Mr. Adam — Pat Frank

Originally published at the dawn of the Atomic Age, "Mr. Adam" is a riveting, chilling novel from the author of the post-apocalyptic classic "Alas Babylon,"  revealing the dangers of nuclear power -- and the far greater danger of government bureaucracy.

A young newspaperman accidentally turns up the biggest story of his career: On a certain date in the not-too-distant future, there are no reservations in the maternity wards of any hospitals in New York. When the journalist's AP office checks other cities, he discovers that this alarming state of affairs is not just in the United States, but in the entire world. A few months earlier, an accidental explosion in an atomic plant in Mississippi released an unknown form of radiation that turned the Earth's men sterile -- with one notable exception.

Mr. Homer Adam, who was at the bottom of a lead mine in Colorado at the moment of the explosion, is the only man unaffected by the atomic rays. Naturally, he is in great demand, and sadly, it's up to the government to decide what to do with him.

One of literature's first responses to the atomic bomb, "Mr. Adam" is an artifact of classic science fiction -- an equally biting satire and ominous warning to society -- that will resonate deeply with readers today as it did when it was first published in 1946.