THE RIGELLIANS (1931)

SOURCES: "Out Around Rigel " by Robert H. Wilson (Astounding Science Fiction, December 1931)

DESCRIPTION: “We stood staring at the creatures. Spread out to full dimensions, each one made a sphere about four feet in diameter. In the center, a solid mass whose outlines were difficult to discern; and spreading out from this a hundred long, thin, many-jointed arms or legs or branches or whatever one could call them. The things were not yet definitely hostile—only their circle, of perhaps fifty yards radius, grew continually thicker and more impenetrable. Within the enclosed area, the only ripples we could see in the sand were heading outward. There was to be no surprise attack from below, at least; only one in mass.” ("Out Around Rigel" by Robert H. Wilson)

NOTES: The Rigellians are silicon-based lifeforms that live in large numbers under the sand of their planet, (perhaps to escape the blistering heat of the short day). They breathe a fluorine atmosphere (if they breathe at all). When slashed with a sword they break into fragments of glass. They have a last-ditch attack using poisonous gas. It fails to injure the spacemen in their suits.

HISTORY: Wilson never wrote another story but this one is very fondly remembered. Damon Knight picked it for Science Fiction of the 1930s (1975) with the implication that it is better than most of the contents of the Clayton Astounding. A matter of opinion (I don't share most Golden Agers' disregard for older SF).