The Holes by Michael Shaara Episode #456

Michael Shaara | November 21, 2025

The Holes by Michael Shaara Episode #456
Michael Shaara

THE HOLES

Episode #456 · Written by Michael Shaara · Narrated by Scott Miller

A routine survey of an unremarkable planet spirals into dread as two explorers discover a network of perfectly round holes that seem to defy nature, physics, and common sense. What begins as scientific curiosity soon becomes a race to understand what’s growing beneath the sand—and why the holes are widening.

On a nameless, windswept planet of white sand and long shadows, Mapping Command scouts Frank Royal and McCabe expect nothing more than a dull survey. Instead, they find a perfectly circular hole—too smooth, too clean, and far too deep to be natural. When rocks make no sound on impact and radar beams vanish without returning, curiosity shifts to unease. Something dug this shaft. Something keeps it clean. And whatever it is, it’s still active.

Driven by instinct and hard-won experience, Royal pushes them to investigate farther. What they find defies logic: multiple holes scattered across plains and ice, each one deeper and wider than the last, as though the planet is slowly being eaten from within. The tension builds gradually—through unexplained measurements, growing diameters, collapsing rims—until the planet itself seems ready to swallow them. And just when they believe they’ve escaped, the quiet horror follows them home.

Shaara plays expertly with scale, dread, and the unsettling notion that not all threats are predators—some are processes. The final realization, delivered in one small physical detail, transforms the mystery into a nightmare neither man can outrun.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Michael Shaara (1928–1988) is best remembered for his Pulitzer-winning Civil War novel The Killer Angels, but long before that acclaim he was a vibrant presence in mid-century science fiction magazines. His sci-fi tales often combined adventure with an undercurrent of philosophical tension: what happens to people when the unknown pushes back? Shaara excelled at creating characters who reveal themselves through pressure—brave, flawed, stubborn, and human.

His early stories display a remarkable command of pacing and mood. Whether writing about space exploration, alien ecosystems, or strange psychological threats, Shaara brought a grounded sense of reality to even the wildest speculation. He understood that believable characters make impossible events feel immediate. The Holes reflects the young author honing that skill—showing how fear grows not from spectacle, but from understanding just enough to realize the danger.

Later in life, Shaara would become a towering figure in historical fiction, yet his science-fiction years remain a testament to his imagination and versatility. For fans of classic speculative storytelling, The Holes is a rare treat: precise, atmospheric, and unforgettable.

LISTEN TO THE STORY

Listen to The Holes by Michael Shaara — a gripping tale of bottomless shafts on an alien world—perfect for fans of vintage sci-fi and classic science fiction suspense.