Final Weapon

"Final Weapon" by Everett B. Cole is a science fiction novel written in the mid-20th century. The story navigates a dystopian world where societal order and power dynamics are meticulously controlled, particularly through the manipulation of communication and privilege among different classes of citizens. The main character, Howard Morely, is a district leader who exhibits a ruthless ambition as he strategizes within a bureaucratic regime, creating tension as he grapples with the emerging technology of a mind-reading communicator. The opening of "Final Weapon" begins with Howard Morely piloting a helicopter to a critical conference, reflecting on his ambitions and the current state of governance in a society recovering from war. The narrative quickly establishes Morely's character as a shrewd and calculating leader, concerned with maintaining control over his district while observing the contrasting management styles of his peers. As he arrives at the conference, discussions about maintaining order among the lower classes and critiques of other leaders' leniency highlight the rigid social structure. The introduction of a revolutionary communicator device, developed by a second-class citizen named Paul Graham, introduces a potential threat to the status quo, foreshadowing conflicts over control of this groundbreaking technology and its implications for personal freedom and societal power dynamics. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Everett B. Cole (1910-2001) was an American writer of science fiction short stories and a professional soldier. He fought at Omaha Beach during World War II and worked as a signal maintenance and property officer at Fort Douglas, Utah, retiring in 1960. He got a bachelor's degree in Math and Physics and became a Math, Physics, and Chemistry teacher at Yorktown High School in Texas. His first science fiction story, "Philosophical Corps" was published in the magazine Astounding in 1951. His fix-up of that story and two others, The Philosophical Corps, was published by Gnome Press in 1962. A second novel, The Best Made Plans, was serialized in Astounding in 1959, but never published in book form. He also co-authored historical books about the south Texas region.