| Author |
Silverberg, Robert, 1935- |
| Illustrator |
Schoenherr, John, 1935-2010 |
| Title |
Age of anxiety
|
| Original Publication |
New York, NY: Royal Publications, Inc., 1957.
|
| Note |
Reading ease score: 77.8 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read.
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| Credits |
Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
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| Summary |
"Age of Anxiety" by Robert Silverberg is a science fiction novel written during the mid-20th century. The narrative explores the themes of choice, maturity, and the impact of a society reliant on drugs that alleviate anxiety. Set in a futuristic world where children are administered an unworry drug to shield them from the burdens of adult life, the story centers around the protagonist, Larry, as he approaches a critical juncture on his seventeenth birthday: the decision to either embrace adulthood with its inherent anxieties or retreat into a perpetual state of unworry. The story follows Larry as he navigates his first days of newfound awareness, grappling with the daunting choice presented by a robonurse on his birthday. Faced with three capsules symbolizing different paths—returning to the bliss of childhood, suppressing his fears with continuing the unworry drug, or confronting the complexities of adulthood—Larry embarks on a journey through the City and the Playground. He meets various characters along the way who compel him to question his understanding of anxiety and responsibility. Ultimately, Larry discovers that his ability to worry and his struggle with decisions signify his readiness for maturity, leading him to accept the challenges of adult life with newfound confidence. This profound exploration of the human condition raises questions about the cost of happiness and the true nature of growth. (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 |
Teenage boys -- Fiction
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| Category |
Text |
| EBook-No. |
71491 |
| Release Date |
Aug 26, 2023 |
| Copyright Status |
Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads |
110 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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