
Transcriber’s note:
THE GUARDIANSBY IRVING COX, JR.
Illustrated by van Dongen
In a rain‑shrouded paradise where children are taught that the world they inhabit is the whole of Earth, a curious teenager named Mryna begins to question the myths that bind her community. Venturing into the forbidden Old Village, she uncovers cracked pamphlets and an astronomy textbook that reveal a reality far beyond the mist: a distant planet named Rythar, part of a larger solar system, and a god‑like figure who is, in fact, a man. The discoveries shatter her faith in the accepted truth, and she hides the knowledge, fearing the consequences of exposing the lie.
When massive, clanking metal beings descend from the mist, the fragile illusion of the Earth‑god’s authority begins to crumble. Their presence forces Mryna to decide whether to keep her secret or to confront the power that has shaped her world. The story follows her growing awareness and the tension between obedience and the desperate need for truth.
Language
en
Duration
~36 minutes (35K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Greg Weeks, David Wilson and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
Release date
2008-01-03
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
1917–2001
A mid-century science fiction writer, he published sharp, imaginative short stories that appeared in pulp magazines during the 1950s and 1960s. His fiction often paired futuristic ideas with a strong sense of social tension and human conflict.
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by Irving E. Cox

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by Irving E. Cox

by Irving E. Cox

by Irving E. Cox

by Irving E. Cox

by Irving E. Cox