Project Gutenberg 2010-01-16 Public domain in the USA. 154 Teichner, Albert Teichner, Albert R. West The Junkmakers Produced from If: Worlds of Science Fiction July 1961. Produced by Sankar Viswanathan, Robert Cicconetti, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net "The Junkmakers" by Albert Teichner is a science fiction novella that was likely written in the early 1960s. The story is set in a future society where the destruction of obsolete technology is celebrated as a form of cultural and economic ritual, highlighting themes of consumption, value, and the human relationship with machines. Through its exploration of a bleak yet satirical world, the book critiques consumerism and raises questions about productivity and the necessity of work in society. The narrative follows Wendell Hart, a cybernetics engineer who becomes increasingly disenchanted with the societal norms surrounding the destruction of once-useful technology during ceremonial events known as the High Holy Day. As he delves into research on the implications of planned obsolescence and conspicuous consumption, Wendell is drawn into an underground movement that seeks to challenge these destructive practices. Through a series of events, including a shocking failure during one of the ceremonies that triggers unforeseen reactions from the discarded machines, Wendell grapples with the ideals of leisure versus labor. The climax reveals a transformation in societal consciousness as citizens begin to question their blind adherence to the rituals that dictate their lives, ultimately suggesting a yearning for deeper understanding and purpose beyond mere work. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 77.1 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read. en Science fiction PS Text Category: Science-Fiction & Fantasy 76880 2025-08-12T14:33:46.671259 text/html 73318 2010-01-16T10:19:52 text/html 172347 2025-08-12T14:33:50.963237 application/epub+zip 172353 2025-08-12T14:33:48.362246 application/epub+zip 95969 2025-08-12T14:33:47.286282 application/epub+zip 269102 2025-08-12T14:33:52.804250 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 260423 2025-08-12T14:33:50.209367 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 154659 2022-09-14T09:29:28.192588 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 68013 2025-08-12T14:33:46.362261 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 67934 2010-01-16T10:19:52 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 17946 2025-08-12T14:33:52.971245 application/rdf+xml 12741 2025-08-12T14:33:47.783245 image/jpeg 3385 2025-08-12T14:33:47.532271 image/jpeg 97990 2010-01-16T10:19:52 application/octet-stream application/zip 27114 2010-01-16T10:19:52 application/octet-stream application/zip 167209 2025-08-12T14:33:46.694262 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