Project Gutenberg 2024-03-21 Public domain in the USA. 106 Wollheim, Donald A. 1914 1990 Wollheim, Donald Allen Pearson, Martin Gordon, Millard Verne Gordon, Millard V. Saknarth $aNew York, NY :$bColumbia Publications Inc., $c1942. Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net "Saknarth" by Millard Verne Gordon is a science fiction novella published in the early 1940s. The narrative centers on themes of enlightenment versus oppression, as it explores the life of Saknarth, a Master Astrologer who grapples with the tension between his understanding of the cosmos and the constraints imposed by the ruling priesthood. The story unfolds on Mars, capturing the struggle between knowledge and ignorance within a society that fears the power of learning. The plot follows Saknarth, who recalls a critical prophecy given to him by Kwarit during his youth. As he prepares horoscopes for the Emperor, he becomes increasingly aware of the oppressive nature of the priesthood, which stifles knowledge and enforces superstition. Intrigued by Kwarit's claims of lights on the Morning Star, he sneaks into the Imperial Museum to gaze through a forbidden telescope, discovering evidence of civilization on a nearby planet. Realizing the implications of his findings, he writes a manifesto urging rebellion against the priestly elite. However, he is quickly apprehended and sentenced to execution, yet he finds solace in having shared his revolutionary message just before his fate is sealed. The story illustrates the importance of knowledge and the courage required to challenge authoritarian rule. (This is an automatically generated summary.) 20240303115558gordon 1942 US Reading ease score: 83.7 (6th grade). Easy to read. en Science fiction Short stories Martians -- Fiction Mars (Planet) -- Fiction Astrologers -- Fiction PS Text Category: Science-Fiction & Fantasy Category: Novels 39098 2025-06-29T05:17:44.414813 text/html 14692 2024-03-21T01:03:54 text/html 257682 2025-06-29T05:17:46.962821 application/epub+zip 256479 2025-06-29T05:17:45.458820 application/epub+zip 158381 2025-06-29T05:17:44.810805 application/epub+zip 767032 2025-06-29T05:17:48.114863 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 760753 2025-06-29T05:17:46.551806 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 32725 2025-06-29T05:17:44.321809 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 12965 2024-03-21T01:03:54 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 17115 2025-06-29T05:17:48.235803 application/rdf+xml 31191 2025-06-29T05:17:45.097819 image/jpeg 5341 2025-06-29T05:17:44.952799 image/jpeg 930430 2025-06-29T05:17:44.428853 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