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ConradBixby, JosephJerome. "The Secret SharerIt's A ''Good'' Life." Masters and Masterpieces The Science Fiction Hall of the Short StoryFame. Ed. Joshua McClennenRobert Silverberg. New York: Holt RinehartTom Doherty Associates, LLC, 19661998. 98433-131448.
moved Assignment 1 - It's A Good Life - Chris Baynton to EAC234 Assignment 1 - It's A Good Life - Chris Baynton
== GENERAL ==
'''It’s A ''Good '' Life''' is a short story by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerome_Bixby Jerome Bixby] about a young boy with special powers. This boy, Anthony is terrorizing the residents of his small town by reading their thoughts. This causes everyone to maintain a façade of happiness and cheerful thoughts, when they are actually living in constant fear.
Written in 1953, it was first published in the book [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Science_Fiction_Stories_No.2 Star Science Fiction Stories No.2]. This story also appears in The Science Fiction Hall of Fame; it is a collection of the greatest science fiction stories of all time as voted by the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science_Fiction_Writers_of_America Members of the Science Fiction Writers of America].
== PLOT SUMMARY ==
This story is about Anthony Fremont, a three-year-old boy with unusual powers; he has the ability to transform things with his mind. He lives in the town of Peaksville, Ohio with his mother, father, and aunt. Surrounding their little town is a grey abyss of “nothingness”. There is no electricity to speak of and the residents must grow their own food and make their own things. Anthony controls the weather with his thoughts and it changes depending on his mood.
If Anthony “hears” a thought he doesn’t like he transforms the people into horrible monstrosities. The towns-people must cater to the child’s wishes for positive thinking. If they don’t maintain optimistic thoughts, Anthony will know and they run the risk of being transformed or even killed. When Anthony tries to help people, he usually ends up making things worse for them, much worse. In order to maintain this kind of thinking, the population must mumble constantly and keep their thought incoherent and random. Nobody is safe from Anthony, even his own family.
== SETTING ==
*Depicted as casting an “odd shadow” and has a “purple gaze”
*Has near-omnipotent powers which allow him to manipulate objects, people and animals around him through telekinesis
'''Amy Fremont'''
*Anthony’s Aunt
*She is a thin, tall woman with vacancy in her eyes
*Anthony, at one time, obeyed her more than anyone else
*A year ago, Anthony had changed her because she had gotten mad about him turning the cat into a cat-rug
'''Dan Hollis'''
*Anthony’s family was celebrating his birthday at their house
*He got drunk off brandy and was unable to control his thoughts
*Was upset that he couldn’t play the record he had gotten for his birthday because Anthony didn’t like it
*He caused a scene by throwing his brandy against the wall
*Anthony transformed him and thought him into a grave, deep in the cornfield
== THEMES ==
== REFERENCES ==
