Grifters' Asteroid: Classic Book Guide and Free Edition
Grifters' Asteroid: author and translator credits, catalogue synopsis, subjects and links to the Gutenberg reading formats.
Grifters' Asteroid is catalogued by Project Gutenberg with author credits for Gold, H. L. (Horace Leonard) (1914–1996).
Catalogue synopsis
Project Gutenberg supplies this automated synopsis of the opening text:
"Grifters' Asteroid" by H. L. Gold is a science fiction novella originally published in the early 1940s. Set in a humorous and satirical depiction of interplanetary con men, the story follows Harvey and Joe, two slick con artists, as they navigate their outrageous schemes on the small planetoid known as Planet 42. The novella explores themes of deception, greed, and the absurdities of commerce in a futuristic setting. In the story, Harvey and Joe arrive at Planetoid 42 and quickly find themselves in a precarious situation as they confront the local mayor, Angus Johnson, who charges extortionate prices for water while simultaneously deceiving them. The duo, attempting to sell a miraculous remedy called "La-anago Yergis", realizes that they too have been swindled when they discover that the sweet water they bought is merely a ruse. As the plot unfolds, they cleverly manipulate Johnson into purchasing both the remedy and a faulty fourth-dimensional radio, ultimately escaping with a meager profit. The novella cleverly critiques human greed and the cyclical nature of deception in a lighthearted and entertaining manner.
Book and edition facts
- Title: Grifters' Asteroid
- Author credits: Gold, H. L. (Horace Leonard) (1914–1996)
- Catalogue language: English
Catalogue subjects
- Asteroids -- Fiction
- Science fiction
- Short stories
- Swindlers and swindling -- Fiction
Gutenberg collections
- Category: Humour
- Category: Science-Fiction & Fantasy
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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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