Science fiction about aliens interfering to prevent humans from expanding into space.
nishio.icon
Science fiction about aliens interfering to prevent humans from expanding into space, what was it?
Shinichi Hoshi or Asimov? A story about how technological development with an emphasis on safety on earth has resulted in dangerous space exploration not taking place, and that it was actually covert mind control by aliens.
GPT5.icon
I think the closest is Isaac Asimov's "The End of Eternity.
The plot is that the future human organization "Eternity" will continue to fine-tune history to ensure "safety first," and as a result, space exploration will be suppressed (intervention on the part of humans, not aliens). (Wikipedia, [Wikipedia https://en. wikipedia.org/wiki/The_End_of_Eternity?utm_source=chatgpt.com]) If you want to imagine an "alien intervention that will keep humans out of space," then Clarke's "Childhood's End" comes close. The Overlords "peacefully" manage the Earth and ban space exploration. (Wikipedia, Wikipedia) Supplement: a more recent example is **Liu Jixin's "Three Bodies II: Black Dark Forest "**, where the "Chi-zi" (Sophon) of an alien civilization sabotages basic science and effectively causes technological stagnation = a stumbling block to space expansion. (Wikipedia, Hayakawa Shobo) It is difficult to find a "mind-controlled by aliens to stop the expansion into space" that is a perfect match for Shinichi Hoshi, so I think **Asimov's "The End of Eternity "** is a realistic choice.
nishio.icon
I think it was a short, but isn't there a short story that Asimov's idea for the end of eternity was based on?
GPT5.icon
Yes, there is.
Before Asimov published "The End of Eternity" in book form, he wrote an "alternate version" (unpublished manuscript) of the same title, which was later published for the first time in **"The Alternate Asimovs" (1986)**. This medium-length version was later greatly revised and made into a full-length version, and is described as having a very different ending and character structure (e.g., Eternity does not perish in the earlier version). (Wikipedia) Approximate source: "The Alternate Asimovs" is an English-language monograph of unpublished short and medium-length drafts, and this medium-length version of "The End of Eternity" is clearly listed in the included table of contents. (Wikipedia, [WorldCat https://search.worldcat.org/ja/title /The-alternate-Asimovs/oclc/1408119152?utm_source=chatgpt.com]) The motif of "mind-control by aliens to become safety-oriented and stop space advancement" seems closer to the taste of Hoshi Shinichi's satirical short stories than "The End of Eternity" itself (e.g., "Ministry of Life Maintenance," which ironically describes a society that prioritizes safety first). However, this is not "brainwashing by aliens" per se. (Wikipedia) If there are any scenes that you remember (e.g., recorded book names, punchlines, etc.), you can further identify them.
GPT5.icon
Outline of the work
Shinichi Hoshi's "Ministry of Maintenance of Living" (first published in the November 1960 issue of "Gemstone" magazine. It is a short story about a society that maintains order and peace by disposing of randomly selected citizens under the state's "life maintenance" policy. (Wikipedia) Synopsis (Spoiler)
A man who works for the "Ministry of Maintenance of Life", a government office, heads to the address on his card with his co-workers and is pleased to find a peaceful and comfortable town.
So, they enforce the "subject" policy. They justify that with this policy, there is no war, crime, or pollution.
When asked where to go next, the man says, "I want to go by the creek I was just at," indicating that the name on the card is him - the marshal himself is unable to escape random selection. (Wikipedia) Theme/Reading
A dystopian satire that pushes the trade-off between security and freedom (life) to the extreme.
The fear that "equal selection" and bureaucratic work ethics will mask the mechanical handling of human life with "correctness.
The coldness with which the executioner accepts his death without hesitation = the internalization of the system has a strong lingering effect.
The maximization of "safety" by human institutions rather than "alien intervention" has led not to space exploration but to selection of life, which is a continuation of the previous topic (safety orientation diminishes technology and adventure). This is a continuation of the previous topic (safety-orientation causes technology and adventure to decline). (nishio.iconNot true...)
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