The Snowball Effect

by Katherine MacLean

This collection of literature attempts to compile many of the classic works that have stood the test of time and offer them at a reduced, affordable price, in an attractive volume so that everyone can enjoy them.

Genres: Science Fiction, Short Stories, Fiction

28 pages, Paperback

Published March 11, 2016

About the author

Katherine Anne MacLean (born January 22, 1925) is an American science fiction author best known for her short stories of the 1950s which examined the impact of technological advances on individuals and society.

Brian Aldiss noted that she could "do the hard stuff magnificently," while Theodore Sturgeon observed that she "generally starts from a base of hard science, or rationalizes psi phenomena with beautifully finished logic." Although her stories have been included in numerous anthologies and a few have had radio and television adaptations, The Diploids and Other Flights of Fancy (1962) is her only collection of short fiction.

Born in Glen Ridge, New Jersey, MacLean concentrated on mathematics and science in high school. At the time her earliest stories were being published in 1949-50, she received a B.A. in economics from Barnard College (1950), followed by postgraduate studies in psychology at various universities. Her 1951 marriage to Charles Dye ended in divorce a year later. She married David Mason in 1956. Their son, Christopher Dennis Mason, was born in 1957, and they divorced in 1962.

MacLean taught literature at the University of Maine and creative writing at the Free University of Portland. Over decades, she has continued to write while employed in a wide variety of jobs -- as book reviewer, economic graphanalyst, editor, EKG technician, food analyst, laboratory technician in penicillin research, nurse's aide, office manager and payroll bookkeeper. photographer, pollster, public relations, publicist and store detective.

It was while she worked as a laboratory technician in 1947 that she began writing science fiction. Strongly influenced by Ludwig von Bertalanffy's General Systems Theory, her fiction has often demonstrated a remarkable foresight in scientific advancements.

Reviews

[Glen Engel-Cox · Rating 4 out of 5]

The beginning of this story is classic: the dean of a prestigious university is bullying the head of the sociology department trying to get the latter to give him some economical reason why sociology is worthwhile. Written over 70 years ago, this same conversation has probably been played out innumerable times since. MacLean then introduces the plot—to prove that sociological theories work, the two men hatch a plot by which, with social blueprint in hand, they will increase the membership of the Watashaw Sewing Circle. If the experiment fails, the head of the sociology department will quit before the dean fires him. And that gives us the snowball effect of the title, in which the membership does grow as the theory predicted—but maybe in ways that they quite failed to expect. While there are flaws to the science of this, the point of the story is satirical rather than political, and works in that sense. Fun.

[Andy Hickman · Rating 3 out of 5]

“The Snowball Effect” (1952) – Katherine MacLean (USA)
When academia begin theorising and formulating ways of manufacturing the dynamics of group formation and expanse (and subsequent decline) it raises questions about the ethical integrity of social experimentation on people without their knowing. ***

Opening line:
“All right,” I said, “what is sociology good for?”
Closing line:
But I don't want anyone to pin that on me. From now on, if anyone asks me, I've never heard of Watashaw.

[Tiny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Writing as someone who has, don’t underestimate or undervalue the social sciences! Don’t underestimate the work or hobbies you don’t understand, and in the case of this story, academic men should not underestimate charitable women!

[CRAB · Rating 3 out of 5]

Part of my Penguin Science Fiction Omnibus. More satire than sci fi. Seed an Organisation, in this case a small town sewing circle with enough growth incentives, and watch it take over the world. Fun.

[Lawrence · Rating 2 out of 5]

Clearly written. Basically just a Ponzi scheme that is stated to continue beyond the point it realistically would.

[VexenReplica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice short story. It was originally published in Galaxy. Now, it's freely available on project gutenberg if anyone's interested.

[Sofia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read it inside the volume women of the pulps, strange story around a sociology experiment, but keep me interested in going 😅

[Steve LaForest]

Satire.

[Mika Goldman · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was aight

[Forked Radish · Rating 4 out of 5]

How political parties and other cancers grow.

[Tim Gordon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun short story about what could happen if you really did develop the perfect social experiment. I used to love these 50s Sci fi short stories, and this definitely doesn't disappoint. Feels as fresh now as it probably did over half a century ago.