at 8:22
JREJRE
5,93112733
1
Thanks a lot @JRE!
– st78
Apr 21 at 16:27
4
As happens, I asked a question a few weeks ago. The person who answered me happened to have just read the story I asked about. That caused me to buy a copy of "Buy Jupiter" and read it through - so I had it fresh in memory when you asked about this story.
– JRE
Apr 21 at 16:35
add a comment |
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1 Answer
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That is "Founding Father" by Isaac Asimov.
I have it here in front of me in the short story collection "Buy Jupiter."
The story is from 1965.
You have the basics of the story pretty much correct.
A ship crash-lands on a planet that has a high amount of ammonia in the atmosphere.
Since the astronauts can't leave(and can't call for help), they explore the planet a bit, and then start trying to get Earth style plants to grow.
The plants all do poorly and eventually die.
They try again and again.
Eventually the ammonia starts to poison them and the men die, one by one.
The last living astronaut buries the others in the plots where they had been trying to grow Earth plants. That gives the plants the nutrients they needed to get a good start.
At the end, the last one lays down to die among the flourishing plants, dreaming of a day when men might again discover this planet. A planet with Earth type plants and no ammonia.
edited Apr 22 at 7:41
Booga Roo
1034
answered Apr 21 at 8:22
JREJRE
5,93112733
1
Thanks a lot @JRE!
– st78
Apr 21 at 16:27
4
As happens, I asked a question a few weeks ago. The person who answered me happened to have just read the story I asked about. That caused me to buy a copy of "Buy Jupiter" and read it through - so I had it fresh in memory when you asked about this story.
– JRE
Apr 21 at 16:35
add a comment |
That is "Founding Father" by Isaac Asimov.
I have it here in front of me in the short story collection "Buy Jupiter."
The story is from 1965.
You have the basics of the story pretty much correct.
A ship crash-lands on a planet that has a high amount of ammonia in the atmosphere.
Since the astronauts can't leave(and can't call for help), they explore the planet a bit, and then start trying to get Earth style plants to grow.
The plants all do poorly and eventually die.
They try again and again.
Eventually the ammonia starts to poison them and the men die, one by one.
The last living astronaut buries the others in the plots where they had been trying to grow Earth plants. That gives the plants the nutrients they needed to get a good start.
At the end, the last one lays down to die among the flourishing plants, dreaming of a day when men might again discover this planet. A planet with Earth type plants and no ammonia.
edited Apr 22 at 7:41
Booga Roo
1034
answered Apr 21 at 8:22
JREJRE
5,93112733
1
Thanks a lot @JRE!
– st78
Apr 21 at 16:27
4
As happens, I asked a question a few weeks ago. The person who answered me happened to have just read the story I asked about. That caused me to buy a copy of "Buy Jupiter" and read it through - so I had it fresh in memory when you asked about this story.
– JRE
Apr 21 at 16:35
add a comment |
That is "Founding Father" by Isaac Asimov.
I have it here in front of me in the short story collection "Buy Jupiter."
The story is from 1965.
You have the basics of the story pretty much correct.
A ship crash-lands on a planet that has a high amount of ammonia in the atmosphere.
Since the astronauts can't leave(and can't call for help), they explore the planet a bit, and then start trying to get Earth style plants to grow.
The plants all do poorly and eventually die.
They try again and again.
Eventually the ammonia starts to poison them and the men die, one by one.
The last living astronaut buries the others in the plots where they had been trying to grow Earth plants. That gives the plants the nutrients they needed to get a good start.
At the end, the last one lays down to die among the flourishing plants, dreaming of a day when men might again discover this planet. A planet with Earth type plants and no ammonia.
edited Apr 22 at 7:41
Booga Roo
1034
answered Apr 21 at 8:22
JREJRE
5,93112733
That is "Founding Father" by Isaac Asimov.
I have it here in front of me in the short story collection "Buy Jupiter."
The story is from 1965.
You have the basics of the story pretty much correct.
A ship crash-lands on a planet that has a high amount of ammonia in the atmosphere.
Since the astronauts can't leave(and can't call for help), they explore the planet a bit, and then start trying to get Earth style plants to grow.
The plants all do poorly and eventually die.
They try again and again.
Eventually the ammonia starts to poison them and the men die, one by one.
The last living astronaut buries the others in the plots where they had been trying to grow Earth plants. That gives the plants the nutrients they needed to get a good start.
At the end, the last one lays down to die among the flourishing plants, dreaming of a day when men might again discover this planet. A planet with Earth type plants and no ammonia.
edited Apr 22 at 7:41
Booga Roo
1034
answered Apr 21 at 8:22
JREJRE
5,93112733
edited Apr 22 at 7:41
Booga Roo
1034
edited Apr 22 at 7:41
Booga Roo
1034
edited Apr 22 at 7:41
Booga Roo
1034
1034
answered Apr 21 at 8:22
JREJRE
5,93112733
answered Apr 21 at 8:22
JREJRE
5,93112733
answered Apr 21 at 8:22
JREJRE
5,93112733
5,93112733
1
Thanks a lot @JRE!
– st78
Apr 21 at 16:27
4
As happens, I asked a question a few weeks ago. The person who answered me happened to have just read the story I asked about. That caused me to buy a copy of "Buy Jupiter" and read it through - so I had it fresh in memory when you asked about this story.
– JRE
Apr 21 at 16:35
add a comment |
1
Thanks a lot @JRE!
– st78
Apr 21 at 16:27
4
As happens, I asked a question a few weeks ago. The person who answered me happened to have just read the story I asked about. That caused me to buy a copy of "Buy Jupiter" and read it through - so I had it fresh in memory when you asked about this story.
– JRE
Apr 21 at 16:35
1
1
Thanks a lot @JRE!
– st78
Apr 21 at 16:27
Thanks a lot @JRE!
– st78
Apr 21 at 16:27
4
4
As happens, I asked a question a few weeks ago. The person who answered me happened to have just read the story I asked about. That caused me to buy a copy of "Buy Jupiter" and read it through - so I had it fresh in memory when you asked about this story.
– JRE
Apr 21 at 16:35
As happens, I asked a question a few weeks ago. The person who answered me happened to have just read the story I asked about. That caused me to buy a copy of "Buy Jupiter" and read it through - so I had it fresh in memory when you asked about this story.
– JRE
Apr 21 at 16:35
add a comment |
st78 is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
st78 is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
st78 is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
st78 is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
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4
Welcome to Science Fiction & Fantasy! This question would be improved by going through the checklists here; How to ask a good story-ID question?
– Valorum
Apr 21 at 7:54
2
In which short story escape-pod occupant stays inside to die while the outside was transformed? was closed as duplicate to short story about astronauts/colonists in a hostile planet. The answer to both is the same as the answer here; Isaac Asimov's Founding Father. I guess that guy must have written some memorable stories. ;-)
– uhoh
Apr 22 at 7:28
1
@uhoh: Indeed. Apparently when people asked Asimov to help identify one of his stories, though, it was always the same one.
– Kevin
Apr 22 at 16:15