The Common Man

In Short

When three researchers set out to measure the impact of standard human nature on an extraordinary technology, they track down the nation's statistically perfect average citizen and hand him a temporary invisibility serum. Expecting modest curiosity or innocent misuse, they are stunned when their test subject leverages his undetected freedom into high-stakes theft, mob alliances, and a ruthless political crusade for total dominance. Mack Reynolds's sci-fi parable endures as a sharp, cynical satire on demagoguery, human hubris, and the dangerous illusion that the "common man" is inherently noble when given untrammeled power.

The Story

Dr. Frederick Braun and his two younger scientific colleagues, Patricia O'Gara and Ross Wooley, identify Don Crowley as the precise statistical center of the American population. Seeking to understand how an ordinary person would handle unrestricted freedom before releasing a major invention to the world, they visit his modest Midwestern home and recruit him to test a serum that grants twelve hours of total invisibility.

Crowley's initial spree seems harmless enough, consisting of sneaking luxury food from high-end restaurants and peeking into a famous movie star's hotel room. However, the taste of complete immunity rapidly transforms his ambitions. Recognizing that the scientists intend to evaluate and possibly restrict his supply, Crowley covertly steals the remaining doses from their hotel suite. Within days, he uses his invisible state to acquire massive wealth through undetected robberies, recruit hardened criminals, and establish a secluded mountain estate near Tannersville as his operational headquarters.

When the scientists track Crowley down, they discover he has built an organization featuring a seasoned gunman named Larry Morazzoni, a crooked politician named Paul Teeter, and an unscrupulous disgraced broker. Crowley reveals his grand vision: founding the "Common Man Party," bankrolling a massive media campaign to capture political power, and imposing a authoritarian regime tailored around his own narrow prejudices, complete with strict censorship and racial segregation.

Holding the trio captive in his mountain retreat, Crowley forces them to manufacture a fresh batch of the serum under threat of torture. The researchers debate human nature in their cells; while Ross once believed humanity was fundamentally good and Patricia argued that absolute power corrupts anyone, all three agree that Crowley has become an unhinged menace who must be stopped.

Rather than trying to outfight him physically, the three scientists independently sabotage the new serum batch while working under guard. When Crowley takes the fresh dosage to launch his next scheme in the city, the secret alterations take effect with devastating consequences: the serum causes permanent, bright red skin pigmentation changes and fatal physical collapse. Patricia alerts Crowley's criminal henchmen to the sabotage using an altered laboratory chimp as proof. Realizing their boss is doomed and the plan has unraveled, the gangsters release the scientists and flee, leaving the trio to reflect on their narrow escape and the terrifying reality of their creation.

How It Unfolds

The search for the average Dr. Braun, Patricia, and Ross locate Don Crowley at his suburban home, using government statistics to confirm that his income, I.Q., education, and background make him the country's quintessential average citizen.

The first trial After agreeing to try the experimental invisibility serum, Crowley spends his initial twelve hours indulging in childlike mischief, from eating free caviar to spying on celebrities in private hotel rooms.

Seizing the initiative Realizing the scientists might limit his access, Crowley slips into their suite unseen, steals their remaining serum supply, and disappears to build his own operation.

The mountain stronghold The researchers track Crowley to a remote mountain estate, discovering he has hired seasoned underworld figures, gathered immense wealth, and laid plans to launch an authoritarian political movement.

Captivity and coercion Crowley imprisons the trio in cell blocks on his estate, threatening them with brutal violence unless they use the laboratory facilities to synthesize a continuous supply of the serum.

The secret sabotage Working independently without telling one another, each of the three scientists alters their portion of the biochemical formula, turning the invisible serum into a lethal, skin-staining compound.

The collapse of the empire When the altered serum takes effect on a test animal and Crowley himself, Patricia convinces his criminal allies to abandon the compound, securing the scientists' freedom as the enterprise implodes.

The People

• Don Crowley wants immediate wealth, personal luxury, and ultimate social authority; initially defensive about his mundane life, his taste of unchecked power turns him into a ruthless, dictatorial demagogue who believes his personal prejudices speak for all ordinary people.
• Dr. Frederick Braun wants to conduct cautious, ethical research while preventing military misuse of his discovery; his academic detachment and naive faith in reason leave him shocked when his average subject devolves into a tyrannical monster.
• Patricia O'Gara wants strict scientific control over dangerous inventions; sharp, cynical, and quick-witted, her early skepticism about human nature is proven right, though she ultimately uses her intellect to manipulate Crowley's criminal guards into freeing them.
• Ross Wooley wants to believe that humanity is fundamentally good and worthy of freedom; after attempting to tackle Crowley physically and failing, he abandons his romantic idealism and relies on his professional expertise to defeat their captor.

In Its Own Voice

"He was somewhere in his thirties, easygoing of face, brownish of hair, bluish of eye and moderately good-looking. His posture wasn't the best and he had a slight tummy but he was a goodish masculine specimen by Mid-Western standards."

The scientists first lay eyes on Don Crowley, finding the ultimate average man right at his front door.

"Give him the opportunity to exercise unlimited freedom without danger of consequence and he becomes an undisciplined and dangerous lout."

Patricia scolds her colleagues after Crowley's initial invisible spree reveals the dark side of unaccountable power.

"I decided that everybody talks a lot about the Common Man but actually he's never had a chance to, like, express himself. He's never been able to put over the things he's always wanted."

Crowley justifies his rise to power, convincing himself that his personal vices and prejudices represent the true will of the public.

What It's Really About

The story exposes the dangerous fallacy of romanticizing the "common man" as an inherently noble figure. Through Crowley's swift descent into criminality, the narrative argues that lack of power—not innate virtue—is often the only thing keeping petty prejudices and selfish impulses in check. When granted total immunity from consequences, the average citizen does not elevate society; he uses his freedom to enforce conformity, suppress opposition, and indulge base desires. The plot directly challenges both political populism and scientific naivety, demonstrating that unmonitored strength corrupts academic idealists and ordinary working men alike, proving that human nature itself is unequipped to wield absolute control without structural restraints.

Why Read It Today

This concise science fiction satire delivers a sharp, fast-paced critique of populist politics and human self-deception that feels strikingly relevant to modern debates over demagogues and mass media influence. Reynolds writes with crisp, mid-century momentum, blending classic speculative concepts with satirical banter that keeps the narrative moving briskly from suburban living rooms to criminal hideouts.

Readers who enjoy classical sci-fi tropes deployed to dissect social dynamics will appreciate how quickly the story shifts from lighthearted antics to claustrophobic tension. The dialogue reflects the casual idioms and period attitudes of 1950s pulp fiction—including casual sexism, Cold War anxieties, and blunt discussions of racial prejudice—which serve directly to highlight the narrow-mindedness of its antagonist. It is a cynical, entertaining, and thought-provoking read that leaves you questioning how anyone, including yourself, would actually behave if stripped of the fear of getting caught.