The Colonists

Raymond F. Jones's The Colonists is a hard-edged science-fiction tale of survival, leadership, and the brutal psychology of settling a hostile world. As Earth's first interstellar ships near completion, Dr. John Ashby clashes with the Colonization Commission and General Winthrop over a question that cuts to the heart of the mission: what kind of people can truly build a permanent colony, rather than a temporary outpost? Ashby believes colonists must possess a rare ability to break free of home, history, and familiar ties—and he is willing to prove it through an experiment that pushes human beings to the edge. On Serrengia, Captain Louis Carnahan looks back on eight years of decline, isolation, and failure while waiting for rescue that may never come. Meanwhile, Mark Jorden, a determined young engineer, demands to face Ashby's harsh tests despite being judged unfit, and his resolve carries him into simulated hardship, family strain, and political danger. As sabotage, rebellion, and betrayal threaten the colony's fragile future, The Colonists becomes a bleak, thoughtful exploration of duty, endurance, and the cost of trying to make mankind's ideals survive among the stars. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.