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Four-Day Planet · Chapters

Chapters explained

Chapter companions for Four-Day Planet by H. Beam Piper.

Each chapter has a companion in the reader — open a free preview to see notes beside the text.

  1. Chapter 1

    Dedication

    The author dedicates the book to Betty and Vall with loving remembrance.

  2. Chapter 2

    Four-Day Planet

    The chapter introduces the harsh reality of life on Fenris, a planet with a four-day rotation cycle, and follows the protagonist as he navigates the oppressive economic system controlled by the Murell family. The narrative explores themes of survival, exploitation, and the struggle for truth in a colonial setting.

  3. Chapter 3

    The Ship from Terra

    Walter Boyd, the young reporter for the Port Sandor Times, goes to the spaceport to meet the arriving ship Peenemünde. He encounters various townspeople, including entertainment promoter Adolf Lautier, Professor Hartzenbosch, and his friend Tom Kivelson. The chapter establishes the oppressive political control of Steve Ravick and Mayor Morton Hallstock over the planet Fenris, as well as the mystery surrounding the visiting author Glenn Murell. Walter reflects on the harsh conditions of life on Fenris, the lack of education, and the ongoing struggle for survival.

  4. Chapter 4

    Reporter Working

    The narrator, a reporter for the Port Sandor Times, covers the arrival of the Peenemünde and interviews Glenn Murell while observing the corrupt dealings of Steve Ravick, Morton Hallstock, and Leo Belsher. He uncovers a conspiracy to defraud hunters by manipulating tallow-wax prices and notes suspicious behavior from Bish Ware and a man using the code phrase 'You have been in Afghanistan, I perceive.' The chapter ends with the reporter confronting Hallstock and Belsher for a story.

  5. Chapter 5

    Bottom Level

    The narrator, Walt Boyd, guides Glenn Murell through the Bottom Level of Port Sandor, explaining the city's construction, economy based on tallow-wax, and local life-forms. A tread-snail attacks Murell, but Bish Ware shoots it just in time, preventing a fatal sting. The chapter highlights the dangers of Fenris and the economic realities of the colony.

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  1. Chapter 6Main City Level
  2. Chapter 7Meeting Out of Order
  3. Chapter 8Elementary, My Dear Kivelson
  4. Chapter 9Aboard the Javelin
  5. Chapter 10Practice, 50 mm Gun
  6. Chapter 11Monster Killing
  7. Chapter 12Mayday, Mayday
  8. Chapter 13Darkness and Cold
  9. Chapter 14Castaways Working
  10. Chapter 15The Beacon Light
  11. Chapter 16The Rescue
  12. Chapter 17Vigilantes
  13. Chapter 18Civil War Postponed
  14. Chapter 19Tallow-Wax Fire
  15. Chapter 20The Treason of Bish Ware
  16. Chapter 21Masks Off
  17. Chapter 22Finale
  18. Chapter 23Endnotes