A For Anything: Damon Knight

The discovery of the Gizmo was seen by its inventor as the final solution for all of Man's ills. A device that would duplicate - anything! What it did produce was the total breakdown of the democratic structure. Within two generations, American society degenerated into two classes: The Masters who controlled the Gizmo's power - and the slaves. Dick Jones is the youthful heir to Buckhill, one of the oldest compounds to rise from the ashes of society's ruins. His rite of passage sends him to the Eagles, the secret mountain fortress that is the last bastion of power on the continent. It is here he will complete his training but he soon discovers that the line between Master and slave is a fine one. If he cannot distinguish between honour and his heart, he is fated to die a horrible death. Cover art by Luis Royo.