Project Gutenberg
2012-10-14
Public domain in the USA.
108
Merwin, Sam
1910
1996
Merwin, Samuel Kimball, Jr.
Ferrat, Jacques Jean
Sprague, Carter
Orban, Paul
1896
1974
The Final Figure
Produced from Dynamic Science Fiction January 1954.
Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
"The Final Figure" by Sam Merwin, Jr. is a science fiction novelet written in the early 1950s. The story revolves around a gifted model-maker, Angus MacReedy, whose incredible ability to foresee and craft miniature representations of future military weapons sparks interest and concern among military officials. The narrative explores themes of foresight in warfare, the intersection of creativity and duty, and the implications of possessing knowledge that could alter the course of conflict in a tension-filled world. The plot follows General Wales, who discovers the remarkable accuracy of MacReedy's models, particularly a miniature of a crucial weapon that has not yet been publicly disclosed. Alarmed by the implications of such prophetic talent falling into the wrong hands, Wales attempts to leverage MacReedy's abilities for national security while grappling with ethical dilemmas about personal freedom and responsibility. As the story progresses, it reveals a world where imagination can dictate reality, culminating in a chilling twist that underscores the value of knowledge and the price of innovation—both for the individual and society. Ultimately, the narrative questions whether foresight can truly predict the future or if it merely shapes the pathways to the inevitable. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
file:///public/vhost/g/gutenberg/html/files/41062/41062-h/images/cover.jpg
Reading ease score: 74.3 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read.
en
Science fiction
Ordnance -- Fiction
PS
Text
Science Fiction
Category: Science-Fiction & Fantasy
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