TY  - BOOK
AU  - Teichner,Albert
TI  - The Real Thing
T2  - Produced from Worlds of If Science Fiction, November 1962
AV  - PS 
PY  - 2020///
CY  - Salt Lake City, UT
PB  - Project Gutenberg
KW  - Science fiction
KW  - Short stories
KW  - Counterfeits and counterfeiting -- Fiction
KW  - Collectors and collecting -- Fiction
KW  - Art -- Forgeries -- Fiction
N1  - Release date is 2020-02-01; Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net; Original publication data not identified
N2  - "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.)
UR  - https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/61288
ER  -