Consignment

"Consignment" by Alan Edward Nourse is a science fiction novel written in the early 1950s. The book explores themes of revenge, ambition, and the consequences of technological advancements in a future setting, depicting a world where crime and transportation are intricately linked through a vast system of automated roads. The story centers around a convict's struggle to reclaim his life and enact vengeance against a former partner who wronged him. The narrative follows John Krenner, a man who escapes from prison after serving 27 years for the murder of his partner's wife. Armed and determined, he navigates the complexities of an advanced transportation system known as the Rolling Roads as he seeks to locate his former partner, Jerome Markson. Krenner's journey is marked by brutal confrontations and strategic manipulation as he attempts to elude the authorities and fulfill his desire for revenge. However, his plan comes to a sudden and fiery end when he inadvertently becomes part of an automated coal delivery system, leading him to a fate he could never have anticipated: a plunge into Markson's own steel foundry. The story serves as a thrilling exploration of the intersection of technology, vengeance, and fate. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Alan Edward Nourse was an American science fiction writer and physician. He wrote both juvenile and adult science fiction, as well as nonfiction works about medicine and science. His SF works sometimes focused on medicine and/or psionics.