The Carnivore by Katherine MacLean
"The Carnivore" by G. A. Morris is a science fiction short story published in the early to mid-20th century. The narrative explores themes of alien encounters, survival, and the consequences of humanity's violent history. Through the lens of the protagonist's experience of devastation and loss, the story raises profound questions about civilization, morality, and the nature of fear. In the wake of a catastrophic event that has decimated humanity, the protagonist awakens
to find themselves surrounded by extraterrestrial beings who represent advanced, peaceful civilizations. As they interact, the protagonist grapples with feelings of anger and betrayal, questioning why these aliens failed to intervene during humanity's self-destruction. The aliens reveal their deep-seated fear of carnivorous species, having witnessed the brutality and harm caused by such beings throughout their history. In a shocking twist, it is revealed that the survivors have been rendered sterile, ensuring that the human race cannot continue. This conclusion forces the protagonist to confront a visceral rage against the aliens, juxtaposed with a burgeoning understanding of their cautious nature and the cycle of violence inherent in the evolutionary history of carnivores. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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About this eBook
| Author | MacLean, Katherine, 1925-2019 |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Burchard |
| Title | The Carnivore |
| Series Title | Produced from Galaxy Science Fiction October 1953. |
| Note | Reading ease score: 81.1 (6th grade). Easy to read. |
| Credits |
Produced by Greg Weeks, Stephen Blundell and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature |
| Subject | Science fiction |
| Subject | Short stories |
| Category | Text |
| EBook-No. | 30044 |
| Release Date | Sep 20, 2009 |
| Most Recently Updated | Oct 24, 2024 |
| Copyright Status | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 98 downloads in the last 30 days. |
| Project Gutenberg eBooks are always free! | |
