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Barrier World
Beneath their perfect society hides an ugly truth
Clockworld’s General Rules of Conduct—the very foundations of order—have kept its citizens productive, compliant, and radiantly healthy for generations. There is no room for illness, age, injury are all dealt with the same Reprocessing. No one Reprocessed ever returns.
His whole life, Technician Cory questioned Clockworld’s beliefs and practices, thoughts he usually kept to himself. But when his friend Owen is suddenly Reprocessed for a minor injury, Cory openly rebels against the Authority. He’s arrested and sentenced to three months of hard labor among Clockworld’s slave-class, the Grayshirts.
Intellectuals, weeded out early as likely revolutionaries, the Grayshirts are separated from the rest of society. Here, though Cory’s lost the privileges of the exerciser class, he is unrestricted by the conventions of society and soon finds himself part of a secret revolution. With his new allies, Cory sets off to debunk Clockworld’s obscure rules and look for Owen. What they discover will shatter everything they know about Clockworld…and their own existence.
Clockworld’s General Rules of Conduct—the very foundations of order—have kept its citizens productive, compliant, and radiantly healthy for generations. There is no room for illness, age, injury are all dealt with the same Reprocessing. No one Reprocessed ever returns.
His whole life, Technician Cory questioned Clockworld’s beliefs and practices, thoughts he usually kept to himself. But when his friend Owen is suddenly Reprocessed for a minor injury, Cory openly rebels against the Authority. He’s arrested and sentenced to three months of hard labor among Clockworld’s slave-class, the Grayshirts.
Intellectuals, weeded out early as likely revolutionaries, the Grayshirts are separated from the rest of society. Here, though Cory’s lost the privileges of the exerciser class, he is unrestricted by the conventions of society and soon finds himself part of a secret revolution. With his new allies, Cory sets off to debunk Clockworld’s obscure rules and look for Owen. What they discover will shatter everything they know about Clockworld…and their own existence.
- GenresScience Fiction
241 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1970
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18 people want to read
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
February 22, 2023
A dysutopian novel with a plot pattern that has already been treated in dozens of other Science Fiction novels: a dictatorially run, totally repressive society. And as protagonist an average guy who reluctantly becomes a rebel.
Charbonneau's variant has some specialities and a rather SF-like explanation of how this form of society came about. This is not provided until the end.
Until then, there were some plot developments that were not exactly credible. This also applies to the ending.
I was bored a little for the most part and read the last quarter crosswise, but at least I didn't stop because I still wanted to know what was behind it.
Charbonneau's variant has some specialities and a rather SF-like explanation of how this form of society came about. This is not provided until the end.
Until then, there were some plot developments that were not exactly credible. This also applies to the ending.
I was bored a little for the most part and read the last quarter crosswise, but at least I didn't stop because I still wanted to know what was behind it.
Displaying 1 of 1 review