Planet of the Angry Giants by Robert Silverberg Episode #80

Robert Silverberg | July 23, 2023

Planet of the Angry Giants by Robert Silverberg Episode #80
Robert Silverberg

PLANET OF THE ANGRY GIANTS

Episode #80 · Written by Robert Silverberg · Narrated by Scott Miller

The Terran colony on Dunhill V exists by permission rather than force. Its human population is small, temporary, and vastly outmatched by the planet’s native inhabitants—giant humanoids whose physical presence alone makes violence unthinkable. For months, coexistence has held, supported by patience, careful diplomacy, and a shared silence that passes for peace.

That silence is broken not by the giants, but by humans who arrive believing distance excuses exploitation. What follows is a chain of decisions made quickly, quietly, and without consent. As the consequences surface, Commander Laurence Burke finds himself responsible for holding back a reckoning he may no longer be able to stop.

Planet of the Angry Giants builds tension without spectacle. The threat is not a weapon, but time. Drums carry messages across the hills. Empty spaces speak louder than accusations. The question is no longer whether the giants are dangerous, but whether anyone can convince them they were not betrayed.

There is no clean solution here. Every response risks making things worse. Burke must decide what duty actually means when law protects the wrong people and honor offers no escape.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Robert Silverberg began publishing professionally in the 1950s and quickly became one of the most prolific contributors to American science fiction magazines. His work appeared frequently in titles such as Super-Science Fiction, Fantastic Universe, Imagination, and Galaxy, often featuring authority figures forced into moral crises rather than heroic victories.

This story comes from Silverberg’s early period, when he was producing short fiction at a remarkable pace and refining a style built on ethical pressure and human consequence. Planet of the Angry Giants exemplifies that approach: a tightly structured narrative where restraint, responsibility, and one final decision carry more weight than any technology.

LISTEN TO THE STORY

Listen to Planet of the Angry Giants by Robert Silverberg — a vintage science fiction short story where a fragile peace faces a dawn that may come too late.

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 3.4 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:

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— Otch75

Vintage science fiction. Professionally narrated. Carefully curated.