Status Quo


Read by Peter Eastman

(4.2 stars; 49 reviews)

Larry Woolford is a government agent, tasked with investigating subversive activity. He does everything an ambitious young man should do if he wants to succeed: wear the right clothes, listen to the right music, even drink vodka martinis. Then he stumbles across a conspiracy of Weirds plotting to overthrow the entire existing social order. It's a race against time. Can he stop their fiendish plan, and keep America safe for shallow judgements based on status symbols?

Status Quo was nominated for the 1962 Hugo Award for short fiction. - Summary by Peter Eastman (3 hr 9 min)

Chapters

section 1 31:06 Read by Peter Eastman
section 2 33:11 Read by Peter Eastman
section 3 30:21 Read by Peter Eastman
section 4 31:41 Read by Peter Eastman
section 5 31:13 Read by Peter Eastman
section 6 32:08 Read by Peter Eastman

Reviews


(4.5 stars)

A story with a twist. The fawning, lazy thinker struggles to maintain the status quo against the impetus of an impeccable movement. The struggle is personal and professional. Which side is more ruthless? My only complaint is with the reader imparting a long, slooow start to the story. It takes a while for the reader to find his rhythm. Additionally, the sound quality is tin-y; the sound is flat as though the reader is a bit far from his microphone though this changes as the reader becomes more involved with the story.

interesting and relevant story for today


(4.5 stars)

Nice skewering of the grasping classes and the natural corruption of government. Add the heavy hand of those overly sensitive to labeling, the overreaching of government, and data breaches, and you've got a fairly contemporary story.


(4 stars)

story is pretty good the narrator puts more effort into then required,

an anthem for all correct thinkers


(4.5 stars)

Today we strive to be more anti raycyst and more inclusive than the next guy. In this alternative reality people are have formed a society based on an arbitrary set of societal conventions. In their world all those who wish to be included and participate in society absolutely must drink vodka martinis. In our world all those who wish to participate in society must point out how anti raycyst they are and how everything the next guy does is in fact raycyst. At any rate there is a struggle between the right thinking vodka drinkers and those who would choose to deconstruct their world to ignore the arbitrary societal conventions that dictate what correct thinking. the good news is the good guys win in the end. now go out and point out the raycism in your neighbors. Pointing out raycyst is the foundation of USAian society. Become a hero. Get a promotion. Become an Anti-raycyst

I likw


(5 stars)

I actually did not expect that ending