02577cam a22003733u 450000100060000000300070000600500170001300600020003000700050003200800410003704000110007804100170008905000070010610000290011324500300014226400510017230000470022333600260027033700260029633800360032249000630035850000310042150801080045252013320056053400450189265300200193765300180195765300390197565300410201465300260205570000160208183000630209785600430216061055UtSlPG20260610134416.0mcr n260607r2019||||utu|||||o|||||||||||||| d  aUtSlPG 7aen2iso639-1 4aPS1 aBlackford, Charles Minor14aThe Valley of the Masters 1aSalt Lake City, UT :bProject Gutenberg,c2019  a1 online resource :bmultiple file formats  atextbtxt2rdacontent  acomputerbc2rdamedia  aonline resourcebcr2rdacarrier1 aProduced from Worlds of If Science Fiction, September 1961  aRelease date is 2019-12-30  aProduced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net  a"The Valley of the Masters" by Charles Minor Blackford is a science fiction novel written during the early 1960s. The story explores themes of curiosity, societal stagnation, and the pursuit of knowledge in a world where progress has been forsaken. It delves into the life of the protagonist, Henry Callis, who seeks to understand the mechanisms of his society and the reasons behind the decay of their once-functioning world.  The narrative follows Henry as he navigates a community of superstitious individuals who have forgotten the technology and understanding that once sustained their lives. Tiring of the ignorance that surrounds him, he embarks on a journey of discovery with Theta, a girl who admires him. As they confront the shadows of their civilization's past, they unveil the truths about the technology that their ancestors once wielded. Henry's pursuit ultimately leads him to stand against the collective apathy of his society, advocating for knowledge and urgent action to prevent their impending collapse—a struggle that resonates with the themes of empowerment and rebellion against ignorance. Through Henry's journey, the reader is prompted to consider the significance of knowledge and the dangers of complacency in the face of declining societal relations. (This is an automatically generated summary.)  nOriginal publication data not identified  aScience fiction  aShort stories  aMan-woman relationships -- Fiction  aRegression (Civilization) -- Fiction  aTechnology -- Fiction1 aRitter, Bob 0aProduced from Worlds of If Science Fiction, September 196140uhttps://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/61055