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001			28118
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040			_aUtSlPG
041		7	_aen _2iso639-1
050		4	_aPS
100	1		_aJones, Raymond F., _d1915-1994
245	1	4	_aThe Great Gray Plague
264		1	_aSalt Lake City, UT : _bProject Gutenberg, _c2009
300			_a1 online resource : _bmultiple file formats
336			_atext _btxt _2rdacontent
337			_acomputer _bc _2rdamedia
338			_aonline resource _bcr _2rdacarrier
490	1		_aProduced from Analog Science Fact and Science Fiction February 1962.
500			_aRelease date is 2009-02-18
508			_aProduced by Greg Weeks, Dave Lovelace, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
520			_a"The Great Gray Plague" by Raymond F. Jones is a science fiction novel written in the early 1960s. The story centers around Dr. William Baker, a 50-year-old director at the National Bureau of Scientific Development, and explores themes of scientific progress, human creativity, and the conflict between established authority and unconventional thinking. The narrative touches upon Baker's pride in his achievements, yet sets the stage for conflict as he interacts with colleagues and faces unexpected challenges, hinting at the emerging crisis that will unfold in response to a mysterious phenomenon. At the start of the novel, we meet Dr. Baker on his fiftieth birthday, where he receives a heartfelt surprise from his staff that underscores the camaraderie of his work environment. However, the tone quickly shifts as Baker's day progresses, revealing a tension between him and his friend Dr. John Fenwick, who is seeking a research grant for Clearwater College. Their conversation exposes the rigid criteria the Bureau employs to judge grant applications, including ludicrous evaluations of faculty backgrounds and cultural contributions, which irritate Fenwick. Baker's disdain for unconventional ideas and his adherence to the bureaucratic processes set up a conflict when a seemingly crackpot inventor, Jim Ellerbee, presents a potentially revolutionary communication device that challenges Baker's established views and beliefs about what constitutes legitimate scientific inquiry. The opening thus hints at a deeper exploration of creativity, human ingenuity, and the limitations imposed by rigid academic structures. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
534			_nOriginal publication data not identified
653			_aScience fiction
830		0	_aProduced from Analog Science Fact and Science Fiction February 1962.
856	4	0	_uhttps://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/28118
999			_c69027 _d69027