TY  - BOOK
AU  - Wilson,Richard
AU  - Gaughan,Jack
TI  - Deny the Slake
T2  - Produced from Infinity, April 1957
AV  - PS 
PY  - 2022///
CY  - Salt Lake City, UT
PB  - Project Gutenberg
KW  - Science fiction
KW  - Short stories
KW  - Outer space -- Exploration -- Fiction
KW  - Androids -- Fiction
N1  - Release date is 2022-06-26; Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net; Originally published; United States: Royal Publications, Inc, 1957
N2  - "Deny the Slake" by Richard Wilson is a science fiction novel written in the mid-20th century. The narrative follows a crew aboard the research ship "Pringle" as they explore a seemingly abandoned planetoid, S743, where they uncover the remains of a once-thriving civilization that has mysteriously turned to dust. The book delves into themes of communication, existential crisis, and the consequences of societal control through its unique exploration of an alien culture.  The story centers around Ernest Hotaling, a linguist and psychologist, who deciphers the poetic riddles left behind by the planet's inhabitants. As the crew investigates the cause of the civilization's demise, they learn that the android-like beings on the planetoid were once governed by oppressive "Masters" who exerted control to the extent that any infraction could result in death, a fate that ultimately befell the entire population. The crew discovers two surviving androids who reveal their tragic story of oppression and hope, culminating in a chaotic encounter with a law-enforcing robot that leads to their instant demise. Through Ernest's poetic translations, the narrative reflects on the nature of freedom, communication, and the deep sadness of the androids' existence, ultimately leaving the crew to grapple with the moral implications of their unintentional role in the androids' fate. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
UR  - https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/68410
ER  -