{"id":27665,"date":"2026-04-25T00:44:24","date_gmt":"2026-04-25T04:44:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lecturia.org\/?p=27665"},"modified":"2026-04-25T00:44:25","modified_gmt":"2026-04-25T04:44:25","slug":"richard-matheson-third-from-the-sun","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lecturia.org\/en\/short-stories\/richard-matheson-third-from-the-sun\/27665\/","title":{"rendered":"Richard Matheson: Third from the Sun"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Synopsis:<\/strong> “Third from the Sun” is a short story by American writer Richard Matheson, published in October 1950 in Galaxy Science Fiction<\/em> magazine. In the early morning, a man and his wife silently prepare for a journey of no return. Together with their two young children and the neighboring family, they will board the spaceship that he, a test pilot, knows inside out. The threat of an imminent war and the conviction that their world is doomed drive them to flee toward another solar system, all while trying to say goodbye to everything without arousing suspicion.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\n
\"Richard<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Third from the Sun<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Richard Matheson
(Cuento completo)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His eyes were open five seconds before the alarm was set to go off. There was no effort in waking. It was sudden. Coldly conscious, he reached out his left hand in the dark and pushed in the stop. The alarm glowed a second, then faded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At his side, his wife put her hand on his arm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDid you sleep?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo, did you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA little,\u201d he said. \u201cNot much.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She was silent for a few seconds. He heard her throat contract. She shivered. He knew what she was going to say.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re still going?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He twisted his shoulders on the bed and took a deep breath.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes,\u201d he said, and he felt her fingers tighten on his arm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat time is it?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAbout five.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019d better get ready.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes, we\u2019d better.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They made no move.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou\u2019re sure we can get on the ship without anyone noticing?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey think it\u2019s just another test flight. Nobody will be checking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She didn\u2019t say anything. She moved a little closer to him. He felt how cold her skin was.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m afraid,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He took her hand and held it in a tight grip. \u201cDon\u2019t be,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019ll be safe.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s the children I\u2019m worried about.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll be safe,\u201d he repeated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She lifted his hand to her lips and kissed it gently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAll right,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They both sat up in the darkness. He heard her stand. Her night garment rustled to the floor. She didn\u2019t pick it up. She stood still, shivering in the cold morning air.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou\u2019re sure we don\u2019t need anything else with us?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo, nothing. I have all the supplies we need in the ship. Anyways . . .\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe can\u2019t carry anything past the guard,\u201d he said. \u201cHe has to think you and the kids are just coming to see me off.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She began dressing. He threw off the covering and got up. He went across the cold floor to the closet and dressed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ll get the children up,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He grunted, pulling clothes over his head. At the door she stopped. \u201cAre you sure . . .\u201d she began.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWon\u2019t the guard think it\u2019s funny that . . . that our neighbors are coming down to see you off, too?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He sank down on the bed and fumbled for the clasps on his shoes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll have to take that chance,\u201d he said. \u201cWe need them with us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She sighed. \u201cIt seems so cold. So calculating.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He straightened up and saw her silhouette in the doorway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat else can we do?\u201d he asked intensely. \u201cWe can\u2019t interbreed our own children.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s just . . .\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cJust what?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNothing, darling. I\u2019m sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She closed the door. Her footsteps disappeared down the hall. The door to the children\u2019s room opened. He heard their two voices. A cheerless smile raised his lips. You\u2019d think it was a holiday, he thought.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He pulled on his shoes. At least the kids didn\u2019t know what was happening. They thought they were going to take him down to the field. They thought they\u2019d come back and tell all their schoolmates about it. They didn\u2019t know they\u2019d never come back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He finished clasping his shoes and stood up. He shuffled over to the bureau and turned on the light. It was odd, such an undistinguished looking man planning this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cold. Calculating. Her words filled his mind again. Well, there was no other way. In a few years, probably less, the whole planet would go up with a blinding flash. This was the only way out. Escaping, starting all over again with a few people on a new planet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He stared at the reflection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere\u2019s no other way,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He glanced around the bedroom. Goodbye, this part of my life. Turning off the lamp was like turning off a light in his mind. He closed the door gently behind him and slid his fingers off the worn handle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His son and daughter were going down the ramp. They were talking in mysterious whispers. He shook his head in slight amusement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His wife waited for him. They went down together, holding hands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m not afraid, darling,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019ll be all right.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSure,\u201d he said. \u201cSure it will.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They all went in to eat. He sat down with his children. His wife poured out juice for them. Then she went to get the food.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHelp your mother, doll,\u201d he told his daughter. She got up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPretty soon, haah, pop?\u201d his son said. \u201cPretty soon, haah?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTake it easy,\u201d he cautioned. \u201cRemember what I told you. If you say a word of it to anybody I\u2019ll have to leave you behind.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A dish shattered on the floor. He darted a glance at his wife. She was staring at him, her lips trembling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She averted her eyes and bent down. She fumbled at the pieces, picked up a few. Then she dropped them all, stood up and pushed them against the wall with her shoe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs if it mattered,\u201d she said nervously. \u201cAs if it mattered whether the place is clean or not.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The children were watching her in surprise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat is it?\u201d asked the daughter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNothing, darling, nothing,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019m just nervous. Go back to the table. Drink your juice. We have to eat quickly. The neighbors will be here soon.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPop, why are the neighbors coming with us?\u201d asked his son.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBecause,\u201d he said vaguely, \u201cthey want to. Now forget it. Don\u2019t talk about it so much.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The room was quiet. His wife brought their food and set it down. Only her footsteps broke the silence. The children kept glancing at each other, at their father. He kept his eyes on the plate. The food tasted flat and thick in his mouth and he felt his heart thudding against the wall of his chest. Last day. This is the last day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou\u2019d better eat,\u201d he told his wife.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She sat down to eat. As she lifted the eating utensil the door buzzer sounded. The utensil skidded out of her nerveless fingers and clattered on the floor. He reached out quickly and put his hand on hers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAll right, darling,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s all right.\u201d He turned to the children. \u201cGo answer the door,\u201d he told them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBoth of us?\u201d his daughter asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBoth of you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut . . .\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDo as I say.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They slid off their chairs and left the room, glancing back at their parents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the sliding door shut off their view, he turned back to his wife. Her face was pale and tight; she had her lips pressed together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDarling, please,\u201d he said. \u201cPlease. You know I wouldn\u2019t take you if I wasn\u2019t sure it was safe. You know how many times I\u2019ve flown the ship before. And I know just where we\u2019re going. It\u2019s safe. Believe me it\u2019s safe.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She pressed his hand against her cheek. She closed her eyes and large tears ran out under her lids and down her cheeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not that so m-much,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s just . . . leaving, never coming back. We\u2019ve been here all our lives. It isn\u2019t like . . . like moving. We can\u2019t come back. Ever.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cListen, darling,\u201d his voice was tense and hurried. \u201cYou know as well as I do. In a matter of years, maybe less, there\u2019s going to be another war, a terrible one. There won\u2019t be a thing left. We have to leave. For our children, for ourselves . . .\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He paused, testing the words in his mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFor the future of life itself,\u201d he finished weakly. He was sorry he said it. Early in the morning, over prosaic food, that kind of talk didn\u2019t sound right. Even if it was true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cJust don\u2019t be afraid,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019ll be all right.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She squeezed his hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI know,\u201d she said quietly. \u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There were footsteps coming toward them. He pulled out a tissue and gave it to her. She hastily dabbed at her face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The door slid open. The neighbors and their son and daughter came in. The children were excited. They had trouble keeping it down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGood morning,\u201d the neighbor said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The neighbor\u2019s wife went to his wife and the two of them went over to the window and talked in low voices. The children stood around, fidgeted and looked nervously at each other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve eaten?\u201d he asked his neighbor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes,\u201d his neighbor said. \u201cDon\u2019t you think we\u2019d better be going?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI suppose so,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They left all the dishes on the table. His wife went upstairs and got garments for the family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He and his wife stayed on the porch a moment while the rest went out to the ground car.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShould we lock the door?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She smiled helplessly and ran a hand through her hair. She shrugged. \u201cDoes it matter?\u201d she said and turned away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He locked the door and followed her down the walk. She turned as he came up to her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a nice house,\u201d she murmured.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDon\u2019t think about it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They turned their backs on their home and got in the ground car.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDid you lock it?\u201d asked the neighbor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The neighbor smiled wryly. \u201cSo did we,\u201d he said. \u201cI tried not to, but then I had to go back.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They moved through the quiet streets. The edges of the sky were beginning to redden. The neighbor\u2019s wife and the four children were in back. His wife and the neighbor were in front with him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGoing to be a nice day,\u201d said the neighbor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI suppose so,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHave you told your children?\u201d the neighbor asked softly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOf course not.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI haven\u2019t, I haven\u2019t,\u201d insisted his neighbor. \u201cI was just asking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They rode in silence a while.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDo you ever get the feeling that we\u2019re . . . running out?\u201d asked the neighbor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He tightened. \u201cNo,\u201d he said. His lips pressed together. \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI guess it\u2019s better not to talk about it,\u201d his neighbor said hastily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMuch better,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As they drove up to the guardhouse at the gate, he turned to the back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRemember,\u201d he said. \u201cNot a word from any of you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The guard was sleepy and didn\u2019t care. The guard recognized him right away as the chief test pilot for the new ship. That was enough. The family was coming down to watch him off, he told the guard. That was all right. The guard let them drive to the ship\u2019s platform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The car stopped under the huge columns. They all got out and stared up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Far above them, its nose pointed toward the sky, the great metal ship was beginning to reflect the early morning glow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLet\u2019s go,\u201d he said. \u201cQuickly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As they hurried toward the ship\u2019s elevator, he stopped for a moment to look back. The guardhouse looked deserted. He looked around at everything and tried to fix it all in his memory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He bent over and picked up some dirt. He put it in his pocket.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGoodbye,\u201d he whispered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He ran to the elevator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The doors shut in front of them. There was no sound in the rising cubicle but the hum of the motor and a few self-conscious coughs from the children. He looked at them. To be taken so young, he thought, without a chance to help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He closed his eyes. His wife\u2019s arm rested on his arm. He looked at her. Their eyes met and she smiled at him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s all right,\u201d she whispered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The elevator shuddered to a stop. The doors slid open and they went out. It was getting lighter. He hurried them along the enclosed platform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They all climbed through the narrow doorway in the ship\u2019s side. He hesitated before following them. He wanted to say something fitting the moment. It burned in him to say something fitting the moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He couldn\u2019t. He swung in and grunted as he pulled the door shut and turned the wheel tight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s it,\u201d he said. \u201cCome on, everybody.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their footsteps echoed on the metal decks and ladders as they went up to the control room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The children ran to the ports and looked out. They gasped when they saw how high they were. Their mothers stood behind them, looking down at the ground with frightened eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He went up to them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo high,\u201d said his daughter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He patted her head gently. \u201cSo high,\u201d he repeated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then he turned abruptly and went over to the instrument panel. He stood there hesitantly. He heard someone come up behind him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShouldn\u2019t we tell the children?\u201d asked his wife. \u201cShouldn\u2019t we let them know it\u2019s their last look?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGo ahead,\u201d he said. \u201cTell them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He waited to hear her footsteps. There were none. He turned. She kissed him on the cheek. Then she went to tell the children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He threw over the switch. Deep in the belly of the ship, a spark ignited the fuel. A concentrated rush of gas flooded from the vents. The bulkheads began to shake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He heard his daughter crying. He tried not to listen. He extended a trembling hand toward the lever, then glanced back suddenly. They were all staring at him. He put his hand on the lever and threw it over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ship quivered a brief second and then they felt it rush along the smooth incline. It flashed up into the air, faster and faster. They all heard the wind rushing past.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He watched the children turn to the ports and look out again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGoodbye,\u201d they said. \u201cGoodbye.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He sank down wearily at the control panel. Out of the corner of his eyes he saw his neighbor sit down next to him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou know just where we\u2019re going?\u201d his neighbor asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOn that chart there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His neighbor looked at the chart. His eyebrows raised.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn another solar system,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s right. It has an atmosphere like ours. We\u2019ll be safe there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe race will be safe,\u201d said his neighbor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He nodded once and looked back at his and his neighbor\u2019s family. They were still looking out the ports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI said,\u201d the neighbor repeated, \u201cwhich one of these planets is it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He leaned over the chart, pointed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat small one over there,\u201d he said. \u201cNear that moon.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis one, third from the sun?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s right,\u201d he said. \u201cThat one. Third from the sun.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

THE END<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

“Third from the Sun” is a short story by American writer Richard Matheson, published in October 1950 in Galaxy Science Fiction magazine. In the early morning, a man and his wife silently prepare for a journey of no return. Together with their two young children and the neighboring family, they will board the spaceship that he, a test pilot, knows inside out. The threat of an imminent war and the conviction that their world is doomed drive them to flee toward another solar system, all while trying to say goodbye to everything without arousing suspicion.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":27664,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[559],"tags":[637,552,570],"class_list":["post-27665","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-short-stories","tag-richard-matheson-en","tag-science-fiction","tag-united-states","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-33"],"acf":[],"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":559,"label":"Short stories"}],"post_tag":[{"value":637,"label":"Richard Matheson"},{"value":552,"label":"Science fiction"},{"value":570,"label":"United States"}]},"featured_image_src_large":["https:\/\/lecturia.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Richard-Matheson-El-tercero-a-partir-del-sol.webp",768,757,false],"author_info":{"display_name":"Juan Pablo Guevara","author_link":"https:\/\/lecturia.org\/en\/author\/spartakku\/"},"comment_info":"","category_info":[{"term_id":559,"name":"Short stories","slug":"short-stories","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":559,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":423,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":559,"category_count":423,"category_description":"","cat_name":"Short stories","category_nicename":"short-stories","category_parent":0}],"tag_info":[{"term_id":637,"name":"Richard Matheson","slug":"richard-matheson-en","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":637,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":5,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":552,"name":"Science fiction","slug":"science-fiction","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":552,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":123,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":570,"name":"United States","slug":"united-states","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":570,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":296,"filter":"raw"}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lecturia.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27665","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lecturia.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lecturia.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lecturia.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lecturia.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27665"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/lecturia.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27665\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27666,"href":"https:\/\/lecturia.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27665\/revisions\/27666"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lecturia.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/27664"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lecturia.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27665"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lecturia.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27665"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lecturia.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27665"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}