A Little Knowledge

About this book

On the distant world of Trillia, the gentle, fluffy-furred natives are polite to a fault, devoted to poetry, tea and cakes, and have never fought a war. They are also eager to master the technology of the stars, and the merchants of the Polesotechnic League are keeping a careful eye on them. Bryce Harker is one of those merchants, or so he claimed on arrival. Now he stands in the home of Witweet, a tiny and endearing Trillian pilot, with a blaster in his hand and a desperate plan. He and his partners have not come to trade. They have come to take a spaceship, and they will kill if they must. Poul Anderson, a grand master of science fiction, sets a classic confrontation between ruthless human ambition and an alien culture that seems far too sweet to resist. Behind the courtly manners and the charming arts of Trillia lies a puzzle that the visitors may have underestimated. Who is really at risk when a little knowledge meets a great deal of nerve? This short story combines hard-science worldbuilding, wry humour and a sharp twist in the best tradition of the Polesotechnic League tales. Start reading online instantly in your browser and enjoy it today.

Author

Poul Anderson

Length

~29 pages

Reading time

35 min

Chapters

2

Released

November 11, 2026

Languages

🇬🇧 EN · 🇵🇱 PL · 🇩🇪 DE · 🇫🇷 FR · 🇪🇸 ES · 🇮🇹 IT · 🇧🇷 PT-BR · 🇲🇽 ES-MX · 🇵🇹 PT · 🇺🇦 UK · 🇨🇿 CS · 🇸🇰 SK · 🇬🇷 EL · 🇭🇺 HU · 🇹🇷 TR · 🇳🇱 NL · 🇷🇴 RO · 🇧🇬 BG · 🇭🇷 HR · 🇷🇸 SR · 🇸🇮 SL · 🇱🇹 LT · 🇱🇻 LV · 🇪🇪 ET · 🇸🇪 SV · 🇩🇰 DA · 🇳🇴 NB · 🇫🇮 FI · 🇯🇵 JA · 🇰🇷 KO · 🇨🇳 ZH · 🇹🇼 ZH-TW · 🇮🇩 ID · 🇻🇳 VI · 🇹🇭 TH · 🇮🇳 HI · 🇸🇦 AR · 🇮🇱 HE

Formats

eBook

Print format

Paperback, 13.5 × 21 cm, 32 pages

Age rating

All Ages