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040 _aUtSlPG
041 7 _aen
_2iso639-1
050 4 _aPS
100 1 _aMerwin, Sam, Jr.,
_d1910-1996
245 1 0 _aFinal exam
264 1 _aSalt Lake City, UT :
_bProject Gutenberg,
_c2026
300 _a1 online resource :
_bmultiple file formats
336 _atext
_btxt
_2rdacontent
337 _acomputer
_bc
_2rdamedia
338 _aonline resource
_bcr
_2rdacarrier
490 1 _aProduced from Fantastic Universe, November 1955 (Vol. 4, No. 4.).
500 _aRelease date is 2026-01-16
508 _aTom Trussel (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive)
520 _aFinal exam by Jr. Sam Merwin is a science fiction short story written in the mid-20th century. It likely centers on first contact through UFO sightings as a catalyst for a moral and political test of humanity’s readiness to join a wider galactic community. A national leader at a secret Midwestern retreat refuses to hide when a formation of mysterious lights—solid craft on radar—sweep in overhead. After witnessing one up close, he seeks counsel from his trusted friend Harlan, a serene astrophysicist who reveals he is part of a quiet, long-term alien mission: embedded advisors placed among Earth’s power centers to help humanity survive its volatile early atomic era. The arriving “flying saucers” are not invaders but transports to retrieve these mentors, leaving humans to face their “final exam” unaided. Returning home, the leader discovers his beloved wife has also departed—she, too, was one of them. Shaken but resolute, he watches a ship lift off and then resolves to unite his counterparts worldwide to guide their people through the looming trial, trusting that love and shared purpose will be enough to prevent catastrophe and earn a place among the stars. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
534 _pOriginally published:
_cNew York: King-Size Publications, Inc., 1955
653 _aScience fiction
653 _aShort stories
653 _aUnidentified flying objects -- Fiction
700 1 _aHunter, Mel,
_d1927-2004
830 0 _aProduced from Fantastic Universe, November 1955 (Vol. 4, No. 4.).
856 4 _uhttps://archive.org/details/Fantastic_Universe_v04n04_1955-11/page/n3/mode/2up
856 4 0 _uhttps://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/77718
999 _c118438
_d118438