Bleekman’s Planet by Randall Garrett and Robert Silverberg Episode #409

Robert Silverberg | August 29, 2025

Bleekman’s Planet by Randall Garrett and Robert Silverberg Episode #409
Robert Silverberg

BLEEKMAN’S PLANET

Episode #409 · Written by Randall Garrett and Robert Silverberg · Narrated by Scott Miller

A retired Interstellar Policeman arrives on Bleekman’s Planet looking for peace, only to discover a corrupt regime waiting to claim him as property. With one arm, a sharp mind, and a lifetime of training, he becomes the last person the Governor should have tried to cross.

Mac Thornwald, a decorated Interstellar Policeman forced into retirement after losing his left arm, believes he has finally found peace on a small, out-of-the-way world called Bleekman’s Planet. But he barely steps off the shuttle before discovering that the planet is ruled by brutality, corruption, and a governor whose authority rests on fear rather than law. Within minutes, Thornwald is stripped of his belongings, beaten, and thrown into a cell on trumped-up charges.

His escape is only the beginning. As Thornwald limps through the dark streets and hostile corridors of Velliston, he uncovers the truth: the governor controls the entire world through his monopoly on thylomine, a miracle drug harvested from the local narkos trees. Anyone who resists him disappears. Anyone who obeys him becomes part of his private empire. Thornwald’s only advantages are his training, his iron will, and the prosthetic arm locked away in his confiscated trunk. Getting it back sets the stage for a confrontation that neither Thornwald nor Bleekman’s Planet will ever forget.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Randall Garrett was one of science fiction’s most inventive storytellers, known for clever plots, sharp humor, and stories that mixed adventure with political intrigue. His sense of pacing and talent for crafting ingenious protagonists made him a staple of the magazines throughout the 1950s and 60s. Robert Silverberg, early in his career at the time of this story, would go on to become a towering figure in the field—winning Hugos, Nebulas, and the respect of generations of readers with his dazzling imagination and remarkable range.

When Garrett and Silverberg teamed up, the result was fast-moving, tightly engineered storytelling with an unmistakable snap. Stories like Bleekman’s Planet highlight their gift for turning a seemingly simple setup into an escalating crisis rich with tension, character, and inventiveness. Thornwald’s struggle on a lawless frontier world showcases both authors at their early best—energetic, confident, and brimming with classic science fiction spirit.