Null-ABC

A 1953 story on something of same theme as C.M. Kornbluth's "The Marching Morons": Post-war anti-intellectualism has put deliberate "Illiterates" in charge of the country, with stigmatized, uniformed "Literates" they hire to do the dirty work of reading and writing when absolutely necessary. Most of the Illiterates aren't unintelligent; they merely don't have book learning. Technology seems to have escaped censure, so there are plenty of machines, recording devices and other mechanisms in use by both classes. The Literates, though deemed a necessary evil, are so hated they must go armed and with bodyguards to defend themselves. Yet they are entrusted, among other things, with medical care, reporting for news broadcasts and teaching schools for Illiterates' children. The implications of that are obvious, and not everyone is what he seems. The action centers on an Illiterate department-store mogul who is running a senatorial campaign, his children, and the political plotting and divided loyalties among both Illiterate and Literate camps. It's not a bad read, if you can ignore the logical fallacies, but it's far from Piper's best work, and Kornbluth handled the concept much better.

Interesting idea but confused plot and weak characters make this a dull read.

One of the finest of Piper's works. It is a tale in which all people who read are in a high tech scribes class, and treat other people badly. A frightening tale, but hopeful