Alien Equivalent by Richard Rein Smith
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"Alien Equivalent" by Richard R. Smith is a science fiction novella written in the mid-20th century. The story explores themes of exploitation, survival, and the complex dynamics between Earthmen and the Martian race. Set on Mars, it captures the struggles of colonists and their interactions with the indigenous Martians, who are portrayed as a frail and resentful people living under Earth’s dominion. The narrative follows Chester Farrell, an Earthman who has spent
three years in the harsh environment of Mars trying to earn enough money to return to his family on Earth. After managing to save a thousand dollars for the return trip, he is accosted by Tharp, a violent Earthman who demands Farrell's money. In a desperate bid to save himself, Farrell proposes a gambling scheme using the Martian game called "duchal," which involves the painful sensations of losing being transmitted from one player to another. The novella culminates in a tense encounter at the gambling den where Farrell must navigate the risks of both betrayal and the Martian's unique customs, ultimately revealing deeper truths about exploitation and moral choices in a foreign land. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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About this eBook
| Author | Smith, Richard Rein, 1930- |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Vestal, Herman B., 1916-2007 |
| Title | Alien Equivalent |
| Series Title | Produced from Planet Stories Summer 1955 |
| Credits |
Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at www.pgdp.net |
| Reading Level | Reading ease score: 85.1 (6th grade). Easy to read. |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature |
| Subject | Science fiction |
| Subject | Short stories |
| Subject | Martians -- Fiction |
| Subject | Mars (Planet) -- Fiction |
| Subject | Criminals -- Fiction |
| Subject | Games -- Fiction |
| Category | Text |
| eBook-No. | 63474 |
| ISBN (HTML) | 979-8-238-63474-6 |
| Release Date | Oct 16, 2020 |
| Last Update | Oct 18, 2024 |
| Copyright | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 474 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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