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040 _aUtSlPG
041 7 _aen
_2iso639-1
050 4 _aPS
100 1 _aDel Rey, Lester,
_d1915-1993
245 1 0 _aAnd there was light
264 1 _aSalt Lake City, UT :
_bProject Gutenberg,
_c2023
300 _a1 online resource :
_bmultiple file formats
336 _atext
_btxt
_2rdacontent
337 _acomputer
_bc
_2rdamedia
338 _aonline resource
_bcr
_2rdacarrier
490 1 _aProduced from Future combined with Science Fiction Stories July 1951
500 _aRelease date is 2023-03-24
508 _aGreg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
520 _a"And There Was Light" by Lester Del Rey is a science fiction novella written in the early 1950s. The story explores the dark themes of morality and the dire consequences of technological advancements, specifically focusing on the use of a devastating new weapon that threatens to alter the future of humanity. It tackles the idea of making radical societal changes through control of population and the ethics surrounding such decisions. The plot centers around Johann Volcek, a scientist who has developed a revolutionary method of controlling nitrogen fission, which becomes a tool for enemy manipulation. As he prepares for a significant test, we are introduced to his wife, Stefanie, who is recovering from a recent loss and represents innocence amidst the chaos. When the test is executed, Volcek struggles with the implications of his work, which is designed to gradually sterilize the population in the West, effectively extinguishing a race. The Director of Centralia, who oversees this project, emphasizes the necessity of this action for achieving peace. However, as the test unfolds, a critical error occurs, leading to catastrophic consequences that force Volcek to confront the moral implications of his actions and the tragic loss of Stefanie's dream of motherhood, leaving readers to ponder the true meaning of progress and sacrifice in the name of peace. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
534 _pOriginally published:
_cUnited States: Columbia Publications, Inc., 1951
653 _aScience fiction
653 _aShort stories
653 _aWeapons -- Fiction
830 0 _aProduced from Future combined with Science Fiction Stories July 1951
856 4 0 _uhttps://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/70364
999 _c111090
_d111090