Valley of the Shadow story
A newspaper reporter discovers a small town with incredibly advanced technology that they wish to keep secret. Directed by: Perry Lafferty. Story by: Charles Beaumont.
12 total · 1 choice · 4 major · 7 minor
| Theme | Level | Motivation |
|---|---|---|
| science for war or peace | choice | The residents of a small town were keeping secret some revolutionary technology they'd come into possession of out of a conviction that humanity would use it to destroy the world, rather than for peaceful purposes as they were. |
| bird in a gilded cage | major | Phillip was told that he could never leave Peaceful Valley, though their remarkable technology could clearly give him a carefree life wanting for nothing. |
| master and pet | major | Philip was with his dog Rollie, whom he promised steak after steak, for up to half of the story. |
| matter replicator | major | The people of a small town provided for all their basic needs by using special machines that assembled from atoms anything for which they had a special blueprint, including a ham sandwich and a typewriter. |
| romantic love | major | Philip and Ellen became affectionate of one another, but things ended tragically. |
| compromising one's ethical principles vs. self-preservation | minor | To avoid being executed, Philip reluctantly agreed to remain in the sleepy town of Peaceful Valley for the rest of his life, and in so doing never reveal to humanity they secret they were keeping that might transform the Earth into a paradise. |
| extraterrestrial being | minor | An alien, it is most strongly implied, gave Peaceful Valley remarkable technology. |
| force field | minor | The mayor could have turned on an invisible barrier all around the town whenever he wanted. |
| love at first sight | minor | Ellen said that ever since she saw Phillip she'd had "this feeling", which was later identified as "love". |
| sadomasochism | minor | For no practical reason the Mayor deftly stabbed a willing Elder in the heart and we are left to conclude that they must have derived sexual pleasure from the exercise. |