Badge of Infamy
1963 novel by Lester del Ray
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Badge of Infamy (1963) is a juvenile science fiction novel written by American writer Lester del Rey.
| |
| Author | Lester del Rey |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Science fiction novel |
| Publisher | Galaxy Science Fiction Novels |
Publication date | 1963 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print paperback |
| Pages | 121 |
Publication history
The first version of the story appeared in Satellite Science Fiction June, 1957.[1] A longer version was published by Galaxy Science Fiction Novels in 1963.[2] It was the first in Galaxy's new series of digest-sized books combining two works by a single author; Badge of Infamy was bound with del Rey's The Sky Is Falling, which was also an expansion of a shorter work.[3][a] The two were republished together again in 1973 as an Ace double.[4] A review in Luna Monthly criticized the "double" format, saying that The Sky Is Falling is a much worse story than Badge of Infamy, and complaining that it is challenging for a reviewer "to tell you the reader that only half of this or any other book is worth buying".[4] The review praised Badge of Infamy for its exciting storytelling "that does not preach".[4] It has more recently been released as a standalone ebook by Feedbooks.[5]
Synopsis
In the future, powerful unions called lobbies control much of society. One of the most powerful lobbies is the medical lobby, which following a pandemic that spread across earth, has required all medicine from being practiced only by authorized lobby members and only in approved lobby facilities. Daniel Feldman was once a doctor but has now become a pariah due to his breach of these rules. Trying to escape the shame he travels to Mars, where he discovers a disaster threatening billions of lives. He practices unauthorized medicine again, and eventually frees Mars from the control of Earth and the lobby system.
