The Old Timer

The Old Timer by Richard R. Smith is a gripping tale set in the fading twilight of Mars, where ancient traditions meet the crass arrogance of visiting Earthmen. Shakish, an aged Martian ferryman, has watched his civilization crumble and endure under the weight of foreign intrusion. When two drunken travelers hire his skiff to cross a canal, their ignorance and cruelty turn the journey into something far more dangerous than they realize. They see only a frail relic of a dying world—never suspecting the legacy and strength he carries within.

What begins as a slow, uneasy trip across muddy waters soon becomes a clash between a proud survivor of an old race and outsiders who mistake weakness for submission. Smith builds tension with careful detail: flickering firefly lanterns, the eerie glow of twin moons, and the quiet dignity of the last Martian who remembers what his world once was. The Old Timer blends atmosphere, suspense, and a sharp sense of poetic justice as ancient biology and buried history rise back to the surface.

About the Author (2 paragraphs)

Richard R. Smith was one of the many mid-century science-fiction authors who contributed memorable stories to the explosion of digest magazines in the 1950s. Though far from a household name, his work often explored cultural misunderstandings, human arrogance, and the hidden strengths of so-called "primitive" societies. With a concise and cinematic style, he crafted worlds that felt lived-in and believable.

Smith published a small but respected body of short fiction, appearing in magazines such as Super-Science Fiction, where The Old Timer made its debut in February 1958. While details of his personal life remain limited, his storytelling reveals a writer fascinated by the tension between old worlds and new conquerors. His surviving stories show a talent for turning brief encounters into unforgettable reckonings.