Project Gutenberg 2008-01-21 Public domain in the USA. 118 Von Wald, E. G. Wald, E. G. von Van Dongen, H. R. 1920 2010 Van Dongen, Henry Richard Dongen, H. R. Van Dongen, van Shock Absorber Produced from Astounding Science Fiction June 1955. Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net "Shock Absorber" by E. G. Von Wald is a science fiction narrative that explores themes of military strategy and psychological warfare in a futuristic setting. Written in the mid-20th century, it delves into the complexities of leadership and human behavior against the backdrop of a war between humans and an alien race. The story centers on a group of military personnel dealing with the challenges posed by the newly commissioned Psi Corps officers, who possess extra-rational mental faculties deemed essential for combat. The plot revolves around Commander Frendon, the new captain of a battle-worn space combat ship, who faces skepticism and hostility from his crew, who believe he is a "sickman" affiliated with the Psi Corps. Lieutenant Alton Maise, the executive officer, navigates the subtle tensions among the crew as they grapple with their distrust of Frendon’s leadership, which they believe relies on guesswork rather than strategy. As the narrative unfolds, Frendon struggles to earn the crew's respect while an underlying conspiracy regarding his qualifications emerges, culminating in a ruse to either undermine or discredit him. The characters reflect on loyalty, fear, and survival as they prepare for imminent combat with alien forces. Through these dynamics, Von Wald presents a compelling examination of trust, command, and the psychological strains of warfare. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 74.6 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read. en Science fiction Short stories War stories PS Text Science Fiction Category: Science-Fiction & Fantasy Category: Crime, Thrillers and Mystery 78698 2025-08-10T07:14:42.818334 text/html 75276 2008-01-21T09:22:28 text/html 398626 2025-08-10T07:14:47.866309 application/epub+zip 397964 2025-08-10T07:14:45.438379 application/epub+zip 90649 2025-08-10T07:14:44.301327 application/epub+zip 479251 2025-08-10T07:14:49.550327 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 472367 2025-08-10T07:14:47.118340 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 143989 2022-09-11T09:46:35.025318 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 70096 2025-08-10T07:14:42.375345 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 69977 2008-01-21T09:22:28 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 69968 2008-01-21T09:22:28 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 21448 2025-08-10T07:14:49.725303 application/rdf+xml 11858 2025-08-10T07:14:44.808334 image/jpeg 3273 2025-08-10T07:14:44.567319 image/jpeg 26858 2008-01-21T09:22:28 application/octet-stream application/zip 314522 2008-01-21T09:22:28 application/octet-stream application/zip 26840 2008-01-21T09:22:28 application/octet-stream application/zip 385249 2025-08-10T07:14:42.837360 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog en.wikipedia