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001 65838
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040 _aUtSlPG
041 7 _aen
_2iso639-1
050 4 _aPS
100 1 _aSheckley, Robert,
_d1928-2005
245 1 0 _aFinal Examination
264 1 _aSalt Lake City, UT :
_bProject Gutenberg,
_c2021
300 _a1 online resource :
_bmultiple file formats
336 _atext
_btxt
_2rdacontent
337 _acomputer
_bc
_2rdamedia
338 _aonline resource
_bcr
_2rdacarrier
490 1 _aProduced from Imagination Stories of Science and Fantasy May 1952
500 _aRelease date is 2021-07-14
508 _aGreg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
520 _a"Final Examination" by Robert Sheckley is a science fiction short story written in the early 1950s. The narrative centers around the mysterious disappearance of stars from the Milky Way and the impending judgment of humanity, which looms over a five-day countdown. The protagonist, Adam Ostersen, begins to experience a surreal and transformative journey as society grapples with its impending fate. In the story, Adam Ostersen, a seemingly ordinary man, finds himself caught in an extraordinary situation when stars begin vanishing from the sky, leading to a global panic. As millions of stars blink out, an enigmatic voice announces a judgment day for humans, scheduled for five days later. The tale follows Adam's experiences as people react in a myriad of ways—from resignation to bizarre theories—including an invasion from another dimension. As Adam and his wife navigate these tumultuous days, societal norms begin to fracture, causing chaos mixed with unexpected acts of kindness. Ultimately, the judgment day arrives, but, in an ironic twist, the fate of humanity is postponed by ten years, revealing the fragile nature of human behavior even in the face of existential crisis. The story provides a thought-provoking commentary on human nature and the struggles between good and evil amidst a backdrop of cosmic uncertainty. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
534 _nOriginal publication data not identified
653 _aScience fiction
653 _aShort stories
653 _aJudgment Day -- Fiction
830 0 _aProduced from Imagination Stories of Science and Fantasy May 1952
856 4 0 _uhttps://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/65838
999 _c106660
_d106660