The Country of the Kind
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| "The Country of the Kind" | |
| Author | Damon Knight |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Science fiction |
| Published in | The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction |
| Publication type | magazine |
| Media type | Print (Paperback) |
| Publication date | February 1956 |
The Country of the Kind is a science fiction short story by Damon Knight, the founder of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. It was first published in 1955 and later collected in The Science Fiction Hall of Fame Volume One, 1929-1964, an anthology of the “greatest science fiction (short) stories” prior to 1965, published in 1970.
[edit] Plot
The story revolves around an apparent mutant who, although rejected by society, still considers himself “the king of the world”, as he has freedom to do what he wishes without reprisal, the only exception being violence to another human being. The “humane, permissive” society in which he lives has adopted a threefold solution to deal with him. The first is excommunication - no one is to interact with him or even acknowledge his existence, other than by the apparent world-wide directive identifying him and calling for this punishment. The second and third involve alterations made to the mutant himself. He is thrown into an epileptic seizure whenever he attempts to commit a violent act, and his body and waste give off a highly offensive odor, undetectable by him, to warn of his presence and drive others away.
It ends with the realization that the mutant is desperately trying to persuade someone - “anyone” - to join him in his rebellion against the passive society of people he terms “dulls”, but the story implies that his mutation is an atavistic capacity for violent action - meaning that a world in which humans have culturally and physically moved beyond violence is incapable of sympathizing with him.
The story also links violence to artistic expression. The protagonist "invents" drawing and sculpture, only later realizing, from old books, that these things had existed in the past, and notes that all great artists had lived in especially violent times.
[edit] External links
- The Country of the Kind publication history at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database
- Brief review by Dr. Agatha Taormina
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