How deep the grooves

"How Deep the Grooves" by Philip José Farmer is a science fiction story that questions how far society should go to create sameness and obedience. The story centers on Dr. James Carroad, a scientist who wants to control how people think by experimenting on his unborn child. As he presents his invention, Cervus III, to an important official, his wife, Jane, starts understanding the awful truths about their actions and what it means to be human. Her distress reveals deep facts about destiny and how life might just be mechanical, leading to a horrifying realization about her son’s life. The story looks at the connection between science, doing what’s right, and what makes us human in a world that depends more and more on technology.