The Marching Morons

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Kornbluth, C. M. (Cyril M.), 1923-1958.

Contributor:

Sibley, Don

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource : multiple file formats

Place of Publication:

Salt Lake City, UT : Project Gutenberg,

Summary:

"The Marching Morons" by C. M. Kornbluth is a science fiction novella written during the early 1950s. The story delves into the themes of social decline and the dangers of a society overwhelmed by ignorance and anti-intellectualism. It presents a dystopian future where the majority of the population lacks intelligence, leading to a societal structure that prioritizes mediocrity over genius. The plot follows Efim Hawkins, a potter who unexpectedly revives Honest John Barlow, a man from the past who had been in suspended animation for centuries. Barlow learns that society has deteriorated to the point where the average IQ is around 45, and intelligent people are now a minority. Taking advantage of the situation, Barlow seeks power and influence, all while contemplating a plan to manipulate the underdeveloped population. His revival serves as a catalyst for a critique of societal values, as Barlow's self-serving ambitions clash with the grim reality of the world he has awakened to. Throughout the story, Kornbluth crafts a thought-provoking commentary on the implications of overpopulation and cultural stagnation. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Credits:

Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net

Notes:

Reading ease score: 74.6 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read.

Wikipedia page about this book: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Marching_Morons

Release date is 2016-02-16