What Rough Beast?: Classic Book Guide and Free Edition
What Rough Beast?: author and translator credits, catalogue synopsis, subjects and links to the Gutenberg reading formats.

What Rough Beast? is catalogued by Project Gutenberg with author credits for Highe, Jefferson.
Catalogue synopsis
Project Gutenberg supplies this automated synopsis of the opening text:
"What Rough Beast?" by Jefferson Highe is a science fiction novel written in the mid-20th century. The story explores themes of education, societal collapse, and the potential invasion of Earth by a highly intelligent alien race, but with a twist—these invaders are children with incredible abilities. The narrative unfolds in a dystopian future where conventional education has failed, leading to chaotic outbreaks in schools and societal unrest among the youth. The plot centers around John Ward, a teacher grappling with the consequences of a failing educational system as he encounters disturbances caused by his students, including a riot involving teleporting tigers. Ward becomes increasingly convinced that the Outspacers, believed to be out-of-this-world beings, are monitoring Earth by planting children with extraordinary gifts among humans. As he pieces together this theory, the story builds toward humorous revelations about the true nature of the so-called invaders. Through Ward's experiences and interactions with his students, the novel delves into the absurdity of the situation while raising questions about the direction of humanity and education amidst overwhelming challenges.
Book and edition facts
- Title: What Rough Beast?
- Author credits: Highe, Jefferson
- Catalogue language: English
Catalogue subjects
- Science fiction
- Short stories
Gutenberg collections
- Category: Humour
- Category: Novels
- Category: Science-Fiction & Fantasy
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View the complete Gutenberg catalogue record. Project Gutenberg identifies this edition as public domain in the United States; that designation does not establish its copyright status in every country.
Source notes
Catalogue metadata is public domain and is supplied through Gutendex, which imports Gutenberg's machine-readable catalogue. The automated synopsis is source-supplied, not an independently verified review. Author dates above describe the credited people; no ebook release date is presented as the book's original publication date.


