5,722 (25-30 minutes)
Genre(s): Hard Science Fiction, Military Sci-Fi, Psychological Sci-Fi
Originally published in Galaxy Science Fiction, 1969

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The Snowbank Orbit is a bleak yet poetic tale of survival, war, and the unknown dangers of deep space. Set during the First Interstellar War, a fleet of Terran ships is forced to flee beyond Uranus to escape alien enemies known only as "the Enemy." Their pursuit ends in an eerie confrontation on the far side of the gas giant, where the true nature of their adversaries—and the terrifying realization of their isolation—emerges. Blending hard science with an almost Lovecraftian sense of cosmic horror, Leiber’s tale explores themes of duty, desperation, and the cold indifference of the universe.