Subject
Printers -- Fiction Books
Best books
Harold Bell Wright
That Printer of Udell's: A Story of the Middle West
“That Printer of Udell's: A Story of the Middle West” by Harold Bell Wright is a novel likely written in the early 20th century. The story centers around the struggles and growth of its main character, Dick Falkner, a young man haunted by the tragic past of his family and seeking a fresh start in a bustling mining town. As he navigates the challenges of poverty, personal demons, and societal indifference, the narrative explores themes of redemption, resilience, and the impact of one’s upbringing. The opening of the novel presents a powerful contrast between the innocence of Dick as a boy and the grim realities he faces as a young man. Initially, we witness Dick's traumatic childhood, defined by a mother’s dying wish and a father’s alcoholism, setting the stage for his lifelong battle against the shadows of his past. This backstory leads us to present-day Boyd City, where Dick, now a young adult, is desperate to find work amid a sea of rejection and hardship. His encounters highlight the harsh realities of life for those at the mercy of economic forces, framing Dick's journey not only as one of physical survival but also as a quest for self-identity and purpose amidst the complex fabric of society.
Noel M. Loomis
Nine Men in Time
"Nine Men in Time" by Noel M. Loomis is a science fiction story written during the early 1950s. This narrative explores the themes of ambition, innovation, and the consequences of meddling with time and identity in a printing company setting. The plot revolves around a unique concept where a production manager attempts to save his struggling printing plant by employing a method of time travel and duplication to meet a pressing deadline. The story follows J.J. Shane, the manager of the Imperial Printing Company, who is faced with the potential closure of the plant due to underperformance. In collaboration with Dr. Hudson, an experimental physicist, they devise a way to send workers back in time to redo their tasks, which leads to a remarkable, albeit chaotic, outcome when High-Pockets Jones, an unusual, towering employee, volunteers for a duplication experiment. This process results in the creation of multiple High-Pocketses, creating a comedic and chaotic dynamic in the workplace. As the narrative unfolds, Shane's ambition to utilize this groundbreaking technology to save the company spirals into complexity and confusion, culminating in a moral dilemma over the implications of their time-altering technology. Eventually, the story resolves with the characters finding a way to fix the chaos, underlying the risks of tampering with time and the importance of understanding one's limits.
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