# Captain Somers — Short Fiction character guide

> Captain Somers in Short Fiction by Robert Sheckley.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Somers

**First appearance:** 0000-final-examination

## Snapshot

A figure whose earlier yarn about Saturnian brains paralyzing Earth-confederation ships lingers in a student's memory during a lecture on writing believable science fiction.

## Who they are

Somers never appears in the classroom himself, but his past exploits surface as the kind of vivid, half-legendary material that Eddie McDermott finds far more compelling than Carner's rules about avoiding cliches. The remembered tale of Saturnian brains immobilizing Confederation ships represents the pulpy, imaginative tradition that Carner's serious craft lessons are trying to discipline. Somers thus haunts the story as a ghost of the fiction Eddie actually wants to write.

## Relationships

### [Stephen Rajcik](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_48_se/characters/stephen_rajcik)

_professional_

Captain Somers commands Stephen Rajcik as his subordinate on a dangerous mission.

### [Mr. Watkins](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_48_se/characters/mr_watkins)

_professional_

Captain Somers and Mr. Watkins are shipmates, with Watkins often questioning Somers' orders.

### [Stephen Rajcik](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_48_se/characters/stephen_rajcik)

_professional_

Captain Somers commands Stephen Rajcik as his subordinate on a dangerous mission.

### [Mr. Watkins](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_48_se/characters/mr_watkins)

_professional_

Captain Somers and Mr. Watkins are shipmates, with Watkins often questioning Somers' orders.

### [Stephen Rajcik](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_48_se/characters/stephen_rajcik)

_professional_

Captain Somers commands Stephen Rajcik as his subordinate on a dangerous mission.

### [Mr. Watkins](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_48_se/characters/mr_watkins)

_professional_

Captain Somers and Mr. Watkins are shipmates, with Watkins often questioning Somers' orders.

## In the story

### [Death Wish](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_48_se/chapters/death-wish)

The meticulous captain of the Queen Dierdre, struggling with the weight of responsibility and the psychological strain of the emergency.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_48_se/characters/captain_somers
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_48_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_48_se/characters