Rat Race by George O. Smith
QR code
"Rat Race" by George O. Smith is a science fiction short story published in the late 1940s. The narrative revolves around the creation of an innovative mousetrap by the protagonist, Peter Manton, which inadvertently leads to unforeseen consequences. The story explores themes of invention, unintended effects, and the complexities of time, as Manton's invention interacts with the fabric of reality in unexpected ways. In the story, Peter Manton invents a unique mousetrap
that not only captures mice but also transmits them to unknown locations. Initially, this seems like a brilliant solution to a rising mouse population, particularly amidst wartime shortages of conventional traps. However, as the device begins to demonstrate its ability to send captured mice back in time, strange occurrences escalate into a national crisis dubbed a "plague of rats." This results in attention from the government and law enforcement as they attempt to decipher the trap's mysterious properties. Ultimately, it is revealed that the inadvertent time manipulations lead to the very problem the trap was meant to solve, presenting a humorous and thought-provoking commentary on the nature of innovation and its ramifications. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
Download for free
For your e-reader or reading app — Kindle, Kobo, Apple Books, Calibre etc.
Kindle → Use Send-to-Kindle
Kobo, Nook etc → Transfer via USB
Phone, tablet or computer → Open in a reading app
Other formats & older devices
There may be more files related to this item.
About this eBook
| Author | Smith, George O. (George Oliver), 1911-1981 |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Cartier, Edd, 1914-2008 |
| Title | Rat Race |
| Original Publication | United States: Street & Smith Publications, Incorporated,1947. |
| Series Title | Produced from Astounding Science-Fiction, August 1947 |
| Credits | Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at www.pgdp.net. |
| Reading Level | Reading ease score: 85.6 (6th grade). Easy to read. |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature |
| Subject | Science fiction |
| Subject | Short stories |
| Subject | Inventions -- Fiction |
| Subject | Mousetraps -- Fiction |
| Category | Text |
| eBook-No. | 68256 |
| Release Date | Jun 6, 2022 |
| Last Update | Oct 18, 2024 |
| Copyright | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 326 downloads in the last 30 days. |
Project Gutenberg eBooks are always free!