Sense of Obligation
Sense of Obligation is a science fiction novel by Harry Harrison, written in the early 1960s. The story follows Brion Brandd, a champion in the grueling Twenties competitions, who is drawn into a life-threatening mission after his victory. Approached by Ihjel, another winner, Brion must confront his identity and the moral weight of his abilities to prevent a catastrophic conflict on the planet Dis. The novel explores themes of obligation, sacrifice, and the consequences of competition in a richly developed narrative.
Editions
X-Ray
“DIS ... DIS ... DIS ... it was a word it was a planet and the word thundered like a drum a drum the sound of its thunder surrounded and was a wasteland a planet of death a planet where living was dying and dying was very better than living DIS””
— Harry Harrison
“We no longer attempt to guide cultures towards what we consider a beneficial goal. There are too many goals, and from our limited vantage point it is hard to tell the good ones from the bad ones. All we do now is try to protect the growing cultures, give a little jolt to the stagnating ones”
— Harry Harrison
“Like all of the other sciences, we have found out that the more we know, the more there is to know.””
— Harry Harrison
