One-Shot

When a Polish freighter lays a mysterious egg in New York harbor, intelligence analyst Abner "One Shot" Braun finds himself at the center of an extraordinary crisis in James Blish's gripping science fiction short story. A self-made millionaire conducting business in the city, Braun becomes entangled in a weekend that spirals far beyond the routine—one that will test his ability to solve an impossible puzzle with incomplete data and no time to spare. As the CIA scrambles to identify the inexplicable object, the narrative unfolds in reverse, revealing how intelligence agencies piece together facts after the fact, working backward from consequences to causes. Blish masterfully explores the tension between logical reasoning and practical necessity, asking what happens when answers must be produced despite insufficient information. The story becomes a meditation on human ingenuity, institutional bureaucracy, and the unpredictable nature of first contact. With sharp wit and compelling prose, Blish crafts a tale that blends mystery, science fiction, and speculative intrigue. The narrative voice—drawn from case files and reconstructed events—gives the story an authentic, almost journalistic quality that heightens its tension. This audiobook is perfect for listeners who enjoy intelligent science fiction that challenges assumptions and explores the gap between knowledge and action, ideal for fans of classic speculative fiction who appreciate stories that ask profound questions within compact, expertly-told narratives.