| Author |
Blish, James, 1921-1975 |
| Illustrator |
Griffith, Fuller |
| Title |
King of the Hill
|
| Original Publication |
United States: Royal Publications, Inc,1955.
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| Note |
Reading ease score: 86.5 (6th grade). Easy to read.
|
| Credits |
Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
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| Summary |
"King of the Hill" by James Blish is a science fiction novel written in the mid-20th century. The story revolves around Colonel Hal Gascoigne, the sole occupant of Satellite Vehicle 1, who faces a crisis involving the potential bombing of Washington D.C. while grappling with his own deteriorating mental state. The book examines themes of isolation, responsibility, and the psychological toll of advanced warfare technology. The narrative unfolds as Gascoigne receives conflicting orders about deploying hydrogen bombs but struggles with hallucinations and the reality of his situation—no one else is aboard SV-1 but him. As tensions escalate, Peter Harris from the Civilian Intelligence Group (CIG) is sent to provide assistance. In a gripping psychological confrontation, Harris must help Gascoigne confront his delusions and the possibility that the bombs he commands are merely a bluff. The plot culminates in a deep exploration of madness within the confines of power, the weight of command, and the absurdity of military bureaucracy, leading to profound implications about the nature of reality and responsibility in an increasingly complex world. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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| Language |
English |
| LoC Class |
PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature
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| Subject |
Science fiction
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| Subject |
Short stories
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| Subject |
Psychological fiction
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| Subject |
Space stations -- Fiction
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| Subject |
Nuclear weapons -- Fiction
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| Category |
Text |
| EBook-No. |
67317 |
| Release Date |
Feb 4, 2022 |
| Copyright Status |
Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads |
81 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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