Pick a Crime
- 1 online resource : multiple file formats
- Produced from Galaxy Science Fiction May 1958 .
- Produced from Galaxy Science Fiction May 1958 .
Release date is 2016-04-04
Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
"Pick a Crime" by Richard R. Smith is a science fiction novel set in a near-future society that has devised an elaborate system to prevent crime. Written during the mid-20th century, the book explores a world where criminal tendencies are monitored and treated through a system called the CPA (Crime Prevention Association), which eliminates the existence of crime, punishes no one, and instead rehabilitates criminals into law-abiding citizens. The narrative centers around an individual named Joe Harper, whose desire to commit a crime ironically leads him to seek social acceptance and a livelihood. In the story, Joe, classified as a Dangerous Criminal Tendencies (DCT), reflects on a society where crime is nearly eradicated, but at the cost of personal freedom and autonomy. Frustrated with his status and unable to secure employment because of his label, he devises a convoluted plan to commit a crime, believing that being caught would grant him a path to rehabilitation and a normal life. After attempting to stage a robbery, Joe is apprehended and undergoes a treatment process that rewires his thoughts and impulses. The conclusion reveals a dark twist: while he becomes a non-criminal, he is left feeling like a shell of his former self, governed by the CPA's enforced morality, indicating the story's themes of freedom, identity, and societal control. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
Science fiction Short stories Psychological fiction Crime -- Fiction