The Marching Morons
1951
A savage, funny, deeply unsettling portrait of a future where stupidity has won. When Efim Hawkins, a potter who happens to be one of the last intelligent people on Earth, revives John Barlow from cryogenic sleep, Barlow discovers that humanity has bred itself into mediocrity. The average IQ now hovers around 45. Billboard advertisements appeal to the mentality of toddlers. The few smart people hide in plain sight, terrified of attracting attention. Barlow sees opportunity: why fight the tide of idiocy when you can surf it? What follows is a razor-sharp satire of democracy, advertising, and the eternal temptation of demagogues. Kornbluth wrote this in 1951, and every year since has made it feel less like dystopia and more like reportage. It's uncomfortable, unflinching, and frequently hilarious in that way that truths about ourselves always are.
