I read a story some time ago which I wish to track down and reread. The story featured a future where the strong were forced to wear chains in order to offset their advantage and so forth. Can anyone identify this story?

Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.
HARRISON BERGERON

Vonnegut? Oh. Thank you for the help.

Love Vonnegut. Try "God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater". Great social commentary. Very fun story and characters.

Forgot where this quote came from, but it was Ray's view on why books are important and what makes a good writer:

"Do you know why books as such are so important? Because they have quality. And what does the word quality mean? To me it means 'texture'. This Book has 'pores'. It has features. This Book can go under the microscope. You'd find life under the glass. Streaming past in infinite profusion.
The more pores, the more truthfully recorded details of life per square inch you can get on a sheet of paper, the more 'literary' you are. That's my definition, anyway. Telling detail. Fresh detail. The good writers touch life often. The mediocre ones run a quick hand over her. The bad ones rape her and leave her for the flies."

Deep ponderings of the relative value of "just the facts, ma'am" (strict truth with no fanciful touches) and artfully chosen and crafted images.

Dandelion:

I think Ray talks about detail....in NOT what we usually conjure up in our mind as...detail....

Every word...'pores', 'detail', 'go under the glass', even 'features'.... are not mere words but a "quality" the tempts description. We are sparked by this 'impossible-to-define' substance that explores the depths of our being with it's character...yet mere words....
Ray is talking about values here, not just reporting the facts. Facts are dead leaves, left out in the sun mushrooms, slices of mummified apple. But Ray's reasonings are ...Golden Apples of the Sun, and raising those mushrooms in the cellar, from his scary short story, as well as the leaves come in a myriad of colors, in The October Country.
I like his choice of using the microscope..that means everything has been 'turned up' ...inlcuding the character, both in volume and in sight....