The aliens just want to get out of their ship and stretch their legs. They have no intention of helping us solve our many problems. But when they go backpacking in the wilderness, they find a side of humanity they hadn’t expected. “The Sense of Discovery” is the first of what will ultimately be the complete (okay, nearly complete) works of Jerry Oltion available online. Jerry has been publishing science fiction stories and novels since 1982 and has over 150 of them for Bard Design to reformat to digital form, so it’ll take a while. Come back every now and then to see what new ones have been posted. Jerry has had his short stories published in most of the major science fiction venues and has had several successful novels, including four highly acclaimed Star Trek books. He has become the most published author in the history of Analog magazine. His stories have won the Nebula award, the Endeavor award, the Seiun award, and have been nominated multiple times for the Hugo award. His stories are often humorous, with likeable characters using intelligence and competence (as opposed to force and violence) to solve their problems. His style harks back to the golden age of science fiction, yet with a modern sensibility and relevance. Even his earliest works hold up well today—and on into the future. For a complete listing of Jerry’s canon, and for a glimpse into his other life as an amateur astronomer, visit Jerry’s website at www.sff.net/people/j.oltion