02655cam a22003853u 4500 59415 UtSlPG 20260610134352.0 m cr n 260607r2019||||utu|||||o|||||||||||||| d UtSlPG en iso639-1 PS Blish, James, 1921-1975 To Pay the Piper Salt Lake City, UT : Project Gutenberg, 2019 1 online resource : multiple file formats text txt rdacontent computer c rdamedia online resource cr rdacarrier Produced from Worlds of If Science Fiction, February 1956 Release date is 2019-05-02 Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net "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.) Original publication data not identified Science fiction Short stories United States -- Fiction Apocalyptic fiction Biological warfare -- Fiction Orban, Paul, 1896-1974 Produced from Worlds of If Science Fiction, February 1956 https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/59415 100241 100241