"Three Novels" ["Rule Golden," "Natural State," and "The Dying Man"] by Damon Knight (1957)

"'You think it is better for those who have much to keep apart from those who have little and give no help?'"

Damon Knight wrote several noteworthy stories during sci-fi's golden age, though he is better remembered for his criticism.  In a way this is a shame, because for all his shit-talking with regard to other science fiction authors, he was a good author in his own right.

The title of this collection is "Three Novels," but none of the stories here are long enough to be described as novels.  They average about 60 pages a piece, and the entire collection is only 189 pages long.  Knight's (real) novels are largely forgotten, and difficult to find.

In "Rule Golden," an alien visits Earth, bearing a "plague" that undermines humanity's violent tendencies.  This is an excellent short story, and also invokes several compelling arguments for pacifism.  It would make a great movie.

"Natural State" details a competition between two forms of civilization.  One society clings to the technological innovations of past, while the other has embraced an entirely new form of technology, unknown to the other.  It's not as strong as "Rule Golden," but it's still very good.

In "The Dying Man" an immortal woman mourns the fate of her doomed lover.  It's a meditation on the meaning and value of mortality, as framed within a futuristic context.  An excellent short story, and just as good as "Rule Golden."