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In the fictional works of Cordwainer Smith, the Instrumentality of Mankind is the central government of the human race. Its members, the Lords of the Instrumentality, are callous and all-powerful. Although their motives are genuinely benign, they act with utmost brutality. In view of the Christian themes prevalent in Smith's works, it is not that far-fetched to identify the Instrumentality with the Church. The Instrumentality may be compared to the Plan of Man in the Starchild Trilogy by Frederik Pohl and Jack Williamson.The Instrumentality of Mankind is also the title of a collection of short stories by Cordwainer Smith published in 1979.
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