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 p...