The Clean and Wholesome Land

"The Clean and Wholesome Land" by Ralph Sholto is a science fiction story from the 1950s that looks at how powerful a controlling government can be, and how important it is to know who you are; in this story, things seem perfect on the surface, but disagreeing with the government is dealt with in a very harsh way. The Director of Public Security, Neal Pardeau, finds out that his second-in-command, Emil Hillerman, has been changed by the leader of the resistance, Karl Lenster, using a dangerous chemical process. Pardeau then makes a plan to use Hillerman-Lenster as a secret helper inside the government. The story gets more suspenseful as Pardeau deals with lies, betrayal, and his strong wish to get back at those who are against the "New State," and the story reaches a shocking ending that shows how easily someone can lose themselves when trying to control others.