The Standardized Man

"The Standardized Man" by Stephen Bartholomew is a tale of a future world obsessed with conformity, where personal identity is threatened by extreme uniformity. A chemist named Charles wrestles with enormous pressure to create a groundbreaking all-weather suit to rescue the struggling textile industry. However, a mishap involving the fabric's unusual behavior throws his life into turmoil, causing widespread identity confusion in a society rigidly defined by name tags. Ultimately, Charles makes a dramatic decision to assume another man's identity, highlighting the desperate measures people might take to navigate societal demands and existential crises. The story serves as a warning about the dangers of sacrificing individuality for the sake of uniformity and economic stability as the pursuit of order descends into disorder.