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040 _aUtSlPG
041 7 _aen
_2iso639-1
050 4 _aPS
100 1 _aSmith, George O.
_q(George Oliver),
_d1911-1981
245 1 0 _aLost Art
264 1 _aSalt Lake City, UT :
_bProject Gutenberg,
_c2022
300 _a1 online resource :
_bmultiple file formats
336 _atext
_btxt
_2rdacontent
337 _acomputer
_bc
_2rdamedia
338 _aonline resource
_bcr
_2rdacarrier
490 1 _aVenus Equilateral
490 1 _aProduced from Astounding Science-Fiction, December 1943
500 _aRelease date is 2022-04-25
508 _aGreg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
520 _a"Lost Art" by George O. Smith is a science fiction novella written in the early 1940s. Set against the backdrop of a futuristic Mars, the story explores the rediscovery of advanced technology from an ancient Martian civilization, particularly focusing on a mysterious beam tower and a technical manual detailing its functions. The narrative delves into themes of technological evolution and the cyclical nature of knowledge, suggesting that breakthroughs in science can become enigmas for future generations. The plot follows two Terran characters, Barney Carroll and Jim Baler, as they uncover remnants of a lost Martian technology, initially mistaking it for an abandoned signal device. They excavate a beam tower that contains a complex electronic artifact linked to a manual filled with advanced mathematics and engineering principles. As they experiment with the technology, they accidentally harness its power and inadvertently create a series of citywide electrical disruptions. Despite their initial failures and humorous misadventures, their perseverance leads them to realize the device's potential as a method of transmitting electric power over vast distances. Ultimately, the story culminates in their understanding that while this technology could revolutionize energy distribution, the practicality of its use may be lost in translation to their own civilization, reflecting on the continuity of knowledge across time. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
534 _pOriginally published:
_cUnited States: Street & Smith Publications, Incorporated, 1943
653 _aScience fiction
653 _aMartians -- Fiction
653 _aMars (Planet) -- Fiction
653 _aElectrical engineers -- Fiction
700 1 _aOrban, Paul,
_d1896-1974
830 0 _aVenus Equilateral
830 0 _aProduced from Astounding Science-Fiction, December 1943
856 4 0 _uhttps://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/67923
999 _c108745
_d108745