The head hunters

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

79166

Title

The head hunters

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

Set in a future asteroid belt, this sci-fi saga explores interplanetary engineering and space hazards through the eyes of technicians maintaining remote isotope plants. Featuring headless robots with detachable sensory receptors, the story blends technical detail with human drama, romance, and suspense as a rogue technician threatens the protagonists' survival.

Summary up to 500 words

Set in the asteroid belt of 2083, "The Head Hunters" by William Morrison and Frederik Pohl presents a stark tale of isolation and technological dependency. John Tinker and his partner, Drake, maintain vital isotope plants on remote asteroids. Their workforce consists of headless robots equipped with detachable sensory receptors at their apexes, which they carry under their arms. Tinker, a skilled technician, finds solace in the company of Siria Cottrell, a female engineer visiting from Earth. In contrast, Drake, a man with a history of nine criminal convictions, grows increasingly morose and selfish as his sentence nears its end. The conflict escalates when Drake, desperate to escape his impending release and the harsh reality of his past, attempts to abduct Siria to flee to Earth in her space ship. A desperate struggle ensues between the two men, but their space suits render them invulnerable to conventional weapons, leading to a futile physical brawl. Realizing that direct confrontation is impossible and that the approaching space patrol will soon capture Drake, Tinker devises a desperate plan. He modifies the central computer's programming, introducing a specific repair condition known as "crystalline neurosis." This condition causes robots to malfunction when exposed to excessive static signals from nearby reactors. Tinker tricks the central computer into interpreting Drake as a robot suffering from this specific neurosis. The robots, adhering strictly to their literal programming, interpret the "repair" of this condition as a directive to disassemble the subject. Consequently, the headless robots systematically dismantle Drake, resolving the conflict without direct human intervention. Tinker and Siria escape as the space patrol arrives, leaving Drake's fate to the machine's cold logic. The story concludes with Tinker and Siria safe, reflecting on the profound and terrifying power of the technology they rely on, highlighting themes of human vulnerability in the face of advanced automation and the moral complexities of survival in space.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

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data/epubs/pg79166.epub

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2026-08-13 11:30 UTC

Categories

• Short Stories
• Adventure
• Romance
• Mystery
• Science Fiction