PEACEMAKER

Episode #483 · Written by Alan E. Nourse · Narrated by Scott Miller

Peacemaker is a taut, high-stakes science fiction thriller that places one life between two civilizations on the brink of disaster. Trapped far from home, the story unfolds through mounting psychological pressure as fear, suspicion, and misunderstanding threaten to turn a delicate mission into a massacre.

Rather than relying on spectacle, the tension comes from endurance and perception. Pain, exhaustion, and isolation become weapons, and every decision carries irreversible consequences. The story asks whether peace can survive when curiosity collapses into terror, and whether intelligence alone is enough to bridge an unspoken divide.

At its core, Peacemaker examines first contact as a moral trial. It challenges the idea that good intentions are enough, and exposes how easily diplomacy can fail when power, survival instincts, and fear dominate the encounter.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Alan E. Nourse was a prolific Golden Age science fiction writer whose background in medicine shaped his approach to speculative storytelling. His work often focused on biological limits, psychological stress, and the cost of survival under extreme conditions.

In Peacemaker, Nourse blends clinical precision with relentless suspense, crafting a story that feels immediate and personal while grappling with galaxy-scale consequences. It remains a powerful example of classic science fiction that prioritizes ideas, tension, and moral complexity.

LISTEN TO THE STORY

Listen to Peacemaker by Alan E. Nourse — a classic science fiction story where diplomacy and survival collide.

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• Peacemaker by Alan E. Nourse

ABOUT THE LOST SCI-FI PODCAST

The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast is the most listened-to vintage science fiction podcast in the world. Ranked the #1 Science Fiction Podcast in 34 countries and heard in more than 190 countries, the show has surpassed 3.3 million listens.

Each episode features carefully selected stories from the Golden Age of science fiction, professionally narrated. Timeless storytelling the way it was meant to be heard.

What listeners are saying:

★★★★★ “Scott Miller’s narration of old science fiction short stories is just wonderful. Of course, so is the material! Everyone from Ray Bradbury to HG Wells to Lovecraft to Asimov to Jack London and on and on... But there are also the one-timer sci-fi short-story writers that are relatively unknown and Miller provides a little background on them all. Extremely well done. Bravo, Scott Miller!”
— Laura Van Wormer

★★★★★ “Wonderful Readings of Good Stories. Scott Miller has an amazing talent to read stories in a way that makes them easy to visualize.”
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Vintage science fiction. Professionally narrated. Carefully curated.

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