Condition of Employment

Story, first published: Galaxy Science Fiction, April 1960


Emotional tale about the little man of the future and his working day. Intensity comes mostly from the polished prose, not from action, but that is signature Simak. Some people say that it is is about as good as you can get in less than 10 pages. Well, for those who love magazine SF from the golden age, such deftness of style comes as no surprise.

Abrams, Avi: Science Fiction and Fantasy Reading Experience: Clifford D. Simak


This was one time when there had to be - just had to be - a way to keep a good man down!

advertising text: Galaxy, April 1960, p.33