A Matter of Ethics

"A Matter of Ethics" by Russ Winterbotham is a science fiction novella written in the mid-20th century. The story revolves around Homer, a bachelor living in Faderfield, who is confronted with an unexpected visit from a mysterious girl claiming to be from the Pleiades star cluster. Central to the plot is the ethical dilemma Homer faces as he contemplates a lucrative job offer and navigates the social customs that govern human interactions. The narrative follows Homer as he grapples with his identity, career aspirations, and the unconventional entrance of Qalith, the alien girl. Intrigued by her beauty yet overwhelmed by the implications of her presence, Homer finds himself torn between the stability of his teaching position and the allure of a wealthy, yet morally questionable, job offer. As the story unfolds, the dynamic between Homer and Qalith reveals deeper questions about societal norms, ownership, and the nature of happiness. Ultimately, Homer evaluates his life choices against the backdrop of a bizarre encounter, leading to an unexpected resolution where he considers a new life on Planet 12 alongside Qalith. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Russell Robert Winterbotham was an American writer of western and science fiction genre fiction, and the author of instructional pamphlets and several Big Little Books. He also wrote crime stories and one science fiction novel using the pen name "J. Harvey Bond". Another science fiction novel used the pseudonym "Franklin Hadley". He also wrote scripts for Fred Harman's western comic Red Ryder.