Neutron Tide
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| "Neutron Tide" | |
| Author | Arthur C. Clarke |
|---|---|
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Science fiction |
| Published in | Galaxy Science Fiction |
| Publication date | May, 1970 |
"Neutron Tide" is a short story written by Arthur C. Clarke. It is among his shortest pieces of writing, consisting solely of a 2-page, detailed description of a futuristic scenario in order to use a pun as a punch-line.
[edit] Plot summary
Clarke describes a space battleship flying too close to the gravitational field of a neutron star, and subsequently being torn to bits by the high tidal forces. A military commander revealing this in a meeting says the only identifiable piece of debris was from an engineer's toolkit, resulting in the pun, "star-mangled spanner": a play on the title of the United States' national anthem.
