Accidental Death

Accidental Death is a science fiction novella by Peter Baily, published in the late 1950s. The story follows Matt Hennessy, who recounts his harrowing experience aboard the starship Whale during its first long jump to a distant star. After a series of catastrophic errors, the crew crashes back near Earth, leading Hennessy to reflect on luck, chance, and the unpredictable nature of human endeavors in space, particularly in their encounters with a feline-like alien species known as the Chingsi. This narrative serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of aerospace exploration and the consequences of human error.