| "The Liberation of Earth" | |
|---|---|
| Author | William Tenn |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Science Fiction short story |
| Published in | Future Science Fiction |
| Publication type | Periodical |
| Publisher | Columbia Publications, Inc. |
| Media type | Print (Magazine) |
| Publication date | May 1953 |
"The Liberation of Earth" is a science fiction short story by William Tenn, written in 1950, first published in 1953, and reprinted over a dozen times in various anthologies and in 1955 in the William Tenn collection Of all Possible Worlds. The story, which Tenn described as having been inspired by the Korean War[1], portrays Earth as the battleground between two powerful alien races, the Troxxt and the Dendi, who repeatedly "liberate" it from each other.
At the time the story begins, the Troxxt and the Dendi have long since abandoned the (literally) shattered remnants of Earth as being too dangerous for civilized people; humanity is nearly extinct, with the few survivors having descended into starving savagery as they struggle for air.
Nick Gevers has described "Liberation" as "great"[2], and Locus columnist Rich Horton described it as "one of 1953's best shorts"[3].