The Customs Lounge: Classic Book Guide and Free Edition
The Customs Lounge: author and translator credits, catalogue synopsis, subjects and links to the Gutenberg reading formats.

The Customs Lounge is catalogued by Project Gutenberg with author credits for Proulx, Annie (1935–?).
Catalogue synopsis
Project Gutenberg supplies this automated synopsis of the opening text:
"The Customs Lounge" by E. A. Proulx is a science fiction short story written in the early 1960s. The narrative is set in a surreal alien world where customs inspections take place for Earth immigrants and explores the interactions between these extraterrestrial inspectors and the bewildered human newcomers. Overall, the story delves into themes of cultural misunderstanding and the absurdities of immigration. In the Customs Lounge, a group of alien customs inspectors share anecdotes about their experiences with Earth immigrants, whom they view with a mix of disdain and bemusement. The inspectors recount stories filled with humor and absurdity, highlighting their frustrations with the Earthlings' ignorance and the clever tricks they try to employ. As the inspectors learn of a new policy that will reroute Earth immigrants through Livestock instead of Immigration, they celebrate this decision, reflecting their deep-seated biases and stereotypes. Meanwhile, two human characters, mentioned to have been altered by robotic engineering, navigate the space, providing a glimpse into the strange coexistence of humans and aliens. The humorous exchanges and bizarre customs of the inspectors frame a lighthearted yet poignant commentary on the complexities of identity and belonging in an alien context.
Book and edition facts
- Title: The Customs Lounge
- Author credits: Proulx, Annie (1935–?)
- Catalogue language: English
Catalogue subjects
- Extraterrestrial beings -- Fiction
- Human-alien encounters -- Fiction
- Science fiction
- Short stories
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.



