Happy Ending by Fredric Brown and Mack Reynolds
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"Happy Ending" by Fredric Brown and Mack Reynolds is a science fiction novella originally published in the late 1950s. The story addresses themes of power, isolation, and the consequences of tyranny. Set in a post-apocalyptic world where a dictator finds himself stranded on Venus after losing a devastating war, it explores both his mental decline and his interactions with the planet’s alien inhabitants. The narrative centers on Mr. Smith, once a powerful
dictator, who is now alone and defeated, grappling with memories of his former glory. Isolated on a vibrant yet desolate Venus, he struggles with feelings of bitterness and rage, particularly against a species of tiny creatures known as "kifs" that annoy and infest him. His descent into madness coincides with his attempt to assert dominance over the alien inhabitants, whom he initially believes to be simple and subservient. However, as the story unfolds, Mr. Smith's self-delusions lead to dire consequences, culminating in a horrifying fate at the hands of the "kifs", symbolizing the ultimate downfall of tyranny and the futility of his power in a changing world. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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About this eBook
| Author | Brown, Fredric, 1906-1972 |
|---|---|
| Author | Reynolds, Mack, 1917-1983 |
| Title | Happy Ending |
| Series Title | Produced from Fantastic Universe September 1957. |
| Credits |
Produced by Greg Weeks, Stephen Blundell and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at www.pgdp.net |
| Reading Level | Reading ease score: 83.2 (6th grade). Easy to read. |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature |
| Subject | Science fiction |
| Subject | Short stories |
| Category | Text |
| eBook-No. | 29206 |
| ISBN (HTML) | 979-8-238-29206-9 |
| Release Date | Jun 22, 2009 |
| Last Update | Jan 5, 2021 |
| Copyright | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 470 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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