000 02512cam a22003493u 4500
001 60940
003 UtSlPG
005 20260610134414.0
006 m
007 cr n
008 260607r2019||||utu|||||o|||||||||||||| d
040 _aUtSlPG
041 7 _aen
_2iso639-1
050 4 _aPS
100 1 _aLafferty, R. A.,
_d1914-2002
245 1 0 _aMcGonigal's Worm
264 1 _aSalt Lake City, UT :
_bProject Gutenberg,
_c2019
300 _a1 online resource :
_bmultiple file formats
336 _atext
_btxt
_2rdacontent
337 _acomputer
_bc
_2rdamedia
338 _aonline resource
_bcr
_2rdacarrier
490 1 _aProduced from Worlds of If Science Fiction, November 1960
500 _aRelease date is 2019-12-16
508 _aProduced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
520 _a"McGonigal's Worm" by R. A. Lafferty is a science fiction novel written in the early 1960s. The story revolves around an unusual event that incapacitates all chordata on Earth, eliminating their ability to reproduce, except for one seemingly insignificant creature—McGonigal's Worm. This strange phenomenon prompts a global reaction as scientists and governments scramble to understand the cause of this sterility and the implications it holds for humanity's future. The narrative follows the unfolding crisis, introducing characters like Director Concord, who leads an institute dedicated to studying this alarming development. Central to the plot are a couple, Musha and Cecilia, who embody the human response to the extinction threat when they are identified as the last hope for human reproduction. An ill-fated attempt to unite them acts as a focal point for exploring themes of individuality versus the collective good, dignity in the face of extinction, and the absurdity of the situation. As the story progresses, the real "disease" emerges not from a biological failure but as a reflection of societal values and the human condition in the face of inevitable decline. Ultimately, "McGonigal's Worm" presents a thought-provoking exploration of survival, hope, and the complexities of existence in an absurd world. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
534 _nOriginal publication data not identified
653 _aScience fiction
653 _aShort stories
653 _aInfertility -- Fiction
830 0 _aProduced from Worlds of If Science Fiction, November 1960
856 4 0 _uhttps://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/60940
999 _c101766
_d101766