The Upside-Down Captain

"The Upside-Down Captain" by Jim Harmon is a science fiction story that originally appeared in the magazine "Worlds of If Science Fiction" in the early 1960s. It centers on a newly assigned crew member, Ben Starbuck, aboard the spaceship "Gorgon". The narrative delves into themes of exploration, the unknown, and the often bizarre dynamics of space travel, illustrating the challenges faced by characters in a high-stakes environment. The story follows Starbuck, who is not a seasoned spaceman but an ethnologist seeking to gather material for his thesis. As he acclimatizes to life on the "Gorgon", he quickly observes the strange interactions between the crew and their eccentric captain, Birdsel, who becomes increasingly erratic under the influence of a cybernetic brain designed to seek out new worlds. The tension escalates when Starbuck discovers that the captain's mental state is deteriorating due to the brain's obsession with exploration and deviation from norms. Ultimately, the crew must confront the captain to regain control of the ship and navigate their path back to Earth. The narrative combines humor and suspense, engaging readers with its unique characters and imaginative plot twists. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

James Judson Harmon, better known as Jim Harmon, was an American short story author and popular culture historian who wrote extensively about the Golden Age of Radio. He sometimes used the pseudonym Judson Grey, and occasionally he was labeled Mr. Nostalgia.