The real story

he Cold Equations, a classic short story by Tom Godwin, shocked readers when it first appeared in 1954 and has caused controversy ever since. Godwin set up an impossible situation and gave readers no comfortable way to solve it.

In the story, a space pilot is delivering medical supplies to a colony, when he discovers a stowaway. Unfortunately, every pound on the space ship will cause the ship to burn more fuel and the stowaway's weight -- if she were left on the ship -- would cause the ship to crash. With no ship available to come to the rescue, no excess weight to toss off and lives at stake, it becomes painfully clear that only one thing can happen. Mathematically, there is no way she can stay on the ship.

ack to On Screen.