Project Gutenberg 2016-04-03 Public domain in the USA. 374 Miller, Walter M. 1923 1996 Miller, Walter Michael Miller, W. M. (Walter M.) Stone, David Stone Stone, D. Conditionally Human Produced from Galaxy Science Fiction February 1952 Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net "Conditionally Human" by Walter M. Miller, Jr. is a thought-provoking science fiction novella written in the early 1950s. The narrative revolves around a future society where genetic engineering has produced synthetic humanoid creatures known as neutroids, designed to emotionally satisfy couples unable to have children. The story delves into moral dilemmas surrounding creation, affection, and the value placed on life in a world governed by strict population control and societal norms. The plot follows Terrell Norris, a bio-agent in charge of overseeing neutroid populations, as he grapples with his role in the destruction of these beings, whom society views as mere property. As Norris struggles with the emotional impact of his duties, his life becomes further complicated when he encounters Peony, a deviant neutroid with unexpected intelligence and the ability to speak. Faced with the harsh realities of his job and the impending destruction of Peony due to her deviation from standard characteristics, Norris fights against the ethics of his world. The novella explores themes of humanity, the nature of love and attachment, and the cost of societal conformity, ultimately leading to a climactic and morally ambiguous resolution. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 87.4 (6th grade). Easy to read. en Science fiction Spouses -- Fiction Parent and child -- Fiction Pets -- Fiction PS Text Science Fiction Category: Science-Fiction & Fantasy Category: Novels Category: American Literature 102076 2025-07-20T14:39:42.329623 text/html 79325 2024-10-23T00:17:18 text/html 489212 2025-07-20T14:39:44.693607 application/epub+zip 489899 2025-07-20T14:39:42.820633 application/epub+zip 102761 2025-07-20T14:39:42.567618 application/epub+zip 539923 2025-07-20T14:39:46.170641 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 532399 2025-07-20T14:39:44.453616 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 143400 2022-09-23T14:06:32.920552 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 92870 2025-07-20T14:39:41.936104 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 73113 2024-10-23T00:17:18 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 18975 2025-07-20T14:39:46.303576 application/rdf+xml 25758 2025-07-20T14:39:42.645596 image/jpeg 4341 2025-07-20T14:39:42.607604 image/jpeg 441666 2025-07-20T14:39:42.355640 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