Project Gutenberg 2010-06-07 Public domain in the USA. 52 Hoskins, Robert 1933 1993 Hoskins, Phillip Hoskins, Robert Phillip Hoskins, Robert P. Orban, Paul 1896 1974 Feet of Clay Produced by Greg Weeks, Graeme Mackreth and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net "Feet of Clay" by Phillip Hoskins is a science fiction novella written in the mid-20th century. The story explores themes of cultural misunderstanding and the consequences of crossing alien boundaries, focusing on a human medic who attempts to help a foreign civilization in dire need. The narrative examines how the protagonist’s well-intentioned actions inadvertently complicate the relationship between his own species and the local aliens, illustrating the challenges of interstellar diplomacy and ethical medical practices. The plot revolves around Dillon, an employee of Extrasol Traders, stationed on the alien planet of Kash. As a series of medical emergencies arise due to the absence of the local priest, Dillon steps in to use his Earthly knowledge and supplies, leading the natives to view him as a god-like figure. Initially successful, he quickly finds himself in a precarious position when a local's death undermines his standing as a miracle worker. The situation escalates into a conflict between Dillon's actions and the authority of the priesthood, culminating in a dramatic confrontation over cultural beliefs and the consequences of his meddling in their society. Ultimately, the story offers a poignant reflection on the complexities of faith, power dynamics, and the ethical dilemmas faced when one tries to provide help in a context they do not fully understand. (This is an automatically generated summary.) en Science fiction Short stories Extraterrestrial beings -- Fiction Human-alien encounters -- Fiction PS Text Browsing: Literature Browsing: Science-Fiction & Fantasy Browsing: Fiction 57675 57684 2024-09-14T04:21:48.688035 2023-09-14T09:17:38.174933 text/html text/html 54068 2021-01-06T17:37:38 text/html; charset=iso-8859-1 91454 2021-01-06T17:37:38 text/html; charset=iso-8859-1 application/zip 139099 2024-09-14T04:21:51.761941 application/epub+zip 138132 2024-09-14T04:21:49.821921 application/epub+zip 61824 2024-09-14T04:21:49.097912 application/epub+zip 184853 2024-09-14T04:21:53.282967 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 179428 2024-09-14T04:21:51.323905 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 103796 2022-09-15T06:01:29.586458 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 50788 50688 2024-09-14T04:21:48.449935 2023-09-14T09:17:37.952932 text/plain; charset=us-ascii text/plain 50635 2021-01-06T17:37:38 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 19649 2021-01-06T17:37:38 text/plain; charset=us-ascii application/zip 19376 2024-09-14T04:21:53.415903 application/rdf+xml 9225 2024-09-14T04:21:49.447968 image/jpeg 2517 2024-09-14T04:21:49.270941 image/jpeg 132549 2024-09-14T04:21:48.700972 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog