The vidiot
- ✓ EPUB — works on Kindle (Send to Kindle) and every reader
- ✓ Download link on screen and in your email
- ✓ Yours forever — no DRM, re-download anytime
Reading a lot? Get all 2778 books for $19.97 →
The vidiot by Ib Melchior is a science fiction short story written in the mid-20th century. It centers on a television technician who accidentally discovers a way to see through walls, raising questions about surveillance, power, and moral responsibility. An ambitious TV “vidiot,” Don Hartley, is testing special-effects gear during a space-opera rehearsal when a shorted circuit turns a matte into a window that peers through the studio’s backdrop, walls, and out to the street. Mapping the effect, he realizes he can build a single camera—the “Hartleycam”—that could penetrate any barrier. Tempted by fame and fortune, he also envisions a nightmare world of total, inescapable observation and authoritarian control. After a troubled day, he chooses restraint: he visits his executive to confess only the equipment damage, accepts a second chance at work, and keeps his blueprints to himself, concluding that the world is not yet ready for his invention.
This one is part of the wider library — I haven't written a personal review for it yet. It's the same deal as every book here: a clean, complete, Kindle-ready edition for $2.97. The hand-picked shelf has the ones I've reviewed in full.
Will it work on my Kindle?
Yes — Kindle accepts EPUB directly. Email the file to your Kindle address (Send to Kindle) or drag it over USB and it shows up like any other book. The same EPUB works on Kobo, Apple Books, Google Play Books and every reading app.
How do I get the book after paying?
Instantly. After checkout you land on your download page, and the same link is emailed to you so you can re-download anytime, on any device.
Why is The vidiot only $2.97?
The book is in the public domain, so the story itself is free to everyone. You're paying for a carefully typeset, proofread edition that looks right on modern readers — and for the curation of picking books actually worth your time.
What if something goes wrong with my download?
Reply to your receipt email and we'll sort it out — resend the files or refund you, whichever you prefer.
