A jar of jelly beans by Franklin Gregory
"A Jar of Jelly Beans" by Franklin Gregory is a science fiction novel written in the early 1960s. Set in a dystopian future in the year 2060, the book explores themes of overpopulation, genetic manipulation, and the boundaries of societal progress. It presents a world grappling with the consequences of its former growth, where a biochemist named Justin Weatherby devises a controversial method to control the population crisis by creating smaller humans
to alleviate resource constraints." In the story, Justin confronts the dire consequences of a world facing resource depletion and rampant overpopulation, reflecting on his role as an advisor to the President of the United States amidst a failing space program. The narrative unfolds as he develops a plan to inject a hormone during pregnancy to ensure that children are born at dwarf stature, capable of living a normal life but consuming fewer resources. Throughout the book, Justin navigates political intrigues, family dynamics, and ethical dilemmas as he aims to sell his radical solution to a society on the brink of chaos. In the climax, the birth of his child becomes a pivotal moment that encapsulates his hopes and fears for the future, symbolizing not only a personal triumph but also a potential shift in society's approach to its existential crisis. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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About this eBook
| Author | Gregory, Franklin, 1905-1985 |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Summers, Leo, 1925-1985 |
| Title | A jar of jelly beans |
| Original Publication | New York, NY: Ziff-Davis Publishing Company, 1960. |
| Series Title | Produced from Amazing Stories February 1960. |
| Credits | Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at www.pgdp.net |
| Reading Level | Reading ease score: 76.2 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read. |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature |
| Subject | Science fiction |
| Subject | Short stories |
| Subject | Overpopulation -- Fiction |
| Category | Text |
| EBook-No. | 72538 |
| Release Date | Dec 29, 2023 |
| Copyright Status | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 268 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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