Those Who Walk Away from Omelas is a fascinating and rather thought-provoking piece of fiction. Written by Ursula K. Le Guin, it won the Hugo Award for Best Short Story in 1974 and was nominated for the Locus Award for Best Short Fiction in the same year. It follows the residents of the city of Omelas as they celebrate a summer festival. The city has no poverty, no violence, no disease, and no suffering to speak of at all. But for the paradise to remain there is one terrible stipulation. In some locked corner of the city there is a child, a starving, emaciated, child living in an unspeakable squalor. Every resident of the city knows of the child; they know that if even one kind word was spoken to the child their paradise would burn with them inside, cradling the ashes. So, most of the citizens push it to the back of their minds or rationalize it away. However, some people, both young and old, choose to walk into the unknown away from Omelas. They walk away from the city and from the child and are never seen again. It is a wonderful story on utilitarianism and the question of ethics, an amazing read if you’re bored or are looking for a short thought-provoking experience.