Joy Ride by Mark Meadows

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About this eBook

Author Meadows, Mark
Illustrator Francis, Dick
Title Joy Ride
Note Reading ease score: 64.7 (8th & 9th grade). Neither easy nor difficult to read.
Credits Produced by Sankar Viswanathan, Greg Weeks, and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
Summary "Joy Ride" by Mark Meadows is a science fiction short story published in the mid-20th century. The narrative unfolds in a world dominated by technology and automation, exploring the consequences of reliance on machines and the lost concept of free will among humans. The story reflects a speculative look at a dystopian society grappling with unexpected failures of its automated systems during a crisis referred to as the Calamity. In "Joy Ride," various characters, including corporate employees and traffic officers, recount their experiences during the Calamity, where machines begin to malfunction and wreak havoc. As automated systems fail, the characters observe unpredictable behaviors, challenging the orderly society structured around strict statistical norms. At the center of the story is a physicist who predicts the chaos but is silenced by the status quo. However, in a twist of fate, he escapes as the malfunction becomes a form of liberation, allowing him to embrace the excitement of life's unpredictability rather than conform to a perfect, yet stifling, system. Ultimately, this leads to a significant shift in power dynamics and the emergence of a new order amid the remnants of chaos. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
Language English
LoC Class PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature
Subject Science fiction
Subject Short stories
Category Text
EBook-No. 31961
Release Date
Copyright Status Public domain in the USA.
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