With These Hands

With These Hands collects incisive science-fiction stories by C. M. Kornbluth that explore the human condition in an age of mechanisation, labour displacement, and technological upheaval. Across these speculative narratives, Kornbluth interrogates the relationship between work, identity, and power, portraying futures in which automation reshapes society, human skill becomes commodified, and the lives of ordinary people are transformed by forces beyond their control.Written with sharp wit and unsettling insight, the stories range from dystopian cautionary tales to biting social satire, all underpinned by Kornbluth's characteristic precision and moral imagination. Whether addressing corporate dominance, the erosion of human agency, or the paradoxes of entrenched privilege, these works remain strikingly resonant in an era of accelerating automation and socio-economic uncertainty.For readers of classic mid-twentieth-century science fiction, social critique, and speculative fiction that puts human experience at the centre of technological futures, this collection is a compelling testament to Kornbluth's enduring relevance.