Belly Laugh by Randall Garrett
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"Belly Laugh" by Ivar Jorgensen is a science fiction short story written in the early 1950s. The narrative unfolds during a futuristic war scenario where unconventional weapons are utilized. The story explores the theme of humor as a coping mechanism in dire circumstances, highlighting the absurdity of war through the experiences of soldiers interacting with unexpected situations. The plot follows a soldier who recounts a peculiar incident while trapped in a pit
during a skirmish. He and his fellow soldier, a young man named Stillwell, encounter a Russian soldier, who turns out to be a robot disguised as a human. Stillwell, consumed by his longing for home, engages with the robot in a comedic and ultimately shocking way. As their bizarre interaction unfolds, it culminates in Stillwell's disillusionment when he realizes the truth about the supposed enemy combatant. The story mixes elements of science fiction with humor, illustrating how laughter can emerge even in the most absurd and chaotic moments of war. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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About this eBook
| Author | Garrett, Randall, 1927-1987 |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Berger, Charles J. |
| Title | Belly Laugh |
| Series Title | Produced from Amazing Stories April-May 1953. |
| Credits |
Produced by Greg Weeks, Stephen Blundell and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at www.pgdp.net |
| Reading Level | Reading ease score: 92.6 (5th grade). Very 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. | 28643 |
| Release Date | Apr 30, 2009 |
| Last Update | Jan 5, 2021 |
| Copyright | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 245 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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