Masters of Evolution
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SHOWDOWN WITH MONSTERS!
Alvah Gustad was typical of New York City's twenty million citizens. He took for granted such luxuries as synthetic food and robot-servants, and he knew beyond a doubt that the Cities offered the only acceptable way of life for civilized Man!
But roaming the vast plains between the continent's five Cities, ever growing and expanding, were the dreaded tribes of Muckfeet. In direct antithesis to the City dwellers, these illiterate savages actually grew food and raised animals. And how they smelled! It was so bad that Alvah could feel his stomach churn at the mere mention of their name.
There was one thing in the Muckfoot territory that the Cities did need, though--metal ores. And Alvah, faced with the job of liaison to the tribes around New York, had to somehow make his patriotism outweigh his nausea. If he succeeded, the Cities would be monuments to eternity; if he failed, the dreaded Muckfeet would become the MASTERS OF EVOLUTION.
Alvah Gustad:
The fate of an empire rested on the condition of his stomach.
Beej Hofmeyer:
She looked like a woman, but she smelled like a Muckfoot!
Doc Bither:
When he raised a kitten, you couldn't be sure if it would turn out to be a cat or a tiger.
Manager Wytak:
Bravery was something he always looked for in other people, but never in himself.
Artie Brumbacher:
He couldn't read or write, but nevertheless he was a scholar.
Jerry Finch:
To his way of thinking, there was nothing unusual about being a gardener in an Iron Pit.
(Note: Is an expansion of the novelette "Natural State.")
Damon Knight
Damon Knight (1922 - 2002) Damon Francis Knight was born in Oregon in 1922. He is regarded as one of the most important figures in modern science fiction, having made significant contributions to the field as an author, editor and critic. Knight co-founded the Milford Writers' Conference, the influential Clarion Workshop and the Science Fiction Writers of America, serving as its first president from 1965-67. Around this time he also made his reputation as one of the field's foremost anthologists. Beginning with reprint collections, in 1966 he launched the influential Orbit series of original anthologies. Starting with Orbit 1, the series would continue for over a decade, concluding in 1980 with Orbit 21. Orbit was the longest running and most influential anthology series in SF up to that point, showcasing such important authors as Gene Wolfe, R.A. Lafferty and Knight's third wife, Kate Wilhelm. A master of short fiction, Damon Knight is best known in wider circles as the author of 'To Serve Mankind', which was adapted for The Twilight Zone and later spoofed in a Hallowe'en episode of The Simpsons. He was granted the SFWA's Grand Master Award in 1995, and in 2002, SFWA renamed it the Damon Knight Grand Master Award in his honour. He died in 2002.
More by Damon Knight
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