Day's Work: A Galactic Argument Over Mankind

Before humanity ever took its first breath, two beings of unimaginable power argued across the stars about whether creatures of flesh could ever rise above their own instincts. One saw only endless cycles of violence and failure. The other believed that, given enough time and the right world, an intelligent species might build something greater than any race before it.

In Day’s Work, Noel Loomis scales science fiction to cosmic proportions. Galaxies become administrative districts, gods debate across millions of light-years, and the creation of an entire solar system is treated as a routine assignment. Beneath the immense setting lies a personal conflict. Dalen risks his standing, challenges an ancient superior, and commits himself to an experiment spanning billions of years. Every decision carries the possibility of failure—or proving everyone else wrong.

The story blends grand imagination with wit, presenting creation itself as office politics on an intergalactic scale. Loomis fills the narrative with dazzling astronomical imagery while asking a simple question: if you could start over, what kind of intelligent life would you create? Long before the first human walks the Earth, the answer hangs in the balance.

Noel Loomis (1905–1969) was an American writer whose science fiction appeared in Astounding Science Fiction, Planet Stories, Startling Stories, and Thrilling Wonder Stories. He also wrote westerns and mysteries, but stories like Day’s Work showcased his gift for combining enormous cosmic ideas with engaging storytelling.

Among his best-known works are the novels The Long Morning, City of Glass, and The Man with Absolute Motion. Day’s Work remains one of his most imaginative stories, expanding science fiction from planets to galaxies while centering on one daring experiment.