The eternal quest by Joseph Gilbert
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"The Eternal Quest" by Joseph Gilbert is a science fiction novelette written in the early 1940s. The story explores the themes of hope and the search for meaning in a future where humanity has become spiritually and creatively stagnant due to the overwhelming dominance of machines. The narrative intertwines elements of space exploration with psychological and philosophical inquiries about the human condition, highlighting the struggle to reclaim purpose in a technologically advanced
yet emotionally barren society. In this tale, a diminutive yet charismatic figure emerges to inspire a world depleted of hope, claiming to have discovered a new civilization that could revitalize humanity. The protagonist, Robert Lawrence, embarks on a journey to Mars that deepens his understanding of the emptiness bred by technology. He encounters a dying being who, in a tragic twist, reveals that his own quest for escape led to despair, mirroring the futility faced by mankind. In the end, Lawrence learns of the quiet, sorrowful existence shared by those who seek fulfillment and the profound sadness of unrealized dreams, culminating in a poignant commentary on the eternal quest for meaning amidst an indifferent universe. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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About this eBook
| Author | Gilbert, Joseph |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Stevens, Lawrence Sterne, 1886-1960 |
| Title | The eternal quest |
| Original Publication | United States: Fictioneers, Inc.,1942. |
| Series Title | Produced from Astonishing Stories, October 1942 |
| Credits | Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at www.pgdp.net |
| Reading Level | Reading ease score: 70.6 (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 | Psychological fiction |
| Subject | Human-alien encounters -- Fiction |
| Subject | Interstellar travel -- Fiction |
| Category | Text |
| eBook-No. | 69148 |
| Release Date | Oct 13, 2022 |
| Last Update | Oct 19, 2024 |
| Copyright | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 284 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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