Waste Not, Want by Dave Dryfoos
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"Waste Not, Want" by Dave Dryfoos is a science fiction novella written in the mid-20th century. The book explores themes of consumption and societal expectations, set in a dystopian future where personal choice and individuality are sacrificed for the sake of consumption and economic stability. The narrative follows an elderly mechanical engineer, Fred Lubway, as he grapples with the pressures of a consumerist society that mandates he utilize every resource available, even
after the loss of his life partner, Tillie. The story centers on Fred’s struggle against a mechanical and emotionless world that enforces strict consumption habits through the intervention of what are referred to as "ration-cops." After coping with the grief of losing Tillie, Fred is forced to adapt to the demands of a society that values productivity and consumption over personal happiness or contentment. His frustration builds as he confronts the absurdity of his existence: constantly producing technology just to be required to consume it and facing penalties for underconsumption. The narrative culminates in a confrontation with authority as the ration-cops attempt to "correct" Fred’s dissatisfaction through brain surgery, symbolizing the ultimate loss of personal autonomy in a society that prioritizes economic output over individual well-being. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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About this eBook
| Author | Dryfoos, Dave, 1915-2003 |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Freas, Kelly, 1922-2005 |
| Title | Waste Not, Want |
| Series Title | Produced from If Worlds of Science Fiction September 1954. |
| Credits |
Produced by Greg Weeks, Stephen Blundell and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at www.pgdp.net |
| Reading Level | Reading ease score: 75.4 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read. |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature |
| Subject | Science fiction |
| Subject | Short stories |
| Category | Text |
| eBook-No. | 30416 |
| ISBN (HTML) | 979-8-238-30416-8 |
| Release Date | Nov 7, 2009 |
| Last Update | Oct 24, 2024 |
| Copyright | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 474 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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