The two readings that I enjoyed the most are “The Cold Equations” and “It’s Great to be Back”. In my opinion, these two had different perceptions on space; nonetheless, both had strong messages.
“The Cold Equation” had me choking back some tears, and it is the first emotional SF short story I ever read. I enjoyed how Tom Godwin contrasted the EDS pilot as someone who is cold-hearted, emotionless, and not afraid to end the life of a man, to someone who is torn between his duty on the frontier and his human emotions regarding Marilyn. He displays that females do make men “weak in the knees” even in a random situation as the EDS pilot was in. The reading made a clear distinction that Earth is viewed as the opposite of the frontier. Earth is a place where human life comes before anything else. Earth is a place where humans are driven by emotions. Earth is an utopia compared to the unexpected events that occur on the frontier. Nonetheless, the EDS pilot was able to understand and connect with Marilyn because he ultimately never forgot his experiences on Earth. I argue that the EDS pilot found the human in him again after his encounter with Marilyn.
“It’s Great to be Back” was sort of comical to me. I chuckled whenever the wife spoke, since she would complain about everything and was never satisfied. I think I am a groundhog because I have never lived in the Moon. Therefore, I can never know how it feels to adjust to the nature laws of Earth. However, the couple has lived in the Moon long enough for them to fantasize, reminiscence, and imagine life on Earth. Their bodies had adapted to the conditions in the Moon that it was not logical to think that they can re-accustom themselves back to Earth lifestyle. There is an underlying message regarding human nature. The expression “You never know what you have until it’s gone.” applies perfectly in this reading. Also, it shows the selfish and spoiled side of humans. We always want what we want right away, regardless of the price. We tend to fight for what we believe is right, and try to fit into society.
