
A seasoned operative known as Paul Koslov slips into the Chief’s office, his reputation already legendary before he’s thirty‑five. The dialogue crackles with the dry humor of a world‑weary spy, hinting at covert missions across Nicaragua, Iraq and Egypt while the heavy‑handed bureaucracy of a superpower looms behind every word. The scene is set in an alternate 1965 where the Soviet Union has quietly eclipsed the United States in raw industrial output, turning the familiar Cold War rivalry into a stark, unsettling competition of steel and ideology.
Through brisk exchanges between Paul and his superior, the story probes the seductive lure of propaganda, the complacency of “freedom” and the uneasy feeling that a triumph built on endless production may be as fragile as a politician’s promise. It promises a tense, thought‑provoking blend of espionage and speculative history that will keep listeners hooked as the balance of power begins to shift.
Language
en
Duration
~1 hours (68K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Greg Weeks, Bruce Albrecht, Stephen Blundell and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
Release date
2007-12-20
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1917–1983
Best known for lively, idea-driven science fiction, this prolific American writer explored politics, economics, and possible futures with a sharp, often satirical edge. His stories were especially popular in the 1950s and 1960s, when he became a familiar name in magazines such as Galaxy and If.
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