No Man Friday

No Man Friday

No Man Friday (also known in the United States as First on Mars) is a British science fiction novel by Rex Gordon (Stanley Bennett Hough) published in 1956. Although the story is set mainly on Mars, it was very influenced by Robinson Crusoe.[citation needed]

Plot

A British rocket, developed at minimal cost and secretly from officialdom, lifts off from the Woomera rocket range on a mission to Mars. During the voyage, an accident in the airlock kills all but the narrator, who was returning from EVA and still in his space suit. The rocket reaches Mars but crash lands. There, the narrator learns how to produce oxygen and water, also discovering more about Martian species and nourishment. Eventually, he starts cooperating with the titanic inhabitants of that planet to survive. After fifteen years, an American mission lands, thinking themselves the first to reach Mars. The narrator contacts the Americans, and then tries to return to the Dominant Beings, but is prevented from reaching them. He returns to Earth with the Americans.

Martian creatures

In his book, Rex Gordon describes Mars as a planet inhabited by different kinds of life forms.

Minerals 
Highly energetic flower-shaped mineral formations that grow in Martian valleys. Humidity disintegrates them.
Plants 
Photosynthetic organisms growing throughout Martian surface. They bloom and produce hard fruits.
"Ants" 
Social insect-like bugs that pollinate the plants' flowers.
"Humans" 
Humanoid creatures are not the dominant species in Mars. These animals eat the plants' fruits, live in groups and have limited intelligence.
Dominant Beings 
Gigantic nocturnal living beings that eat Martian humanoids. They use their body lights for communication. The book also suggests they have the capacity to distort spacetime.

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать реферат

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Man Friday (film) — Man Friday Directed by Jack Gold Produced by Gerald Green …   Wikipedia

  • Man Friday — Man Man (m[a^]n), n.; pl. {Men} (m[e^]n). [AS. mann, man, monn, mon; akin to OS., D., & OHG. man, G. mann, Icel. ma[eth]r, for mannr, Dan. Mand, Sw. man, Goth. manna, Skr. manu, manus, and perh. to Skr. man to think, and E. mind. [root]104. Cf.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • man Friday — prop. n. [From Friday, the name of a character in the novel Robinson Crusoe (1719) by DeFoe.] A person who contributes to the fulfillment of a need or furtherance of an effort or purpose; a devoted assistant. Syn: right hand man, chief assistant …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • man friday — From Robinson Crusoe , a Man Friday refers to an assistant or companion, usually a capable one. The common feminine equivalent is Girl Friday . (Also, right hand man . ) …   The small dictionary of idiomes

  • Man Friday — Man Fri|day 1.) a character in the book ↑Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe. He is a black man who becomes Crusoe s servant and friend after Crusoe saves him from being killed by ↑cannibals (=people who eat other people) . Crusoe calls him Man… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • man Friday — n. see FRIDAY (sense 2) …   English World dictionary

  • man Friday — noun count a man who helps someone with their work, especially in an office …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • man Friday — ► NOUN ▪ a male helper or follower. ORIGIN a character in Daniel Defoe s novel Robinson Crusoe (1719) …   English terms dictionary

  • Man Friday — This article is about the fictional character. For the film, see Man Friday (film). Man Friday is one of the main characters of Daniel Defoe s novel Robinson Crusoe . His name, in the novel given to him by Robinson Crusoe ( [http://pierre marteau …   Wikipedia

  • man Friday — noun the most helpful assistant • Syn: ↑right hand man, ↑chief assistant • Hypernyms: ↑assistant, ↑helper, ↑help, ↑supporter * * * ˌman ˈFriday 7 …   Useful english dictionary

  • Man Friday — Filmdaten Deutscher Titel: Freitag und Robinson Originaltitel: Man Friday Produktionsland: USA, Großbritannien Erscheinungsjahr: 1975 Länge: 115 Minuten Originalsprache …   Deutsch Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”