02568cam a22003493u 450000100060000000300070000600500170001300600020003000700050003200800410003704000110007804100170008905000070010610000290011324500120014226400510015430000470020533600260025233700260027833800360030449000580034050000310039850800960042952014360052553400720196165300200203365300180205365300270207183000580209885600430215699900190219967324UtSlPG20260610134544.0mcr n260607r20221955utu|||||o|||||||||||||| d  aUtSlPG 7aen2iso639-1 4aPS1 aMason, David,d1924-197410aPlacebo 1aSalt Lake City, UT :bProject Gutenberg,c2022  a1 online resource :bmultiple file formats  atextbtxt2rdacontent  acomputerbc2rdamedia  aonline resourcebcr2rdacarrier1 aProduced from Infinity Science Fiction, November 1955  aRelease date is 2022-02-05  aGreg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net  a"Placebo" by David Mason is a science fiction story written in the mid-20th century. The narrative unfolds during a time of emerging technological advancements and societal changes, reflecting themes of time travel and the complexities of different realities. The tale explores the concept of psychological and societal perceptions as the protagonist encounters an unusual and chaotic interaction with an alien traveler from another 1955, dealing with the dichotomy of primitive versus advanced civilizations.  The story centers around Philip Corrigan, who discovers a time traveler named Darwin Lenner stranded in a peculiar world that appears simple and carefree compared to Lenner's more structured and rigid society. As they interact, Lenner expresses his despair over his inability to return to his home world—where complexity reigns over freedom. With a comedic twist, Corrigan, alongside another character named Burwell, ultimately deceives Lenner into believing that his faulty time machine has been successfully repaired, illuminating the idea that psychological belief can serve as a catalyst for action. The conclusion emphasizes the value of self-belief over mechanical reliance, as Lenner's departure is facilitated by the notion of empowerment rather than the actual functioning of his device, highlighting a whimsical critique of civilization's reliance on technology. (This is an automatically generated summary.)  pOriginally published:cUnited States: Royal Publications, Inc, 1955  aScience fiction  aShort stories  aTime travel -- Fiction 0aProduced from Infinity Science Fiction, November 195540uhttps://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/67324  c108146d108146