WeRead Powered by ReaderPub
30-day wonder cover

30-day wonder

Chapter 1: 30-DAY WONDER
Open in WeRead

Explore more books like this:

About This Book

A sardonic science-fiction tale follows a reluctant public-relations agent, a reporter named Sam Kent, who becomes the human intermediary for invulnerable alien Monolithians intent on persuading humanity to adopt absolute pacifism. The aliens' enforced message and social control produce absurd, often darkly comic consequences as individuals and institutions strain under rules that ban choice and conflict. The narrative unfolds as daily, diary-like entries across a single month, mixing newsroom detail, bureaucratic encounters, and escalating social unrest while exploring themes of free will, conformity, and the unintended costs of imposed utopia.

The Project Gutenberg eBook of 30-day wonder

This ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this ebook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook.

Title: 30-day wonder

Author: Richard Wilson

Illustrator: Richard M. Powers

Release date: April 10, 2024 [eBook #73375]

Language: English

Original publication: New York, NY: Ballantine Books, 1960

Credits: Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net

*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 30-DAY WONDER ***

30-DAY WONDER

By Richard Wilson

BALLANTINE BOOKS
NEW YORK

Copyright © 1960 by Richard Wilson

PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

BALLANTINE BOOKS, INC.

101 Fifth Avenue, New York 3, N. Y.

[Transcriber's Note: Extensive research did not uncover any
evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]


It's a lovely world....

He was a reporter. A good one. An average guy with a sense of humor and reasonable views about the rights of man.

Maybe that's why the Monolithians picked on him to head up their public-relations program. After all, they had to reach a lot of average people and even though they were invulnerable, they couldn't afford to take chances. Because they had a message, and EVERYBODY had to be convinced. So he didn't have any choice in the matter.

That's where the system went wrong. No choice.

Act peaceful. Love thy neighbor. Obey the law. Why, people could go mad living that way.

And many will.


CONTENTS

1 (JULY 22, TUES.)
2 (JULY 23, WED.)
3 (JULY 24, THURS.)
4 (JULY 25, FRI.)
5 (JULY 26, SAT.)
6 (JULY 27, SUN.)
7 (JULY 28, MON.)
8 (JULY 29, TUES.)
9 (JULY 30, WED.)
10 (JULY 31, THURS.)
11 (AUG. 1, FRI.)
12 (AUG. 2, SAT.)
13 (AUG. 3, SUN.)
14 (AUG. 4, MON.)
15 (AUG. 5, TUES.)
16 (AUG. 6, WED.)
17 (AUG. 7, THURS.)
18 (AUG. 8, FRI.)
19 (AUG. 9, SAT.)
20 (AUG. 10, SUN.)
21 (AUG. 11, MON.)
22 (AUG. 12, TUES.)
23 (AUG. 13, WED.)
24 (AUG. 14, THURS.)
25 (AUG. 15, FRI.)
26 (AUG. 16, SAT.)
27 (AUG. 17, SUN.)
28 (AUG. 18, MON.)
29 (AUG. 19, TUES.)
30 (AUG. 20, WED.)