Reject by John Johnson
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"Reject" by John Johnson is a science fiction short story written in the mid-20th century. The narrative revolves around the emotional and societal implications of an advanced technological society where children are genetically engineered and conditioned for specific roles in society. The story highlights a profound conflict arising from the emotional needs of a young boy, Donnie, who expresses a desire for companionship rather than the machine-like upbringing he has received. In
"Reject," the protagonist Donnie finds himself at odds with his father, Mr. Ames, who values performance and efficiency over emotional connection. Despite being raised in a controlled environment designed to produce optimal individuals, Donnie struggles with his need for play and companionship, traits deemed undesirable in his society. The tension escalates as Mr. Ames learns from the incubator officials that Donnie exhibits "neurotic tendencies" and is classified as a "reject." The story reflects on the potential consequences of prioritizing intelligence and productivity over emotional health, ultimately questioning what it means to be truly human in an increasingly mechanized world. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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About this eBook
| Author | Johnson, John |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Orban, Paul, 1896-1974 |
| Title | Reject |
| Series Title | Produced from Worlds of If Science Fiction, August 1956 |
| Credits |
Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at www.pgdp.net |
| Reading Level | Reading ease score: 78.8 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read. |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature |
| Subject | Science fiction |
| Subject | Short stories |
| Subject | Parent and child -- Fiction |
| Subject | Child rearing -- Fiction |
| Category | Text |
| eBook-No. | 59495 |
| Release Date | May 13, 2019 |
| Copyright | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 255 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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