The Toolkit of Humanity
19.99 €
Out of stock
The Toolkit of Humanity
19.99 €
Cordwainer Smith is one of the four pseudonyms of Paul Myron Anthony Linebarger (1913-1966), a man of many talents, born, as they call it, with a golden spoon in his mouth. His father was a prominent diplomat, adviser and friend of Sun Yat-sen (the Chinese leader of the 1920s became the godfather of little Paul). Constant moves, also for security reasons, from the U.S. to Europe and Asia did not prevent Paul from learning six languages and earning a doctorate in political science at age 23. While holding a professorship at Johns Hopkins University in Washington, D.C., he concurrently collaborated with the CIA and developed the U.S. Army's first psychological warfare section.
C. Smith's short stories and a novel centered on the world of Toolman were published from 1955 to 1966. The action of most of them takes place in the distant future, between 4000 and 14000 years. Humanity, under the guidance of the Instrumentality, gradually recovers from the devastating Ancient Wars and begins to conquer the stars. Over the course of several millennia, humans spread across many planets, and... stagnation sets in: robots and artificially bred mutant half-humans are engaged in hard and thankless labor, while humans themselves are genetically programmed from birth to perform certain activities. Realizing the threat of civilization's degeneration, the Instrumentality at the end of this period tries to revive old Earth languages and traditions, and the half-humans are freed from centuries of slavery.
C. Smith's short stories and a novel centered on the world of Toolman were published from 1955 to 1966. The action of most of them takes place in the distant future, between 4000 and 14000 years. Humanity, under the guidance of the Instrumentality, gradually recovers from the devastating Ancient Wars and begins to conquer the stars. Over the course of several millennia, humans spread across many planets, and... stagnation sets in: robots and artificially bred mutant half-humans are engaged in hard and thankless labor, while humans themselves are genetically programmed from birth to perform certain activities. Realizing the threat of civilization's degeneration, the Instrumentality at the end of this period tries to revive old Earth languages and traditions, and the half-humans are freed from centuries of slavery.
See also:
- All books by the publisher
- All books by the author
- All books in the series Masters of fantasy