A Bottle of Old Wine by Richard O. Lewis
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"A Bottle of Old Wine" by Richard O. Lewis is a science fiction story written in the early 1950s. The narrative delves into themes of escapism, personal dissatisfaction, and the darker aspects of human desire in a futuristic setting where technology allows individuals to separate their physical bodies from their consciousness. The plot revolves around Herbert Hyrel, a man who feels trapped in his mundane life and desires to escape—ultimately culminating in
a grim contemplation of murder for financial gain and personal liberation. The story follows Herbert Hyrel as he grapples with deep resentment towards his wife, who financially controls him. The narrative explores his secret use of a telporter suit, which enables him to liberate his consciousness and indulge in a hedonistic lifestyle at an exclusive club catering to escapists. However, his desperation leads him to contemplate killing his wife in order to seize her wealth. As he attempts to embrace his newfound freedom with a woman he desires, he is ultimately betrayed, leading to a shocking and tragic conclusion that highlights the perils of escapism and the consequences of unbridled ambition. The story combines elements of psychological tension with a critique of social dynamics in a speculative future. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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About this eBook
| Author | Lewis, Richard O. |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Freas, Kelly, 1922-2005 |
| Title | A Bottle of Old Wine |
| Series Title | Produced from If Worlds of Science Fiction July 1953. |
| Credits |
Produced by Greg Weeks, Stephen Blundell and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at www.pgdp.net |
| Reading Level | Reading ease score: 82.4 (6th grade). Easy to read. |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature |
| Subject | Science fiction |
| Subject | Short stories |
| Category | Text |
| eBook-No. | 30004 |
| ISBN (HTML) | 979-8-238-30004-7 |
| Release Date | Sep 16, 2009 |
| Last Update | Oct 24, 2024 |
| Copyright | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 195 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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