Project Gutenberg 2016-01-25 Public domain in the USA. 136 Simak, Clifford D. 1904 1988 Simak, Clifford Donald Hunter, Don Second Childhood Produced from Galaxy Science Fiction February 1951 Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net "Second Childhood" by Clifford D. Simak is a science fiction novel likely written in the early to mid-20th century. The narrative explores the complex notion of immortality and the psychological burdens it brings, questioning what it truly means to live a fulfilling life when death is no longer an option. The book delves into themes of memory, identity, and the innate desire for innocence, encapsulated in the experiences of its protagonist. The story centers around Andrew Young, a man who has lived for nearly six thousand years due to a technological breakthrough that grants immortality. However, instead of the joy and fulfillment traditionally associated with such an existence, Young finds himself grappling with profound loneliness and disillusionment, having lost all meaningful connections as his friends and loved ones have passed away. In a desperate attempt to escape the weight of his long memories and rekindle the joy of childhood, Young petitions a commission for the right to end his life. Yet, rather than succumb to despair, he embarks on a journey to recreate the wonder of his early years by building a life-sized, childlike world. Through ingenious means, including a designed android meant to serve as a nurturing figure, Young realizes a path back to the simplicity and innocence of childhood, ultimately seeking to reclaim his lost happiness. The novel thoughtfully examines the human experience in the context of prolonged existence, illustrating the profound effects of time on memory and emotion. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 84.4 (6th grade). Easy to read. en Science fiction Short stories Immortality -- Fiction PS Text Science Fiction Browsing: Literature Browsing: Science-Fiction & Fantasy Browsing: Fiction Category: Science-Fiction & Fantasy Category: Novels 64816 2025-06-20T13:27:28.242217 text/html 41215 2024-10-22T23:47:19 text/html 168900 2025-06-20T13:27:30.567265 application/epub+zip 167741 2025-06-20T13:27:28.900200 application/epub+zip 79684 2025-06-20T13:27:28.443217 application/epub+zip 206929 2025-06-20T13:27:31.987240 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 199738 2025-06-20T13:27:30.349210 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 111914 2022-09-23T08:22:54.269061 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 57581 2023-09-22T07:48:11.851612 text/plain 37853 2024-10-22T23:47:19 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 16980 2025-06-20T13:27:32.131195 application/rdf+xml 18776 2025-06-20T13:27:28.732222 image/jpeg 3891 2025-06-20T13:27:28.686291 image/jpeg 153952 2025-06-20T13:27:28.258278 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