This edition had all images removed.
Title: Synthetic Hero
Note: Reading ease score: 64.0 (8th & 9th grade). Neither easy nor difficult to read.
Credits: Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http: //www.pgdp.net
Summary: "Synthetic Hero" by Erik Fennel is a science fiction novella written in the late 1940s. The narrative centers around George Carlin, a wealthy and egocentric industrialist who, facing a terminal illness known as Matson's Disease, devises a grandiose plan to become a hero by traveling to the moon. This story explores themes of ego, identity, and the nature of heroism against a backdrop of human ambition and technological advancement. The plot follows Carlin’s descent as he orchestrates a one-way trip to the moon, resulting in an accidental transformation into a public figure celebrated for discovering a potential cure for his disease. However, the true pioneer behind the mission, engineer Verne Harris, is unceremoniously ignored in the narrative, leading to tragic consequences. As Carlin drinks away his troubles, he eventually learns of Harris's sacrifice and the myth that replaces their shared reality, illustrating how society often elevates flawed individuals while the genuine heroes remain unrecognized or forgotten. Ultimately, Carlin’s journey is one of loss, redemption, and the harsh reality of how public perception can shape history, leaving him with the haunting truth of another man's overlooked legacy. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
Author: Fennel, Erik
Illustrator: Vestal, Herman B., 1916-2007
EBook No.: 64515
Published: Feb 10, 2021
Downloads: 57
Language: English
Subject: Science fiction
Subject: Short stories
Subject: Impostors and imposture -- Fiction
Subject: Rich people -- Fiction
Subject: Space flight to the moon -- Fiction
Subject: Diseases -- Fiction
LoCC: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature
Category: Text
Rights: Public domain in the USA.
This edition has images.
Title: Synthetic Hero
Note: Reading ease score: 64.0 (8th & 9th grade). Neither easy nor difficult to read.
Credits: Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http: //www.pgdp.net
Summary: "Synthetic Hero" by Erik Fennel is a science fiction novella written in the late 1940s. The narrative centers around George Carlin, a wealthy and egocentric industrialist who, facing a terminal illness known as Matson's Disease, devises a grandiose plan to become a hero by traveling to the moon. This story explores themes of ego, identity, and the nature of heroism against a backdrop of human ambition and technological advancement. The plot follows Carlin’s descent as he orchestrates a one-way trip to the moon, resulting in an accidental transformation into a public figure celebrated for discovering a potential cure for his disease. However, the true pioneer behind the mission, engineer Verne Harris, is unceremoniously ignored in the narrative, leading to tragic consequences. As Carlin drinks away his troubles, he eventually learns of Harris's sacrifice and the myth that replaces their shared reality, illustrating how society often elevates flawed individuals while the genuine heroes remain unrecognized or forgotten. Ultimately, Carlin’s journey is one of loss, redemption, and the harsh reality of how public perception can shape history, leaving him with the haunting truth of another man's overlooked legacy. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
Author: Fennel, Erik
Illustrator: Vestal, Herman B., 1916-2007
EBook No.: 64515
Published: Feb 10, 2021
Downloads: 57
Language: English
Subject: Science fiction
Subject: Short stories
Subject: Impostors and imposture -- Fiction
Subject: Rich people -- Fiction
Subject: Space flight to the moon -- Fiction
Subject: Diseases -- Fiction
LoCC: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature
Category: Text
Rights: Public domain in the USA.