The Marching Morons by C. M. Kornbluth
"The Marching Morons" by C. M. Kornbluth is a science fiction novella written during the early 1950s. The story delves into the themes of social decline and the dangers of a society overwhelmed by ignorance and anti-intellectualism. It presents a dystopian future where the majority of the population lacks intelligence, leading to a societal structure that prioritizes mediocrity over genius. The plot follows Efim Hawkins, a potter who unexpectedly revives Honest JohnBarlow, a man from the past who had been in suspended animation for centuries. Barlow learns that society has deteriorated to the point where the average IQ is around 45, and intelligent people are now a minority. Taking advantage of the situation, Barlow seeks power and influence, all while contemplating a plan to manipulate the underdeveloped population. His revival serves as a catalyst for a critique of societal values, as Barlow’s self-serving ambitions clash with the grim reality of the world he has awakened to. Throughout the story, Kornbluth crafts a thought-provoking commentary on the implications of overpopulation and cultural stagnation. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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About this eBook
| Author | Kornbluth, C. M. (Cyril M.), 1923-1958 |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Sibley, Don |
| Title | The Marching Morons |
| Series Title | Produced from Galaxy Science Fiction April 1951 |
| Note | Reading ease score: 74.6 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read. |
| Note | Wikipedia page about this book: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Marching_Morons |
| 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 |
| Category | Text |
| EBook-No. | 51233 |
| Release Date | Feb 16, 2016 |
| Copyright Status | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 1745 downloads in the last 30 days. |
| Project Gutenberg eBooks are always free! | |
