Goma's Follicles: Classic Book Guide and Free Edition
Goma's Follicles: author and translator credits, catalogue synopsis, subjects and links to the Gutenberg reading formats.
Goma's Follicles is catalogued by Project Gutenberg with author credits for De Courcy, John; De Courcy, Dorothy.
Catalogue synopsis
Project Gutenberg supplies this automated synopsis of the opening text:
"Goma's Follicles" by John De Courcy and Dorothy De Courcy is a science fiction short story published in the mid-20th century, specifically in the summer of 1948. The narrative revolves around the humorous and peculiar dynamics between human colonizers and the alien natives of Procyon IV, primarily examining the consequences of cultural misunderstandings related to something as ordinary as haircuts. The story captures the clash between the colonists' goals and the traditions of the indigenous people. The plot unfolds with Captain Webster of the spaceship "Franklin" making an unscheduled stop on Procyon IV to pick up a passenger, Sam Purcell, who is desperate for a haircut after spending years on the planet. The local chief, Goma, is initially embarrassed about his long hair, which has become a source of ridicule among his peers. A series of events culminate in Goma being persuaded to get a haircut, only for it to be revealed that the native's hair is linked to their sensory nerves, resulting in significant emotional fallout for Goma. To maintain his status as chief and avoid shame, Goma ultimately negotiates for land by agreeing that the barber should leave—highlighting the absurdity and consequences of intercultural interactions. The story blends humor with a critique of colonial attitudes and the often-comical misunderstandings that can arise from them.
Book and edition facts
- Title: Goma's Follicles
- Author credits: De Courcy, John; De Courcy, Dorothy
- Catalogue language: English
Catalogue subjects
- Barbers -- Fiction
- Human-alien encounters -- Fiction
- Mines and mineral resources -- Fiction
- Science fiction
- Short stories
- Space colonies -- Fiction
Gutenberg collections
- Category: Humour
- Category: Science-Fiction & Fantasy
- Category: Short Stories
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View the complete Gutenberg catalogue record. Project Gutenberg identifies this edition as public domain in the United States; that designation does not establish its copyright status in every country.
Source notes
Catalogue metadata is public domain and is supplied through Gutendex, which imports Gutenberg's machine-readable catalogue. The automated synopsis is source-supplied, not an independently verified review. Author dates above describe the credited people; no ebook release date is presented as the book's original publication date.
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