World in a Bottle by Allen Kim Lang
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"World in a Bottle" by Allen Kim Lang is a science fiction novel written in the early 1960s. The story explores themes of isolation, human experimentation, and the longing for connection, following a group of individuals who have been raised in a sterile environment, entirely separated from outside bacteria and microorganisms. The narrative revolves around John Bogardus, a "Lapin," who grapples with the implications of his existence in a world without contamination
and his unrequited love for a woman from the outside world. The plot centers on John and his companions, who are human guinea pigs raised in a controlled environment by scientists studying gnotobiotics. As they navigate their sterile lives, John's romance with Anne, an outsider, leads him to confront the stark realities of love and physical intimacy that are rendered impossible due to his germ-free condition. The narrative deepens when one of their own, Mary, marries a contaminated man and faces the dire consequences of her choice, which serves as a catalyst for John and the rest of the Lapins to consider a future beyond their confined existence. Ultimately, they hatch a plan to embark on a journey into space aboard the "Orion Zeta", seeking freedom and the chance for genuine human connection. The story deftly intertwines their scientific background with the deeply human desire for love, autonomy, and exploration, making it a thought-provoking tale of longing amid isolation. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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About this eBook
| Author | Lang, Allen Kim, 1928- |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Francis, Dick |
| Title | World in a Bottle |
| Series Title | Produced from Galaxy Magazine October 1960 |
| Credits |
Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at www.pgdp.net |
| Reading Level | Reading ease score: 74.7 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read. |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature |
| Subject | Science fiction |
| Subject | Man-woman relationships -- Fiction |
| Subject | Experiments -- Fiction |
| Category | Text |
| eBook-No. | 51824 |
| ISBN (HTML) | 979-8-238-51824-4 |
| Release Date | Apr 21, 2016 |
| Last Update | Oct 23, 2024 |
| Copyright | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 519 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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