E. E. SMITH
(Edward Elmer Smith)
Most societies have debated the relative roles of authority and accountability in government operations. Most appointees and civil servants complain that authority is too concentrated at the top—that they do not have enough authority to do their jobs properly. Meanwhile. Most citizens and service recipients complain that the officials and civil servants are not accountable and should not be given much authority. In this hypothetical society of the future, Doc Smith depicts what would happen if BOTH of these complaints were addressed totally. Most of the people who complain about the existing systems find that they have to be careful of what they wish for. Solving these problems might create a world that is far worse.
Edward Elmer Smith, publishing as E. E. Smith, Ph.D. and later as E. E. "Doc" Smith, was an American food engineer (specializing in doughnut and pastry mixes) and science-fiction author, best known for the Lensman and Skylark series. He is sometimes called the father of space opera.
