Ultima Thule

by Mack Reynolds

"Ultima Thule" by Mack Reynolds is a science fiction novel written in the early 1960s. The story follows Ronald "Ronny" Bronston, a young man with aspirations of working for the United Planets in interplanetary affairs, as he navigates interviews and assignments related to a mysterious figure named Tommy Paine, rumored to be inciting revolutions across the galaxy. Bronston’s journey introduces him to bureaucratic absurdities and interplanetary politics, testing his beliefs and skills along the way. At the start of the narrative, Ronny Bronston's application for a position in the Commissariat of Interplanetary Affairs leads him through a series of interviews and instructions on his new role. He learns that his first assignment is to find Tommy Paine, a legendary individual believed to be behind a number of uprisings in the United Planets. The opening sections explore themes of identity, bureaucracy, and the challenges of maintaining cultural integrity amid expansion into space. The interaction between Ronny and the personnel officers, as well as his later partnership with Tog Lee Chang Chu, sets the stage for a blend of action and political satire as they embark on their mission to locate Paine amidst the chaos that follows the political upheaval on New Delos.