Марсианские хроники

           AllofhisbookswereburnedintheGreatFire.That’sthirtyyearsago—1975."

           "Ah,"saidMr.Bigelowwisely."Oneofthose!"

           "Yes,oneofthose,Bigelow.HeandLovecraftandHawthorneandAmbroseBierceandallthetalesofterrorandfantasyandhorrorand,forthatmatter,talesofthefuturewereburned.Heartlessly.Theypassedalaw.Oh,itstartedverysmall.In1950and’60itwasagrainofsand.Theybeganbycontrollingbooksofcartoonsandthendetectivebooksand,ofcourse,films,onewayoranother,onegrouporanother,politicalbias,religionsprejudice,unionpressures;therewasalwaysaminorityafraidofsomething,andagreatmajorityafraidofthedark,afraidofthefuture,afraidofthepast,afraidofthepresent,afraidofthemselvesandshadowsofthemselves."

           "Isee."

           "Afraidoftheword«politics»(whicheventuallybecameasynonymforCommunismamongthemorereactionaryelements,soIhear,anditwasworthyourlifetousetheword!),andwithascrewtightenedhere,aboltfastenedthere,apush,apull,ayank,artandliteratureweresoonlikeagreattwineoftaffystrungabout,beingtwistedinbraidsandtiedinknotsandthrowninalldirections,untiltherewasnomoreresiliencyandnomoresavortoit.Thenthefilmcameraschoppedshortandthetheatersturneddark.andtheprintpressestrickleddownfromagreatNiagaraofreadingmattertoamereinnocuousdrippingof«pure»material.