Cost of Living by Robert Sheckley
"Cost of Living" by Robert Sheckley is a science fiction short story written in the early 1950s. The narrative explores a future society marked by technological advancements that provide individuals with a luxurious lifestyle, yet this comes with a heavy burden of debt. The story likely delves into themes of consumerism, existential anxiety, and the implications of a society built on material ownership. The story follows Carrin, a middle-aged man grappling with
the suicide of his neighbor, Miller, who seemingly had a perfect life filled with modern conveniences. As Carrin prepares for a visit from the finance man of the Avignon Electric company, he reflects on his own burdensome debt of over two hundred thousand dollars, accumulated in order to afford various household appliances and luxuries that define his life. The visit reveals the insidious nature of consumerism, where even his son's future earnings are up for negotiation to further finance this lifestyle. Throughout the story, Carrin's interactions with his family and the finance man accentuate the pressure to maintain appearances and the emotional toll of living in a society where happiness is deeply intertwined with material possessions, leading to a poignant examination of individual purpose and fulfillment in a technologically saturated existence. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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About this eBook
| Author | Sheckley, Robert, 1928-2005 |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Emshwiller, Ed, 1925-1990 |
| Title | Cost of Living |
| Series Title | Produced from Galaxy Science Fiction December 1952. |
| Note | Reading ease score: 87.0 (6th grade). Easy to read. |
| Credits |
Produced by Greg Weeks, Stephen Blundell and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature |
| Subject | Science fiction |
| Subject | Short stories |
| Category | Text |
| EBook-No. | 29458 |
| Release Date | Jul 19, 2009 |
| Copyright Status | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 180 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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