And All the Earth a Grave
A bookkeeping error at a coffin manufacturing company leads to an unexpected marketing bonanza, transforming death into a commercial opportunity. The Advertising Manager seizes the moment, launching a provocative campaign that positions coffins as desirable gifts, igniting a nationwide frenzy. As coffins become the new status symbol, demand skyrockets, leading to a cultural shift where people begin to embrace death as a fashionable choice. The campaign's success results in a societal obsession with coffins, with various industries adapting to the trend, from grocery stores to beauty parlors. As the movement spreads globally, nations react in diverse ways, with some embracing the trend while others denounce it. The world experiences a dramatic reduction in its population as people increasingly opt for the comfort of coffins over the struggles of life. Amidst this chaos, one man, seemingly the last living human, searches for the perfect coffin, ultimately succumbing to the allure of a luxurious model. The narrative concludes with a sense of eerie calm, as the protagonist reflects on the new reality, leaving behind a world that has largely chosen to exit life in favor of a comfortable death.
By C.C. MacApp · First published 1974 · Genre: Science Fiction, Post-Apocalyptic, Dystopia · 2,762 words
First lines
There's nothing wrong with dying -- it just hasn't ever had the proper sales pitch!
It all began when the new bookkeeping machine of a large Midwestern coffin manufacturer slipped a cog, or blew a transistor, or something. It was fantastic that the error -- one of two decimal places -- should enjoy a straight run of okays, human and mechanical, clear down the line; but when the figures clacked out at the last clacking-out station, there it was. The figures were now sacred; immutable; and it is doubtful whether the President of the concern or the Chairman of the Board would have dared question them -- even if either of those two gentlemen had been in town.
What this Textopian page supports
And All the Earth a Grave is listed on Textopian as a short story by C.C. MacApp, dated 1974 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: C.C. MacApp
- Date: 1974 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Science Fiction, Post-Apocalyptic, Dystopia, Short Stories
- Length: 2,762 words
- Structure: 1 section, 38 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)
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Genres
- Science Fiction — The book is set in a future world and deals with advanced and speculative technological or scientific issues.
- Post-Apocalyptic — The narrative involves an Earth that has experienced a cataclysmic event and consequences thereafter.
- Dystopia — The story depicts a repressive and controlled society, a common theme in dystopian works.
- Short Stories — The book is composed of a series of different, yet interconnected stories.
Tags
science fiction · space exploration · alien encounters · interstellar travel · humanity · survival · philosophy · war · conflict · technology · futuristic · dystopian