The Used People Lot by Irving E. Fang
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"The Used People Lot" by Irving E. Fang is a science fiction short story published in the late 1950s. The narrative takes place in a futuristic society where cars are highly valued, and people are classified as either "used" or "new" based on their vehicle contracts. The story humorously explores themes of societal status and personal relationships through the protagonist's misadventures after a car accident leaves him in a precarious position both
financially and romantically. The plot revolves around Arnold, who finds himself in a bind after his prized vehicle, a Thunderflash, breaks down, resulting in mounting repair bills and a frustrated girlfriend named Jenny. Desperate to acquire a new car from the exclusive "used people lot" run by Grinning Gregory, Arnold concocts a scheme to transfer his lengthy car contract to his friend Harry. However, in a twist of fate, Arnold's plans fall apart when Harry, having taken advantage of his friend's situation, seizes Jenny and drives off in a beautiful new car before Arnold can even make his case. The story cleverly critiques materialism and the often humorous, intertwined fates of people and their possessions. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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About this eBook
| Author | Fang, Irving E., 1929-2016 |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Orban, Paul, 1896-1974 |
| Title | The Used People Lot |
| Series Title | Produced from Worlds of If Science Fiction, August 1958 |
| Credits |
Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at www.pgdp.net |
| Reading Level | Reading ease score: 83.9 (6th grade). Easy to read. |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature |
| Subject | Science fiction |
| Subject | Short stories |
| Subject | Automobiles -- Fiction |
| Category | Text |
| eBook-No. | 60545 |
| Release Date | Oct 21, 2019 |
| Last Update | Oct 17, 2024 |
| Copyright | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 258 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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