
Set against the blistering dunes of the Sahara, the story follows Johnny McCord, a field operative for a massive reforestation effort that aims to turn the desert green. While the high‑ranking officials cling to climate‑controlled offices far from the sand, Johnny and his crew wrestle with sand‑gnawed machines, scorching sun, and the everyday absurdities of life on the edge. The narrative blends dry humor with a glimpse of the bureaucratic tangle that underpins this audacious environmental venture.
When a routine patrol reports an unexpected herd of goats deep in the desert, Johnny’s irritation turns into curiosity, hinting that something—or someone—doesn’t want the trees to grow. The arrival of a mysterious saboteur, willing to murder to stop the project, raises the stakes for the already stretched crew. As Johnny prepares to investigate, listeners are drawn into a world where survival, politics, and a dash of absurdity collide under the relentless Saharan sun.
Language
en
Duration
~1 hours (60K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
Release date
2016-04-19
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1917–1983
Known for big-idea science fiction with a practical, satirical edge, this prolific American writer explored politics, class, and economics long before those themes became common in the genre. His stories were especially popular in magazine science fiction from the 1950s through the 1970s.
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