‘Rogue Moon’ Examines The Stress Of Being Human

Rogue Moon (1960) by Algis Budrys is a deeply human story that revolves around a perplexing mystery. Using his own experiences for inspiration Budrys tells story of deeply damaged people. Rogue Moon, while not intentionally didactic, has much to teach about what it takes to be human and what we can endure.

An ancient artefact has been discovered on the moon. A hyper-dimensional structure that has a strange property. It kills anyone who enters it who strays from a ‘path’ of discovery.

Dr. Edward Hawks has developed a way to transmit a copy of an astronaut instantly to the moon. The problem is finding a man who can withstand the process over and over again until a safe path through the artefact is found. Only once they work out this path then the true work on the artefact begin.

Al Barker is that man. A reckless adventurer, Barker courts death at every turn. Barker’s thirst for death seems unquenchable. Edward Hawks will satisfy that thirst over and over again. Hawks will kill Barker as many times as it takes to get what he wants.

Rogue Moon has something that almost all readers will relate to. People who are far from perfect trying to discover themselves and their place in the world. What Budrys does with Rogue Moon is use SF to create difficult situations outside the norm. This allows him to expose the inner humanity of his characters and perhaps ourselves.

Rogue Moon takes place at an undisclosed time but it is clear the the Soviets are ahead of the U. S. in rocket technology. Budrys counteracts this by creating technology that far exceeds chemical rocketry. However, this technology has deeply philosophical and psychological implications.

The central techology allows people to be duplicated and physically transmitted great distances. This is a precursor to the transporter technology Star Trek uses. Unlike Star Trek, though, Budrys asserts that the person undergoing duplication dies each time. This raises questions about whether the duplicate is the same person or not.

As interesting as the technology and its implications are it’s the secondary part of the story. Rogue Moon is a story about people. And the characters Budrys creates are at once intriguing and discomforting.

Algis Budrys (1931-2008)

All of Budrys’ characters are all unquestionalbly damaged. Much of the story is about the exploration of these characters and their pasts. In each case those pasts contain trauma of one sort or another. Despite this, the characters all desperately want to overcome those traumas. They seek a sort of redemption, whether personal or professional, in order to justify their existence.

The plot surrounding the lunar artefact isn’t about what it is. Rather it’s about what is that makes a person human and what it takes to see ourselves that way. Budrys understands that most people doubt themselves. The question is what does it take to see ourselves in a positive light? However, Budrys offers a conclusion that may not be what readers are expecting.

Rogue Moon is a story of dark emotions and difficult pasts. Budrys explores that darkness with conviction. Whether readers can face that darkness with the same conviction is up to them. Rogue Moon has some terrific SF moments but the deeper story lingers long on the heart and the mind.

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