02515cam a22003733u 4500 68256 UtSlPG 20260610134557.0 m cr n 260607r20221947utu|||||o|||||||||||||| d UtSlPG en iso639-1 PS Smith, George O. (George Oliver), 1911-1981 Rat Race Salt Lake City, UT : Project Gutenberg, 2022 1 online resource : multiple file formats text txt rdacontent computer c rdamedia online resource cr rdacarrier Produced from Astounding Science-Fiction, August 1947 Release date is 2022-06-06 Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net. "Rat Race" by George O. Smith is a science fiction short story published in the late 1940s. The narrative revolves around the creation of an innovative mousetrap by the protagonist, Peter Manton, which inadvertently leads to unforeseen consequences. The story explores themes of invention, unintended effects, and the complexities of time, as Manton's invention interacts with the fabric of reality in unexpected ways. In the story, Peter Manton invents a unique mousetrap that not only captures mice but also transmits them to unknown locations. Initially, this seems like a brilliant solution to a rising mouse population, particularly amidst wartime shortages of conventional traps. However, as the device begins to demonstrate its ability to send captured mice back in time, strange occurrences escalate into a national crisis dubbed a "plague of rats." This results in attention from the government and law enforcement as they attempt to decipher the trap's mysterious properties. Ultimately, it is revealed that the inadvertent time manipulations lead to the very problem the trap was meant to solve, presenting a humorous and thought-provoking commentary on the nature of innovation and its ramifications. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Originally published: United States: Street & Smith Publications, Incorporated, 1947 Science fiction Short stories Inventions -- Fiction Mousetraps -- Fiction Cartier, Edd, 1914-2008 Produced from Astounding Science-Fiction, August 1947 https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/68256 109072 109072