Subjectivity

"Subjectivity" by Norman Spinrad is a science fiction novella that shows the dark side of deep space exploration. A unified government sends a ship, Number Thirteen, with ten troubled people on a sixteen-year trip to Centaurus, not knowing the experiment will change everything. To handle the stress, they use a drug called Omnidrene, which makes them hallucinate. At first it works, giving them a wonderful garden and a sense of peace, but soon the dreams turn into nightmares that become real. The story builds as fantasy and reality mix, leading to a wild fight with their inner selves that tests the limits of sanity. The crew does return to Earth, but they're not alone; they bring the scary monsters from their minds, making us think about what is real and how our minds can be our own worst enemies.