ounding ▁Science ▁F iction . ▁It ▁was ▁later ▁collected ▁in ▁Earth ▁Is ▁Room ▁En ough ▁( 1 9 5 7 ) ▁and ▁The ▁Best ▁of ▁Isaac ▁As im ov ▁( 1 9 7 3 ), ▁and ▁adapted ▁into ▁an ▁episode ▁of ▁the ▁science - f iction ▁television ▁series ▁Out ▁of ▁the ▁Un known . ▁Its ▁pattern ▁is ▁that ▁of ▁d yst op ian ▁fiction , ▁but ▁of ▁a ▁subt ly ▁nu anced ▁flav or . ▁It ▁is ▁considered ▁by ▁some ▁people ▁to ▁be ▁one ▁of ▁his ▁best ▁short ▁stories . ▁ ▁Plot ▁summary ▁ ▁As im ov ▁ext rap ol ates ▁the ▁tw in ▁tr ends ▁towards ▁central ization ▁of ▁academic ▁research ▁and ▁scientific ▁special ization , ▁to ▁port ray ▁a ▁world ▁in ▁which ▁state ▁control ▁of ▁scientific ▁research ▁is ▁over seen ▁by ▁a ▁vast ▁b ureau c racy , ▁and ▁sch ol ars ▁are ▁effectively ▁forb idden ▁from ▁working ▁outside ▁their ▁narrow ▁field ▁of ▁special ization . ▁Working ▁innoc ently ▁under ▁these ▁constraints ▁is ▁Arnold ▁Pot ter ley , ▁a ▁professor ▁of ▁ancient ▁history . ▁Pot ter ley , ▁an ▁expert ▁on ▁ancient ▁Car th age , ▁wishes ▁to ▁gain ▁access ▁to ▁the ▁chron os cope , ▁a ▁device ▁which ▁allows ▁direct ▁observation ▁of ▁past ▁events , ▁to ▁establish ▁whether ▁the ▁Car th agini ans ▁really ▁sacrific ed ▁children ▁by ▁fire . ▁ ▁P ione ered ▁by ▁a ▁neut r ino ▁phys ic ist ▁named ▁Ster bin ski ▁many ▁years ▁before , ▁the ▁chron os cope ▁is ▁now ▁exclus ively ▁controlled ▁by