The Moon Is Hell! by John W. Campbell
"The Moon Is Hell!" is a science fiction narrative that chronicles the struggles and survival of the Garner Lunar Expedition, which becomes stranded on the Moon's dark side in the latter part of the twentieth century. The story begins with a planned two-year exploration by a fifteen-man crew, led by Dr. Thomas Duncan, but quickly shifts focus to their desperate fight for survival after a rescue ship crashes. As supplies of food, oxygen, and water dwindle, the crew embarks on a challenging journey to create a sustainable habitat from the harsh environment, utilizing local resources like gypsum for water and oxygen.
Central to the narrative is the construction of an underground living space, nicknamed the "Castle," which evolves into a fully functional base complete with various amenities. The expedition faces significant obstacles, particularly in synthesizing food, leading to a dire situation as they grapple with starvation. Tensions escalate among the crew, culminating in a dramatic revelation of a thief among them, ultimately resulting in tragic consequences. Despite the hardships and loss of life, the surviving crew members are hailed as heroes, and their mission stands as a testament to human resilience and ingenuity in the face of space exploration challenges. The expedition's legacy is framed as critical for humanity's future endeavors beyond Earth, such as potential missions to Mars and Venus.
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The Moon Is Hell!
First published: 1951
Type of work: Novel
Type of plot: Science fiction—cosmic voyage
Time of work: 1979-1982
Locale: A subterranean base on the Moon
The Plot
The Moon Is Hell! recounts the experiences of the Garner Lunar Expedition, which survives on the dark side of the moon for three years during the last quarter of the twentieth century. After a prologue covering the planned two-year exploratory mission of the fifteen-man crew, Dr. Thomas Duncan’s diary takes over, detailing the crew’s survival following the crash of a rescue ship. With food, oxygen, and water supplies diminishing rapidly, the story unfolds as a documentary account of how the crew of scientists and engineers is almost able to create a completely habitable domain out of the “frozen hell” of the Moon’s surface.
Although, like a modern Christopher Columbus, Duncan reports the wonders of this new world, the real wonders turn out to be technological. The plot structure centers on Duncan’s piecemeal reports of progress on various survival projects. The first major problems the crew overcomes are a lack of water and oxygen, which they obtain from a large gypsum deposit nearby. Water is gathered by “roasting the rock,” and electrolysis provides oxygen from the water supplies.
Convenient surface deposits of silver, quartz, diamonds, tungsten, and lead provide other basics, including the raw materials for making batteries, explosives, engines, generators, cement, holding tanks for water and oxygen, and a small rocket for exploring. The rocket enables the crew to travel more easily to the Earth side of the Moon, where radio contact keeps them apprised of rescue efforts on Earth.
The major project eventually becomes the gypsum mine, the deserted tunnels of which are cemented over and converted into comfortable living and working quarters and dubbed the “Castle.” The Castle eventually boasts free-flowing oxygen, balanced temperatures, a swimming pool/water-holding tank, a library, and laboratories, all decorated with painted murals of “lunascapes.” The Castle becomes the lasting heritage of the mission, to be used later as the base from which expeditions to Mars and Venus would be staged.
The most difficult dilemma turns out to be synthesizing food. Although the crew’s chemist eventually creates synthetic proteins and fats that seem to solve the problem, he soon learns that an unknown but vital ingredient in organic foods is missing. The crew members find themselves slowly starving to death while they wait for the second rescue ship.
Throughout the period before the synthetic food is developed, Duncan reports that a thief is ransacking the expedition’s diminishing supplies. Near the end, the thief is revealed. In a surprising plot development, he is executed for trying to starve the crew in order to claim the Moon’s riches. Still fighting starvation, they delay the impending disaster by adding the organic starches from clothes and books to the synthetic food, keeping them alive a bit longer.
Despite their best efforts, by the time the rescue ship arrives, many of the men have died. Those who survive are heroes, and the expedition becomes a monument to the spirit of humanity. The expedition promises to be of vital importance to Earth’s future in space.