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.
Chapter 1
Dedication
The author dedicates the book to Betty and Vall with loving remembrance.
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.
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.
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.
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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18 more companions → free preview- Chapter 6Main City Level
- Chapter 7Meeting Out of Order
- Chapter 8Elementary, My Dear Kivelson
- Chapter 9Aboard the Javelin
- Chapter 10Practice, 50 mm Gun
- Chapter 11Monster Killing
- Chapter 12Mayday, Mayday
- Chapter 13Darkness and Cold
- Chapter 14Castaways Working
- Chapter 15The Beacon Light
- Chapter 16The Rescue
- Chapter 17Vigilantes
- Chapter 18Civil War Postponed
- Chapter 19Tallow-Wax Fire
- Chapter 20The Treason of Bish Ware
- Chapter 21Masks Off
- Chapter 22Finale
- Chapter 23Endnotes