마크 클리프턴의 에덴으로 가는 8가지 열쇠

Eight Keys to Eden by Mark Clifton

마크 클리프턴(Mark Clifton) 지음

디즈비즈북스 2025년 07월 28일 출간

작품소개

책소개

영어로 읽는 고전 _ 마크 클리프턴의 에덴으로 가는 8가지 열쇠
마크 클리프턴의 "Eight Keys to Eden"은 1960년대 초에 쓰인 SF 소설입니다. 이야기는 통신 감독관, 조종사, 주니어 추론가를 포함한 여러 가상 인물들의 경험을 정교하게 엮어내며, 이들이 새로 정착한 행성 에덴의 식민지 임무로부터 지연된 보고서와 관련된 중대한 상황과 씨름하는 모습을 그립니다. 서사는 과학적 탐구, 인간 본성, 그리고 고립된 환경에서 의사소통 실패의 파급효과라는 주제를 중심으로 전개됩니다.
소설의 도입부는 통신 운영자가 에덴의 예정된 보고서가 늦어졌다는 것을 깨닫고 감독관에게 알리며 접촉을 위한 일련의 필사적인 조치를 촉발시키면서 고조되는 긴장감의 무대를 설정합니다. 등장인물들이 식민지 개척자들의 책임감과 행성에서 온 신비로운 침묵에 대해 회의를 표하면서, E.H.Q.에는 감지할 수 있는 공포감이 커져갑니다. 더 나아가 서사는 냉소적인 감독관부터 결연한 조종사까지 다양한 등장인물들을 소개하며, 각자가 잠재적 재앙을 둘러싼 전개되는 드라마에 기여합니다. 이러한 도입부는 식민지 개척자들의 운명에 대한 포괄적인 미스터리를 확립하며, 이야기를 우주와 인간 행동 모두의 미지의 영역으로 이끌어갑니다.

Classics Read in English _ Eight Keys to Eden by Mark Clifton
Mark Clifton's "Eight Keys to Eden" is a science fiction novel from the early 1960s that intricately weaves together the experiences of multiple fictional characters, including a communications supervisor, pilot, and Junior Extrapolator, as they confront a critical situation involving a delayed report from a colonization mission on the newly established planet Eden. The narrative centers on themes of scientific exploration, human nature, and the consequences of communication breakdown in isolated environments.
The novel's opening establishes mounting tension as a communications operator discovers that Eden's scheduled report is overdue, alerting the supervisor and triggering desperate attempts to reestablish contact. As characters express doubt about the colonists' reliability and the mysterious silence from the planet, a palpable sense of dread permeates E.H.Q. The narrative further introduces a diverse cast—from cynical supervisors to determined pilots—each contributing to the unfolding drama surrounding the potential catastrophe.
This introduction establishes an overarching mystery about the colonists' fate, propelling the story into unexplored territories of both space and human psychology. The work explores how isolation and unknown circumstances can challenge both technological systems and human judgment in unprecedented ways.

목차

Contents
CHAPTER I. One minute after the regular report
CHAPTER II. The first reaction of the sector chief
CHAPTER III. In the early dawn
CHAPTER IV. Calvin Gray, Junior Extrapolator, stood
CHAPTER V. On ordinary days there were only the usual few
CHAPTER VI. The west wall of the E club room
CHAPTER VII. Anyone who has witnessed even so much
CHAPTER VIII. After lunch at E.H.Q., the colonizing administrator
CHAPTER IX. He snapped on the communicator
CHAPTER X. Louie was right
CHAPTER XI. The naked man, running frantically down
CHAPTER XII. A second shock, powerfully magnified
CHAPTER XIII. It was one day around noon
CHAPTER XIV. At E.H.Q. on Earth communication had been working
CHAPTER XV. The observer ship, with an assistant attorney
CHAPTER XVI. After everything disappeared,
CHAPTER XVII. Jed looked quickly at Cal
CHAPTER XVIII. All the rest of that day
CHAPTER XIX. "This time," the communications supervisor said
CHAPTER XX. There was no frustration
CHAPTER XXI. Cal didn't know
CHAPTER XXII. When he had pulled the scaled skin of the fish
CHAPTER XXIII. For another week, perhaps ten days
CHAPTER XXIV. Throw a key at the feet of a turkey
CHAPTER XXV. Across the universe, two billion years ago
CHAPTER XXVI. As one awakened from a deep sleep
CHAPTER XXVII. The communications operator looked up
CHAPTER XXVIII. Had the pilot been able
CHAPTER XXIX. Cal stood within the crystal amphitheater

책 속으로

One minute after the regular report call from the planet Eden was overdue, the communications operator summoned his supervisor. His finger hesitated over the key reluctantly, then he gritted his teeth and pressed it down. The supervisor came boiling out of his cubicle, half-running down the long aisle between the forty operators hunched over their panels.
"What is it? What is it?" he quarreled, even before he came to a stop.
"Eden's due. Overdue." The operator tried to make it laconic, but it came out sullen.
The supervisor rubbed his forehead with his knuckles and punched irritably at some buttons on an astrocalculator. An up-to-the-second star map lit up the big screen at the end of the room. He didn't expect there to be any occlusions to interfere with the communications channel. The astrophysicists didn't set up reporting schedules to include such blunders. But he had to check.
There weren't.

출판사 서평

서평(Book Review)
마크 클리프턴의 "Eight Keys to Eden"은 1960년대 초 SF의 전형적인 특징들을 잘 보여주는 작품입니다. 행성 식민지와의 연락 두절이라는 긴장감 넘치는 설정으로 시작하여, 미지의 상황에 직면한 인간의 심리와 의사소통의 중요성을 탐구합니다. 클리프턴은 다양한 직책과 성격의 등장인물들을 통해 위기 상황에서 드러나는 인간성의 여러 면모를 효과적으로 그려냅니다. 과학적 탐구 정신과 인간 본성의 한계를 균형 있게 다루면서, 우주 개척 시대의 불확실성과 고립감을 생생하게 전달합니다. 현대적 관점에서는 다소 예측 가능한 전개를 보이지만, 당시로서는 우주 식민지화의 현실적 문제들을 진지하게 고민한 의미 있는 작품입니다.

Mark Clifton's "Eight Keys to Eden" exemplifies the characteristic elements of early 1960s science fiction. Beginning with the tension-filled premise of lost contact with a planetary colony, it explores human psychology under unknown circumstances and the critical importance of communication. Clifton effectively portrays various aspects of humanity revealed in crisis situations through characters of diverse roles and personalities. The work balances scientific inquiry with the limitations of human nature, vividly conveying the uncertainty and isolation of the space colonization era. While the development may seem somewhat predictable from a contemporary perspective, it remains a meaningful work that seriously contemplated the practical challenges of space colonization for its time.

작가정보

저자(글) 마크 클리프턴(Mark Clifton)

마크 클리프턴(Mark Clifton, 1906-1963)은 미국의 SF 작가로, 1950년대 황금기 과학소설의 주요 인물 중 하나입니다. 그는 휴고상을 수상한 중편소설 "They'd Rather Be Right"(1954)로 가장 잘 알려져 있으며, 이 작품은 프랭크 라일리와 공동 집필했습니다. 클리프턴은 심리학과 사이버네틱스에 깊은 관심을 가지고 있었으며, 이러한 주제들을 그의 작품에 자주 반영했습니다. 상업적 성공보다는 아이디어와 개념을 중시하는 작가였으며, 비교적 짧은 활동 기간에도 불구하고 SF 장르에 의미 있는 기여를 남겼습니다.

Mark Clifton (1906-1963) was an American science fiction writer who became one of the key figures of the 1950s Golden Age of science fiction. He is best known for the Hugo Award-winning novella "They'd Rather Be Right" (1954), co-written with Frank Riley. Clifton had a deep interest in psychology and cybernetics, themes that frequently appeared in his works. He was a writer who prioritized ideas and concepts over commercial success, and despite his relatively brief career, he made significant contributions to the science fiction genre.