A man wakes up in a hospital with no memory, but it isn't a hospital.  It's a prison ship taking him on an alien planet named Omega. When he is marched out of the ship with a group of other amnesiacs, they are informed that they are all criminals who have been exiled. They are told that their minds have been wiped of all information of their previous life on Earth for the safety of Earth.  They are told their crimes and their names but nothing else.  The man finds out that his name is Will Barrent and that he is a murderer.

Barrent and his cohort are then dumped into a society where evil is good and individuals advance in status by murder.  Barrent advances quite successfully by his reflexes, intelligence and good fortune, rather than by any innate viciousness or sociopathy.  He is helped at key times by a mysterious woman, who doesn't exist in the story as anything more than a plot device.

Eventually Barrent gets to the pinnacle of Omega society and discovers that its internal contradictions are about to rip it apart.  He fortuitously falls in with the Omegan non-criminal underground and is smuggled back to Earth on a returning prison ship.

Because of the mindwipe, Omegans do not remember anything about Earth, although they have conjectures about a fierce police state ruled through informers.  What Barrent finds, however, is a world of unthinking conformity.  There is no police and there is no crime.  There are no local or regional differences.  As part of all the conformity, status is also key on Earth as everyone knows their place and keeps to it.

Barrent ultimately learns the secret of Earth: everything is maintained in proper order by deep psychological programming, which has resulted in stagnation.  Because of its stagnation, Earth is ripe for conquest by Omega, but the result will be a mixing of the better natures of Earth and Omega and a return of the human spirit of adventure.

The book is clearly a product of the time it was written, the 1950s.  Sheckley is obviously preaching a sermon against conformity, the Eisenhower years and Madison Avenue.  The book is long on ideas and short on character. For example, the female character appears to be slated as someone important for Barrent's future, but that idea is discarded without a moment of reflection.  Nonetheless, the dated feel of the book is charming, and the story moves along like a connect the dot picture.  The Status Civilization is a quick, enjoyable but totally forgettable read.
A man wakes up in a hospital with no memory, but it isn't a hospital. It's a prison ship taking him on an alien planet named Omega. When he is marched out of the ship with a group of other amnesiacs, they are informed that they are all criminals who have been exiled. They are told that their minds have been wiped of all information of their previous life on Earth for the safety of Earth. They are told their crimes and their names but nothing else. The man finds out that his name is Will Barrent and that he is a murderer. Barrent and his cohort are then dumped into a society where evil is good and individuals advance in status by murder. Barrent advances quite successfully by his reflexes, intelligence and good fortune, rather than by any innate viciousness or sociopathy. He is helped at key times by a mysterious woman, who doesn't exist in the story as anything more than a plot device. Eventually Barrent gets to the pinnacle of Omega society and discovers that its internal contradictions are about to rip it apart. He fortuitously falls in with the Omegan non-criminal underground and is smuggled back to Earth on a returning prison ship. Because of the mindwipe, Omegans do not remember anything about Earth, although they have conjectures about a fierce police state ruled through informers. What Barrent finds, however, is a world of unthinking conformity. There is no police and there is no crime. There are no local or regional differences. As part of all the conformity, status is also key on Earth as everyone knows their place and keeps to it. Barrent ultimately learns the secret of Earth: everything is maintained in proper order by deep psychological programming, which has resulted in stagnation. Because of its stagnation, Earth is ripe for conquest by Omega, but the result will be a mixing of the better natures of Earth and Omega and a return of the human spirit of adventure. The book is clearly a product of the time it was written, the 1950s. Sheckley is obviously preaching a sermon against conformity, the Eisenhower years and Madison Avenue. The book is long on ideas and short on character. For example, the female character appears to be slated as someone important for Barrent's future, but that idea is discarded without a moment of reflection. Nonetheless, the dated feel of the book is charming, and the story moves along like a connect the dot picture. The Status Civilization is a quick, enjoyable but totally forgettable read.