Stowaway to the Mushroom Planet
| Industry | Publishing |
|---|---|
| Products | Books |
Stowaway to the Mushroom Planet represents the second installment in Eleanor Cameron's Mushroom Planet collection, released in 1956, following the initial novel The Wonderful Flight to the Mushroom Planet by two years.
The narrative unfolds within a coastal Californian town and on "Basidium," a small, livable satellite orbiting Earth. It centers on David and Chuck as they journey through the mushroom-covered world inhabited by tiny green beings.
Plot summary
Theo Bass, who is Tyco Bass's cousin, arrives in Pacific Grove, California, and reunites with David and Chuck. An experienced explorer, Theo undertakes the task of reconstructing the boys' lost spacecraft to revisit his ancestral residence on Basidium.
At the same time, a letter inviting a university professor to speak at the boys' astronomy club falls into the hands of his eager assistant, Horatio Peabody. Peabody clandestinely boards the spaceship bound for the Mushroom Planet, driven by his ambition to investigate and utilize the planet "for the advancement of science." His reckless behavior nearly jeopardizes everyone involved and disturbs the planet’s equilibrium.
By the conclusion of the tale, Peabody comes to understand the shortcomings of his presumptuous scientific methods, helping to reestablish harmony until the story continues.
See also
- 1956 in science fiction
- Mr. Bass's Planetoid, which serves as the sequel to this novel.