To Pay the Piper by James Blish

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About this eBook

Author Blish, James, 1921-1975
Illustrator Orban, Paul, 1896-1974
Title To Pay the Piper
Note Reading ease score: 74.6 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read.
Credits Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
Summary "To Pay the Piper" by James Blish is a science fiction novel written in the mid-20th century. Set against the backdrop of a post-apocalyptic Earth ravaged by biological warfare, the story delves into themes of survival, societal breakdown, and the consequences of human actions on both personal and global scales. The narrative centers around a re-education project aimed at adapting humans to the toxic surface environment, exploring the moral quandaries associated with such an initiative. The plot follows Dr. Samuel Carson, a medical director involved in the Re-Ed Project, which is tasked with training soldiers to return to the surface. The crux of the story involves the clash between military authority and the desperate wishes of civilians, who long to reclaim their former lives on the surface. A significant character, Secretary Hamelin, argues for the inclusion of civilians in the re-education programs, leading to tensions as the military bureaucracy endeavors to control the narrative and prevent chaos. As the story unfolds, the stakes rise with the introduction of mutated diseases that threaten all lives, and a conspiracy develops when it becomes apparent that Hamelin may be an enemy agent. The novel culminates in a tense resolution that forces the characters to confront the price of survival in a world transformed by war. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
Language English
LoC Class PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature
Subject Science fiction
Subject Short stories
Subject United States -- Fiction
Subject Apocalyptic fiction
Subject Biological warfare -- Fiction
Category Text
EBook-No. 59415
Release Date
Copyright Status Public domain in the USA.
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