Project Gutenberg
2010-01-09
Public domain in the USA.
120
Reynolds, Mack
1917
1983
McCord, Guy
Reynolds, Dallas McCord
Mallory, Mark
Schelling, George
1938
Schelling, George Luther
Schelling, George L.
Schelling
Expediter
Produced from Analog Science Fact & Fiction May 1963.
Produced by Sankar Viswanathan, Greg Weeks, and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
"Expediter" by Mack Reynolds is a science fiction novella written during the early 1960s. The story centers around Josip Pekic, a young man living in the fictionalized People's Democratic Dictatorship of Transbalkania, as he navigates a political landscape marked by bureaucracy and inefficiency. The novella examines the concept of an "expediter," a person given extraordinary authority to identify and eliminate systemic bottlenecks within the government and society, ultimately reflecting on the roles of average citizens in a command economy. In the narrative, Josip is abruptly taken from his home in the middle of the night by state officials who thrust him into the role of an expediter. Initially confused and hesitant, he gradually comes to understand the implications of his new position, which grants him immense power to expose inefficiencies within the government. However, as he begins to question the authority of those in charge, he realizes the complexities of governance and the limitations of political leaders. His journey explores themes of individual agency, the value of technical expertise over political authority, and the challenges inherent in a controlled state. As he discovers the realities of Transbalkania, he becomes an unintended catalyst for change, ultimately leading to his decision to defect to the West after encouraging a fundamental shift in perspective among his compatriots about the role of politicians in industry and governance. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
Reading ease score: 75.5 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read.
en
Science fiction
Political fiction
Balkan Peninsula -- Fiction
PS
Text
Category: Science-Fiction & Fantasy
Category: Novels
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