#490 Pack Rat Planet- Frank Herbert
Coogan has been recalled to his home planet, where he is the
successor to run the library of congress. “It is the repository for all the
reported doings of every government in the history of the galaxy.”
He finds out that there is a new government, aptly named the
Gentle Ignorance Party run by Leader Adams (don’t you just love the names given
by Sci-Fi writers?) This government has sent down a man to investigate the need
for a knowledge repository. The Library takes up the whole planet and it’s
motto is:
“This planet is devoted to knowledge and research.”
That offends the new government that believes: “Since
knowledge is unhappiness, even the word is distasteful when used in a laudatory
manner.”
Coogan is promoted when the director is killed by the
government, and now it is Coogan’s main focus to save the library and knowledge
from decimation. He does so by a clever gambit of semantic and obeisance.
Notable Passage: “Each government carries the seeds of its
own destruction.”
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