My favorite author of all time, for some reason heavily censored but popular in Soviet Union but practically unknown in the USA.
Robert Sheckley has been my companion since my childhood in the Soviet Union. I first discovered his short stories in our small-town library, reading the censored Soviet translations. Only years later, rereading them in English, did I realize how much had been cut or reshaped — not only Sheckley, but Heinlein, and so many others. To this day, I still don’t understand what the censors feared so much in science fiction.
Yet Sheckley endures. I reread his short stories constantly, and every time, I find new layers — a hidden detail, a subtle irony, or a philosophical question I hadn’t noticed before. They are sharp, humorous, deeply philosophical, and endlessly inspiring. My “favorite” story changes almost every month. Right now, two stand out: Ask a Foolish Question and Specialist.
🚨 Spoiler Alert!
If you haven’t read these stories, stop here. Please, please read them first. Experiencing the unexpected turn is part of their magic.
Ask a Foolish Question
In this story, Sheckley explores what it means to truly ask a question. A supercomputer, capable of answering anything, is useless if we don’t know how to ask properly. Without understanding the basics — the concepts, the foundations — we aren’t capable of framing the right question, let alone comprehending the answer.
Douglas Adams may be famous for “the answer is 42” in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, but Sheckley explored this idea long before. The brilliance here is that the story isn’t even told from a human perspective, but through alien scientists with their own logic and worldview. It leaves you wondering: if we lose the ability to think clearly, even the most advanced machine — even AI — won’t save us.
Specialist
This story imagines a living spaceship composed of specialized creatures: one is the eye, another the engine, another the brain. They live and work together in joyful collaboration. But when one vital component is destroyed in an asteroid storm, the whole ship is crippled.
The crew then encounters Earth and makes a discovery: humans are the missing part. We are the “Pushers.” By thought and vision, we can propel not only ourselves but others into realms beyond imagination. Our unique role is not just to survive, but to push — to expand, to imagine, to collaborate.
For me, Specialist is one of the most inspirational short stories ever written. Beneath its simple surface lies a profound truth: our greatest power is vision, and the ability to bring others with us.
Why I keep coming back
Sheckley’s genius lies in this duality: his stories are playful, witty, sometimes absurd — but always layered with meaning. They remind me that every question has depth, that collaboration is our strength, and that imagination itself is the engine of progress.
That’s why I will always return to his work, finding new facets each time. Robert Sheckley doesn’t just tell stories. He teaches us how to see.
