The Marching Morons
A savage 1951 warning about intelligence, power and a society stumbling confidently in the wrong direction.
Amazon link is an affiliate link; no extra cost to you.
A future that became uncomfortably familiar
In The Marching Morons, one intelligent man wakes into a world where competence has become dangerously scarce and a small elite keeps a vast, failing civilisation moving. Kornbluth’s satire is ruthless, funny and deliberately uncomfortable.
This Forgotten Futures edition places the title story beside other dark visions, including The Little Black Bag and With These Hands, revealing a writer fascinated by technology, labour, status and the stories societies tell about progress.
Inside the book
- The Marching Morons
- The Little Black Bag
- With These Hands
- Editorial context for modern readers
For readers who enjoy
- Classic dystopian satire
- Kornbluth, Pohl and mid-century SF
- Stories that feel like warnings rather than comfort
Explore beyond the book
Explore the complete Forgotten Futures series.
Enter Kornbluth’s nightmare
Read the satire that has been provoking, amusing and infuriating science-fiction readers since 1951.
Questions readers ask
Is this only one story?
The edition pairs The Marching Morons with additional dark stories by C. M. Kornbluth.
Who prepared this edition?
Andrew G. Gibson curated and presented the restored edition for modern readers.
Is this a comforting book?
No. These are sharp, unsettling satires designed to provoke thought.