To make a hero

"To Make a Hero" by Randall Garrett is a science fiction story from the 1950s that shows how easily history can be changed. Meet Leland Hale, a tricky character with a shady past, running from his old life of stealing and tricking people landing in the isolated Cardigan's Green community. Quickly learning the rules and stories of this new place, like the scary Plague, Hale sees a chance to become important. He uses his smarts to buddy up with people like Yon the Fisher, aiming to grab power and create a fake image of himself as a good guy. All his selfish moves end up making him look like a hero, eventually making him a martyr when he sacrifices himself for the community. The story makes you think about what it really means to be a hero and how much of what we know about the past is true.