Misbegotten Missionary by Isaac Asimov, also known as Green Patches Episode #352

Isaac Asimov | March 28, 2025

Misbegotten Missionary by Isaac Asimov, also known as Green Patches Episode #352
Isaac Asimov

MISBEGOTTEN MISSIONARY

Episode #352 · Written by Isaac Asimov · Narrated by Scott Miller

A strange visitor sneaks aboard a starship—one fragment of a vast, unified life form determined to share its version of peace with humanity. But its benevolent mission could erase everything that makes humans who they are.

A single stowaway hides aboard a starship leaving Saybrook’s Planet—a small fragment of a vast living organism that covers an entire world. On its planet, all life is one, joined in perfect harmony, free of violence, competition, and suffering. To the creature, the lonely, divided beings called “humans” are pitiable fragments, cut off from completeness. Its mission is simple and merciful: unite them. What it cannot grasp is that humanity values the very independence that the unified life form seeks to erase.

Asimov’s “Misbegotten Missionary” (also known as “Green Patches”) builds quiet tension from the moment the alien slips through the ship’s barrier until the final, haunting revelation. It’s a story of idealism turned dangerous—a philosophical puzzle wrapped in classic mid-century science fiction. With the precision of a scientist and the imagination of a storyteller, Asimov explores how compassion can become conquest, and how survival sometimes depends on remaining imperfectly human.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Isaac Asimov, born in 1920 near Smolensk, Russia, immigrated to the United States as a child and became one of the most influential voices in speculative fiction. A professor of biochemistry at Boston University, he produced more than 500 books ranging from hard science to humor, from mysteries to Shakespearean commentary. His Foundation and Robot series redefined how readers thought about technology, society, and ethics. Asimov’s gift lay in his ability to turn abstract ideas into compelling stories that still resonate today—a reminder that even in the far future, our deepest struggles remain human.

LISTEN TO THE STORY

Listen to Misbegotten Missionary by Isaac Asimov — a classic sci-fi tale of alien unity versus human individuality. Vintage science fiction at its most thought-provoking.

ISAAC ASIMOV SHORT STORIES

Isaac Asimov did not just contribute to vintage science fiction — he helped build its foundation.

Trained as a biochemist and gifted with a teacher’s clarity, Asimov wrote with clean lines and steady confidence. His prose rarely shouts, yet his ideas carry enormous weight. He trusted logic. He trusted curiosity. And he trusted readers to follow him into laboratories, lunar colonies, crowded cities, distant stars, and the quiet corners of the human mind.

Where some writers chase spectacle, Asimov often begins with a question. What happens when machines think too well? What happens when children grow up with technology their parents barely understand? What happens when one small scientific breakthrough nudges society sideways? He sets the pieces in motion carefully, then watches the consequences unfold with almost mathematical precision.

Yet there is more than cool intellect at work. Beneath the rational surface you’ll find humor, irony, and a quiet affection for human stubbornness. His scientists argue. His bureaucrats bluster. His explorers misjudge what they discover. His aliens rarely behave the way Earth expects. Even at his most playful, there is a steady belief that knowledge matters and that understanding the universe is worth the effort.

Asimov was astonishingly prolific, publishing hundreds of short stories and dozens of novels across science fiction and beyond. In the magazine era that shaped so much classic sci-fi, his name appeared again and again, signaling a story built on a strong central idea and delivered with clarity. He had the rare ability to make complex concepts feel accessible without stripping away their depth.

The stories below show just how wide his range could be. Some lean into robots and hidden identities. Some explore space travel and planetary frontiers. Some turn on a single clever twist that snaps into place in the final paragraphs. Others unfold more gently, revealing how technology reshapes ordinary lives. Each carries that unmistakable Asimov touch — logical, engaging, and quietly confident.

If you want to understand why Isaac Asimov remains one of the central pillars of classic science fiction, these episodes are a perfect place to begin.

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 3.8 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:

★★★★★ “By far the most bang for buck short stories podcast. I’ve listened to a ton of short story podcasts over the years, I can safely say, this is a keeper. I come every week to listen to the latest gem posted on this podcast. The narrator makes it extra special with his performance taking the listener to the universe of the story.”
— Mo _ San

★★★★★ “Lucky Find. I felt lucky to find this. I think I have listened to most science fiction podcast. This is the best. I listen while running and the miles melt away.”
— the last time i listened

Vintage science fiction. Professionally narrated. Carefully curated.