TY - BOOK AU - Williams,Robert Moore TI - Be It Ever Thus T2 - Produced from Fantastic Universe January 1954 AV - PS PY - 2009/// CY - Salt Lake City, UT PB - Project Gutenberg KW - Science fiction KW - Short stories N1 - Release date is 2009-06-25; Produced by Greg Weeks, Stephen Blundell and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net; Original publication data not identified N2 - "Be It Ever Thus" by Robert Moore Williams is a science fiction novel written in the early to mid-1950s. The book explores themes of conquest, identity, and rebellion against oppressive systems, set in a future where humanity has conquered an alien world and its inhabitants. The narrative follows a group of graduating students from the Star Institute of Advanced Science as they visit a museum showcasing the remnants of the defeated native population. The story centers around the class president, Billy Kasker, who unknowingly harbors the identity of a native swapped at birth. As the class tours the ruins of the conquered civilization under the guidance of their instructor, they indulge in a patronizing view of the natives. Tension escalates when Kasker encounters a brown-skinned native who reveals their shared past. With this connection, Kasker becomes embroiled in a plot to liberate the oppressed natives, culminating in a transformation of his role from a naïve conqueror to an ally intent on altering the fate of his people. The novel ultimately critiques systemic oppression and the complexities of identity, culminating in a powerful moment of rebellion and hope for the future. (This is an automatically generated summary.) UR - https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/29240 ER -