Null-ABC by H. Beam Piper and John J. McGuire

Read now or download (free!)

Choose how to read this book Url Size
Read online (web) https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/18346.html.images 235 kB
EPUB3 (E-readers incl. Send-to-Kindle) https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/18346.epub3.images 567 kB
EPUB (older E-readers) https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/18346.epub.images 570 kB
EPUB (no images, older E-readers) https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/18346.epub.noimages 158 kB
Kindle https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/18346.kf8.images 686 kB
older Kindles https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/18346.kindle.images 676 kB
Plain Text UTF-8 https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/18346.txt.utf-8 224 kB
Download HTML (zip) https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/18346/pg18346-h.zip 557 kB
There may be more files related to this item.

About this eBook

Author Piper, H. Beam, 1904-1964
Author McGuire, John J. (John Joseph), 1917-1981
Illustrator Van Dongen, H. R., 1920-2010
Title Null-ABC
Series Title Produced from Astounding Science Fiction, February and March, 1953
Note Reading ease score: 72.9 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read.
Credits Produced by Greg Weeks, Sankar Viswanathan, and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
Summary "Null-ABC" by H. Beam Piper and John J. McGuire is a science fiction novel written in the early 1950s. The narrative unfolds in a futuristic society where literacy is a privilege restricted to a few, referred to as Literates, while the majority refer to themselves as Illiterates. Central to the story is Chester Pelton, a senator running a campaign against the influence of the Literates, as he grapples with both personal and political challenges surrounding his family, particularly his children, Claire and Ray, who possess the skills that threaten to upend their father's aspirations and societal norms. At the start of the novel, we are introduced to Chester Pelton, enjoying breakfast with his children, Claire and Ray. The scene is set in a household where authentic food is a sign of affluence amidst a backdrop of socio-political tension. The narrative shifts from breakfast discussions to the political climate, as Chester is alerted to his son's admiration for a Literate—a concern that festers amidst ongoing election campaigns. A heart attack incident involving Chester, triggered by a confrontation with a Literate, intensifies the stakes, highlighting the societal divide. The opening suggests a deep exploration of the ramifications of literacy on personal identity and power dynamics, foreshadowing a critical conflict that questions the role of educated elite in society. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
Language English
LoC Class PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature
Subject Science fiction
Subject Literacy -- Fiction
Subject Nuclear warfare -- Social aspects -- Fiction
Category Text
EBook-No. 18346
Release Date
Most Recently Updated Jun 29, 2014
Copyright Status Public domain in the USA.
Downloads 138 downloads in the last 30 days.
Project Gutenberg eBooks are always free!