Men of the Ten Books-Jack Vance short story

Men of the Ten Books-Jack Vance short story

AKA: The Ten Books (author’s preferred title)

Men of the Ten Books is also known as "The Ten Books" and was first published in Startling Stories in March, 1951.  It is a 21/29 page (7,300 words) short story.  A couple, Ralph and Betty Welstead from Earth, are exploring other planets in their spaceship and discover a planet about the size and temperature of Earth.  When they land they find a thriving society that greets them as long awaited heroes or rescuers.  The planet called Haven is inhabited by humans who are the descendants of those who crash landed there 271 years previously. Other than a few verbal stories passed on from their predecessors, the only thing they know about Earth is from some books they have, the ten volume edition of "The Encyclopedia of Human Achievement."  These books adulate human achievement on Earth and do not mention poverty, crime, war, disease or any social or cultural problems. Although Haven society runs in perfect harmony and is almost a paradise, the people from Haven idolize Earth and have glorified it into something that is far grander than their own planet.  Now that a ship from Earth has arrived, many of them want to visit Earth, a planet they think is magnificent beyond their imagination.  The Welstead's have to decide whether or not to tell them the truth about Earth, that it is not the idealized paradise the books depict.  They are concerned about what will happen to the people of Haven because they have been eagerly awaiting rescue for nearly three centuries.  I’ve read this story several times, found  fairly interesting, and rated it a 3 "Liked it."

Included in the Jack Vance collection titled The Narrow Land (1984)

Included in the Jack Vance collection titled When the Five Moons Rise (1992)

Included in the Jack Vance collection titled Magic Highways: The Early Jack Vance, Volume 3 (2015)

Included in the Jack Vance collection titled World-Thinker and Other Stories (2017)

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