Common Denominator

Earth's first contact with the cheerful, seemingly benevolent Argonauts looks less like a crisis than a bonanza: their world overflows with practical delights such as scent-thesizers, dustless static-cleaners, and endlessly reusable game animals. Yet beneath this comfortable surface lies a troubling mystery, one that suggests their serene civilization was purchased at a terrible cost. Lambert, head of the neglected Bureau of Racial Maturity, is convinced humanity is still trapped by primitive violence and self-destruction, and that the Argonauts may have already found the answer. After years of bureaucratic frustration, Lambert gains access to Argonaut records—books, films, and historical data—and uncovers a grim pattern. Their wars, crime, and insanity collapse after a decisive turning point, while the young-adult population rises sharply and then slowly declines. To Lambert, the evidence points to a deliberate social transformation, one that may hold the key to human survival. When Secretary Simpkin rejects his warnings and denies funding, Lambert refuses to let the matter rest. Determined to learn the truth himself, he travels to Argus, convinced Earth's future may depend on what the Argonauts did to become so peaceful. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.