How Deep the Grooves

In a rigid future ruled by the State, Doctor James Carroad is ready to unveil Cervus III, a brain-machine he believes will secure his place in power. He plans to demonstrate it on his pregnant wife, Jane, and their unborn child, even as Jane recoils from his cold ambition and finds herself drawn to Jason Cramer, Carroad's younger associate, who quietly loves her. When the Secretary of Science arrives, Carroad first presents the device as a startling mind-reading breakthrough, able to convert brain-wave patterns into spoken thoughts and expose disloyalty. But Cervus III is meant for something far more sinister. Carroad argues that it can prevent dissent before birth by imprinting inhibitory reflexes into the unborn brain, creating citizens who will never question authority once they learn to speak. Jane realizes with horror that her child is being used to test a system of political conditioning. Though intrigued, the Secretary fears the machine may damage the child's higher capacities, while Carroad's insistence—and his offer to use his own son as the first subject—reveals the full extent of his fanatic devotion to control. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.