Master Race

"Master Race" by Richard Ashby is a science fiction tale that follows a boy named Eddie's unexpected encounter with aliens planning to colonize Earth. The story revolves around themes of discovery, naivety, and the differences in how humans and aliens view civilization and value. When Eddie is drawn to strange lights near his tree house, he and his dog Rags are soon swept into an alien scouting mission. These aliens, initially seeing humans as primitive, mistakenly interpret the Earthlings artifacts of the "Scout" alien. As the aliens gear up to eliminate humanity, they uncover evidence suggesting humans are far more advanced than they’d assumed, which makes them quickly change their plans and try to flee Earth to avoid a potentially devastating conflict. The story blends excitement with a commentary on bias, showing how easily first impressions can lead to serious misunderstandings.