337:. In part, people who choose by evasion and modifying their own behavior to leave the main Family are subtly redirected to "nature preserves" of imperfect life on islands. They, however, have been put in place by the programmers as a place to isolate trouble-making Family members. The top minds in the outcasts are further manipulated into trying to overthrow the "Programmers" and the ones who nearly succeeded are forced to join the programmers to "help them maintain the equilibrium" in the "perfect" world of UniComp and "The Family."
325:
treatment liquids; almost anything in them is poisonous if an excess dose is given. The general population believes that the elderly die of natural causes, and since some die at 61 or 63, no one is too suspicious of the regularity. The few who happen to be resistant to the drugs or purposely change their behavior to avoid strong doses of some of the drugs in the monthly treatment are dealt with by the
317:) so that they will remain satisfied and co-operative "Family members." They are told where to live, when to eat, whom to marry, when to reproduce, and the job for which they will be trained. Everyone is assigned a counselor, who acts somewhat like a mentor, confessor, and parole agent; violations against "brothers" and "sisters" by themselves and others are expected to be reported at a weekly
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of the group at gunpoint to a secret luxurious underground city beneath UniComp, where they are met by Wei, one of the original planners of the
Unification. Wei and the other "programmers" who live in UniComp have arranged the test so that the most daring and resourceful incurables will make their way to UniComp. There, they too will live in luxury as programmers.
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Chip conceives of a plan to destroy the computer, UniComp, by blowing up its refrigeration system. He recruits other incurables to join him, and they make their way to the mainland. Just as they reach UniComp, one of the incurables, an agent of the programmers, betrays his partners and leads the rest
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King has already interacted with some "incurables" and that they are indeed real. Before he can tell Lilac, Chip's ruse is discovered by his adviser. He and all the other members of the group are captured and treated back into docility (except King, who takes his own life before he can be captured).
538:
Levin's dystopia enjoys some commendable features as well. The Earth and its extra-planetary colonies are free of war, hunger, most diseases, crime, envy, and inter-personal violence. Thanks to rigid population control and a more rational management of the environment, the threat of human extinction
559:
Chip and Lilac begin to search through old museum maps and soon discover islands around the world that have disappeared from their modern map. They begin to wonder if perhaps other "incurable" members have escaped to the islands. King tells them that the idea is nonsense, but Chip soon learns that
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Bob Wood is mentioned throughout the novel but never discussed in detail. A painting is mentioned depicting Wood presenting the
Unification Treaty. In one conversation in which the protagonist discusses his discovery that people once had varying lifespans, one character comments that controlling
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in having it, in controlling, in being the only one." Chip knew all along that it was power hunger, not altruism, that drove Wei to chicanery and murder. Chip succeeds in destroying Uni with the explosives. On his way up from the underground city towards sunlight, Chip tells an angry programmer:
563:
Some years later, Chip's regular treatment is delayed by an earthquake. In the meanwhile, he begins to "wake up" again and remembers Lilac and the islands. He is able to shield his arm from the treatment nozzle and becomes fully awake for the first time. He locates Lilac again and kidnaps her. At
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As Chip grows up and begins his career, he is mostly a good citizen but commits minor subversive acts, such as procuring art materials for another "nonconformist" member who was denied them. His occasional oddities attract the attention of a secret group of
Members of nonconformists, like Chip.
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Li RM35M4419, nicknamed "Chip" (as in "chip off the old block") by his nonconformist grandfather Jan, is a typical child Member, but through a mistake in genetic programming, he has one green eye. Through his grandfather's encouragement, he learns how to play a game of "wanting things," including
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After joining the programmers and a few tentative attempts to confide in someone, Chip shares his misgivings with no one, lies low, and dedicates himself to the task of gaining Wei's confidence. For example, to deceive Wei, Chip consents to the replacement of his green eye with a brown one even
324:
Everyone wears a permanent identifying bracelet that interfaces with access points, which act as scanners. Uni uses them to tell "Family members" where they are allowed to go and what they are allowed to do. Around the age of 62, every person is humanely euthanized by Uni with an overdose of the
579:
However, nine months later, a new group of incurables arrives, and Chip leaves the welcome party with the intention of using the newcomers' explosives to blow up the master computer. A physical struggle with Wei, who has the body of a young athlete, results in Wei being shot. Just before he is
534:
It is assumed that Uni and the restriction on names were created not very long ago, since Papa Jan was one of the employees who constructed it, and he claims to have remembered when there were many names. However, to make the members genetically uniform, many generations are needed.
568:. There, they learn that UniComp, as a last resort, has planted failsafes that eventually lead all incurables to the islands, where they will be trapped forever from the treated population. After living "free" on Majorca, Chip and Lilac eventually marry and have a child together.
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called UniComp (referred as just "Uni" in speech), which has been programmed to keep every single human on the surface of the Earth in check. People living under the "Unification" are continually drugged by means of monthly treatments (delivered via
552:
There, he meets King, a
Medicenter chief who obtains members' records for potential future recruitment to the group; King's beautiful girlfriend, Lilac, a strong-willed and inquisitive woman with unusually dark skin; and Snowflake, a rare
444:, with the text describing paintings of Jesus attacking the moneychangers in the temple and Marx writing at his desk, both possibly implying an anti-capitalist ideology. These two pillars of the official state ideology are depicted on its
151:
592:, where Lilac, their son, financial sponsors, and friends are hopefully waiting for him. For the first time in his life, he sees raindrops in daytime, nature's affirmation that the era of slavery and total control is finally over.
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Despite the name, the "programmers" are not allowed to program Uni since Wei Li Chun, the person who started the
Unification, reserves the privilege solely to himself. Instead, they do administrative work.
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first, she fights him, but as she too becomes more "awake," she remembers the islands and comes willingly. Finding a convenient abandoned boat on the beach, they head for the nearest island of incurables,
424:
Only the programmers and their attendants know that Wei Li Chun remains alive as the leader of the programmers, extending his lifespan by having his head transplanted onto successive youthful bodies.
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imagining what career he might pick if he had the choice. Chip is told by his adviser that "deciding" and "picking" are manifestations of selfishness, and he tries to forget his dreams.
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member. They teach Chip how to get his treatments reduced so that he can feel more and stronger emotions. Chip begins an affair with
Snowflake but is really attracted to Lilac.
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Even the basic facts of nature are subject to the programmers' will: men do not grow facial hair, and it rains only at night. Dampers even control the movement of
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people's lifespans is the ultimate realization of Wei and Wood's thinking. The poem also mentions
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two stars out of four and described the book as "a slickly-written update of
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killed, Wei reveals his true motive in creating the dystopia: "there's
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is one of two Levin novels yet to be adapted to film (the other being
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The full rhyme is sung by children bouncing a ball (similar to a
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though it involves giving up a cherished part of his identity.
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531:," wears exactly the same thing, and is satisfied every day.
348:. Reference is made in the story to permanent settlements on
242:
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Uniformity is the defining feature. There is only one
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942:. New York: Pharos Books: St. Martins Press, 1990.
588:The book ends with Chip riding a helicopter toward
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71:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
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965:by Curtis C. Smith. St. James Press, 1986,
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149:
142:
962:Twentieth-Century Science-Fiction Writers
131:Learn how and when to remove this message
928:
527:. Everyone eats "totalcakes," drinks "
1004:Riggenbach, Jeff (December 2, 2010).
999:Internet Speculative Fiction Database
940:The Ultimate Guide To Science Fiction
7:
934:
932:
69:adding citations to reliable sources
523:from "name" and "number"), such as
471:, and all ethnic groups have been
25:
409:Gave us lovely schools and parks.
45:
1238:American science fiction novels
959:Cherry Wilder, "Levin, Ira" in
539:has been considerably reduced.
56:needs additional citations for
436:, and presents the historical
1:
419:Made us humble, made us good.
696:Paranoia (role-playing game)
399:All but Wei were sacrificed.
1228:1970 science fiction novels
855:, Hoffmann und Campe 1972,
414:Wei, Christ, Marx and Wood,
404:Wood, Wei, Christ and Marx,
394:Marx, Wood, Wei and Christ,
389:Led us to this perfect day.
384:Christ, Marx, Wood and Wei,
1269:
1253:Fiction about mind control
1018:Ludwig von Mises Institute
304:The world is managed by a
29:
280:in 1992 for this novel.
265:novel by American writer
148:
30:For the Saints song, see
906:Fagre nye elektronverden
432:, the central figure of
34:. For similar uses, see
838:, J'ai lu, N°434, 1972
836:Un bonheur insoutenable
32:This Perfect Day (song)
27:1970 novel by Ira Levin
870:Questo giorno perfetto
828:, Nova fronteira, 1970
806:Book of the Road Audio
491:) and four for women (
1149:No Time for Sergeants
997:title listing at the
853:Die sanften Ungeheuer
1223:1970 American novels
1112:The Boys from Brazil
674:Nineteen Eighty-Four
65:improve this article
1243:Novels by Ira Levin
1080:A Kiss Before Dying
826:Este mundo perfeito
145:
1248:Random House books
1104:The Stepford Wives
681:The Glass Fortress
440:, an ideologue of
80:"This Perfect Day"
1210:
1209:
1165:Dr. Cook's Garden
797:978-1-60598-129-1
769:978-0-449-22638-4
513:alphanumeric code
311:transdermal spray
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209:Publication place
144:This Perfect Day
141:
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16:(Redirected from
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1233:Dystopian novels
1096:This Perfect Day
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1008:This Perfect Day
994:This Perfect Day
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880:De dag der dagen
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823:
808:(December 1985)
804:Audio Cassette:
791:(November 2010)
777:(November 1976)
613:This Perfect Day
605:This Perfect Day
450:cross and sickle
331:world government
306:central computer
290:, the sequel to
282:This Perfect Day
278:Prometheus Award
258:This Perfect Day
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200:Publication date
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1173:Veronica's Room
1157:Critic's Choice
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1128:Son of Rosemary
1088:Rosemary's Baby
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1006:"Ira Levin and
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989:at IraLevin.org
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822:(in Portuguese)
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666:Never Let Me Go
644:Brave New World
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622:Brave New World
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293:Rosemary's Baby
287:Son of Rosemary
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916:O zi perfecta
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543:Plot summary
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446:coat of arms
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430:Jesus Christ
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315:jet injector
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271:technocratic
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224:Hall of Fame
193:Random House
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63:Please help
58:verification
55:
1014:Mises Daily
902:(in Danish)
849:(in German)
832:(in French)
787:Paperback:
773:Paperback:
759:Paperback:
745:Hardcover:
691:(2005 film)
683:(2016 film)
651:Equilibrium
473:eugenically
335:meritocracy
327:programmers
36:Perfect Day
1217:Categories
973:(p.443-4).
948:0886875374
923:References
876:(in Dutch)
702:The Matrix
689:The Island
636:Alphaville
454:Sacrificed
356:, and the
319:confession
269:, about a
222:Prometheus
91:newspapers
1181:Deathtrap
1063:Ira Levin
596:Reception
525:WL35S7497
521:neologism
517:"nameber"
448:, with a
442:communism
438:Karl Marx
300:Backstory
267:Ira Levin
189:Publisher
165:Ira Levin
121:June 2015
1192:Musicals
950:(p.318).
740:Editions
709:THX 1138
629:See also
515:, their
509:surnames
469:language
364:'s moon
274:dystopia
171:Language
726:(novel)
668:(novel)
659:Gattaca
590:Majorca
566:Majorca
370:Mercury
368:and on
174:English
105:scholar
18:Nameber
1203:(1965)
1184:(1978)
1176:(1974)
1168:(1968)
1160:(1960)
1152:(1956)
1131:(1997)
1123:(1991)
1120:Sliver
1115:(1976)
1107:(1972)
1099:(1970)
1091:(1967)
1083:(1953)
1071:Novels
969:
946:
908:, 1989
886:
859:
842:
812:
795:
781:
767:
753:
734:(film)
718:(film)
653:(film)
638:(film)
554:albino
503:, and
487:, and
362:Saturn
217:Awards
161:Author
107:
100:
93:
86:
78:
1140:Plays
1059:Works
611:gave
529:cokes
501:Peace
481:Jesus
456:is a
366:Titan
354:Venus
261:is a
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