To Pay the Piper

"To Pay the Piper" by James Blish is a science fiction story that unfolds on a devastated Earth after a biological war. It’s about how people try to survive, and how society starts to fall apart because of what humans have done. The main character, Dr. Samuel Carson, works on a project to teach soldiers how to live on the poisonous surface again. A government official named Secretary Hamelin wants regular people to get the same training, but the military wants to keep control. Things get even harder when dangerous new diseases appear, and there's a question if Hamelin is secretly working against them. The story is full of suspense and shows the tough choices people have to make to stay alive in a world ruined by war.