Project Gutenberg 2023-12-17 Public domain in the USA. 143 Sharkey, Jack 1931 1992 Sharkey, John Michael Schelling, George 1938 Schelling, George Luther Schelling, George L. Schelling The smart ones $aUnited States :$bZiff-Davis Publishing Company, $c1963. Produced from Amazing Stories February 1963. Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net "The Smart Ones" by Jack Sharkey is a science fiction short story published in the early 1960s. The narrative revolves around the tensions of a nuclear threat during the Cold War and explores themes of survival, human relationships, and the psychological impact of impending disaster. As tensions between the U.S. and Russia escalate, characters grapple with the prospect of impending apocalypse and the decisions that come with it. The story begins with a couple, Pete and Beth Crolin, facing a world on the brink of nuclear war. After receiving alarming news, they wrestle with the choice of either awaiting disaster in the comfort of their home or seeking refuge in a spaceship aimed at the Moonbase, which promises survival. While Pete is initially reluctant to abandon their home, Beth, driven by the instinct for survival and hope for a future, ultimately chooses to leave with a neighbor, Martin, as Pete struggles with feelings of helplessness and fear. The narrative continues to unfold across different characters and settings amid chaos and despair, revealing the emotional turmoil of those left behind and the harsh realities of their existence. As the story comes to a close, the aftermath of devastation brings forth new beginnings through the eyes of the resilient children left to navigate a changed world, ultimately showcasing humanity's capacity for survival and adaptation. (This is an automatically generated summary.) 20231124044158sharkey 1963 US Reading ease score: 84.7 (6th grade). Easy to read. en Science fiction Short stories Apocalyptic fiction PS Text Category: Short Stories Category: Science-Fiction & Fantasy 48267 2025-09-28T13:36:35.863964 text/html 23805 2023-12-17T07:34:22 text/html 306928 2025-09-28T13:36:38.932976 application/epub+zip 305707 2025-09-28T13:36:37.183971 application/epub+zip 195023 2025-09-28T13:36:36.400951 application/epub+zip 911733 2025-09-28T13:36:40.187939 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 904593 2025-09-28T13:36:38.391967 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 41168 2025-09-28T13:36:35.669979 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 21367 2023-12-17T07:34:22 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 16845 2025-09-28T13:36:40.326920 application/rdf+xml 26683 2025-09-28T13:36:36.744932 image/jpeg 4404 2025-09-28T13:36:36.568947 image/jpeg 1501063 2025-09-28T13:36:35.884965 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