
Transcriber's note:
In a sleek, near‑future world where even breakfast can be a blend of real and synthetic ingredients, Senator Chester Pelton juggles a hectic campaign trail with the comforts of family life. Over a table laden with honey‑dripping toast, his teenage son Ray obsessively weighs the cost of every bite, already dreaming of the latest “copter‑bike” while his sister Claire tries to keep the household grounded.
As the family debates politics, sales, and the ever‑present pressure of a looming election, they’re surrounded by technology that blurs the line between genuine experience and manufactured convenience. The story invites listeners to consider how a society that leans heavily on “book‑learning” and engineered sustenance might shape values, ambition, and the very definition of authenticity—all while a charismatic senator wrestles with the paradox of progress and personal integrity.
Language
en
Duration
~3 hours (202K characters)
Series
Produced from Astounding Science Fiction, February and March, 1953
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Greg Weeks, Sankar Viswanathan, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
Release date
May 8, 2006
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1904–1964
A self-taught science fiction writer with a gift for big ideas, he built sweeping future histories and alternate worlds that still feel lively today. Best known for Little Fuzzy and the Paratime stories, he wrote adventure-driven fiction with a sharp interest in politics, language, and how civilizations work.
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1917–1981
A mid-20th-century science fiction writer with a knack for fast-moving adventure, he is best remembered for stories written with H. Beam Piper. His work helped shape several classic magazine-era tales of future politics, frontier worlds, and big ideas.
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by H. Beam Piper

by H. Beam Piper

by H. Beam Piper

by H. Beam Piper

by H. Beam Piper

by H. Beam Piper

by H. Beam Piper

by H. Beam Piper, John J. (John Joseph) McGuire