Project Gutenberg
2010-04-21
Public domain in the USA.
134
Marks, Winston K. (Winston Kinney)
1915
1979
Marks, Winston Kinney
Freas, Kelly
1922
2005
Freas, Frank Kelly
Breeder Reaction
Produced from If Worlds of Science Fiction April 1954.
Produced by Sankar Viswanathan, Greg Weeks, and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
"Breeder Reaction" by Winston K. Marks is a science fiction short story written in the early 1950s. The narrative revolves around a quirky advertising world where an unusual beauty product, "Atummyc Afterbath Dusting Powder," infused with a mysterious ingredient termed Atummion, unexpectedly attracts mass appeal due to its astonishing beauty-enhancing properties. The story offers a satirical look at the cosmetics industry, highlighting themes of unintended consequences stemming from scientific experimentation. The plot follows the protagonist, a product engineer named Sanford Sanders, who becomes embroiled in the chaotic aftermath of the explosive success of Atummyc products. Initially dismissive, he soon discovers that the "radiant atomic look" touted in advertisements is due to real, profound changes that the Atummion creates in its users. As sales skyrocket, a serious revelation unfolds: the ingredient has unforeseen effects that lead to pregnancy among female users, including a department assistant named Dolores. The narrative crescendos with the implications of their popularity mingling with ethical concerns, forcing Sanders and his colleagues to confront the moral responsibilities of their creations amidst an unfolding fertility crisis intertwined with their cosmetics lineup. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
http://book.klll.cc/files/32077/32077-h/images/cover.jpg
Reading ease score: 74.1 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read.
en
Science fiction
Short stories
PS
Text
Science Fiction
Category: Short Stories
Category: Science-Fiction & Fantasy
52590
2025-08-13T07:29:04.853118
text/html
48576
2010-04-21T06:28:46
text/html
165056
2025-08-13T07:29:06.584148
application/epub+zip
163873
2025-08-13T07:29:05.226135
application/epub+zip
102953
2025-08-13T07:29:05.018151
application/epub+zip
201687
2025-08-13T07:29:07.827137
application/x-mobipocket-ebook
193901
2025-08-13T07:29:06.382175
application/x-mobipocket-ebook
133817
2022-09-14T16:17:07.427533
application/x-mobipocket-ebook
45063
2025-08-13T07:29:04.721113
text/plain; charset=us-ascii
44970
2010-04-21T06:28:46
text/plain; charset=us-ascii
19501
2025-08-13T07:29:07.973122
application/rdf+xml
27139
2025-08-13T07:29:05.098130
image/jpeg
4884
2025-08-13T07:29:05.058182
image/jpeg
173014
2010-04-21T06:29:02
application/octet-stream
application/zip
17733
2010-04-21T06:29:02
application/octet-stream
application/zip
179872
2025-08-13T07:29:04.876115
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