Tovarna na absolutno is a science fiction novel written by Czech author Karel Capek in 1922. The first sentence opens the story on New Year's Day 1943, and describes the fundamental transformations in society as the result of a new mystical source of virtually free energy. The story centers on the invention of a reactor that can annihilate matter to produce cheap and abundant energy. Unfortunately, it produces something else as a by-product, the absolute."