02457cam a22003613u 450000100060000000300070000600500170001300600020003000700050003200800410003704000110007804100170008905000070010610000210011324500190013426400510015330000470020433600260025133700260027733800360030349000620033950000310040150801080043252012470054053400450178765300200183265300180185265300470187065300410191765300320195883000620199085600430205261288UtSlPG20260610134419.0mcr n260607r2020||||utu|||||o|||||||||||||| d  aUtSlPG 7aen2iso639-1 4aPS1 aTeichner, Albert14aThe Real Thing 1aSalt Lake City, UT :bProject Gutenberg,c2020  a1 online resource :bmultiple file formats  atextbtxt2rdacontent  acomputerbc2rdamedia  aonline resourcebcr2rdacarrier1 aProduced from Worlds of If Science Fiction, November 1962  aRelease date is 2020-02-01  aProduced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net  a"The Real Thing" by Albert Teichner is a science fiction short story written in the early 1960s. The narrative explores themes of authenticity and imitation in a future world where the distinction between the 'real' and the 'fake' has become blurred. The story delves into the implications of advanced technology on human experience, identity, and relationships, posing profound questions about reality and perception.  In the story, a character named Stahl showcases his extraordinary collection of counterfeit items, interacting with two visitors, Tinker and Smith, who engage in a philosophical discussion about the value of genuine experiences versus their imitations. As tensions arise over a counterfeit bill, Smith reveals his insecurities about his own identity and alterations, culminating in a shocking act of self-mutilation that exposes his partially artificial nature. This moment of crisis leads to a deeper exploration of what it means to be human, as Stahl evolves from a collector of imitations to one who experiences empathy and a desire for genuine connection. The narrative concludes with a reflection on the journey towards humanity and the merging of knowledge with feeling. (This is an automatically generated summary.)  nOriginal publication data not identified  aScience fiction  aShort stories  aCounterfeits and counterfeiting -- Fiction  aCollectors and collecting -- Fiction  aArt -- Forgeries -- Fiction 0aProduced from Worlds of If Science Fiction, November 196240uhttps://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/61288