The Final Figure by Sam Merwin
"The Final Figure" by Sam Merwin, Jr. is a science fiction novelet written in the early 1950s. The story revolves around a gifted model-maker, Angus MacReedy, whose incredible ability to foresee and craft miniature representations of future military weapons sparks interest and concern among military officials. The narrative explores themes of foresight in warfare, the intersection of creativity and duty, and the implications of possessing knowledge that could alter the course ofconflict in a tension-filled world. The plot follows General Wales, who discovers the remarkable accuracy of MacReedy's models, particularly a miniature of a crucial weapon that has not yet been publicly disclosed. Alarmed by the implications of such prophetic talent falling into the wrong hands, Wales attempts to leverage MacReedy's abilities for national security while grappling with ethical dilemmas about personal freedom and responsibility. As the story progresses, it reveals a world where imagination can dictate reality, culminating in a chilling twist that underscores the value of knowledge and the price of innovation—both for the individual and society. Ultimately, the narrative questions whether foresight can truly predict the future or if it merely shapes the pathways to the inevitable. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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About this eBook
| Author | Merwin, Sam, 1910-1996 |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Orban, Paul, 1896-1974 |
| Title | The Final Figure |
| Series Title | Produced from Dynamic Science Fiction January 1954. |
| Note | Reading ease score: 74.3 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read. |
| Credits | Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature |
| Subject | Science fiction |
| Subject | Ordnance -- Fiction |
| Category | Text |
| EBook-No. | 41062 |
| Release Date | Oct 14, 2012 |
| Copyright Status | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 101 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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