Belly Laugh

Garrett, Randall, 1927-1987Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.2

Word count: 5.9K words
Chapters: 1

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Belly Laugh by Randall GarrettAuthor: Garrett, Randall, 1927-1987,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Apr 30, 2009

Editor's review

This is a short science fiction piece by Randall Garrett, classified under American literature and circulated as a public-domain eBook. Garrett is known for short science fiction and a humorous touch; the title itself is tongue-in-cheek, and readers should note how the narrator builds the setup and creates a twist within a limited length. It works better as an entry point into the mid-twentieth-century American science fiction magazine short story style than for readers seeking grand worldbuilding. It is short and quick to enter, suitable for reading in one sitting and convenient as discussion material for a book club, centering on how humor combines with the science fiction setup. Because it is a public-domain cleaned text without extra annotations, readers need some tolerance for the short science fiction conventions of the time.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who enjoy short science fiction and want to finish a complete story in a short time
Fans interested in mid-twentieth-century American science fiction magazine works
Teachers and organizers who need short discussion material for classes or book clubs
Readers who want to understand Randall Garrett's short fiction style

Not a good fit for

Readers who prefer long hard science fiction with rigorous technical worldbuilding
Readers expecting complex social issue exploration in modern science fiction
Readers with low tolerance for old-style humor and period-specific expressions

Reading tips

Read it in one sitting; enjoy the plot and humor first without stopping to check the setup.
After finishing, look back at the opening and note the foreshadowing and use of narrative perspective.
If used for a book club, design discussion questions around the meaning of the title and the ending twist.
Read alongside American science fiction short stories from the same period to feel the pacing of magazine science fiction.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

About how long is this work, and how long does it take to read?

This is a short science fiction work included in the public-domain project. It is fairly short and can usually be read in one sitting; the exact time depends on reading speed, and it suits fragmented reading time.

I haven't read other works by this author. Can I read this one directly?

Yes. This is a standalone short story that does not depend on prior background. Readers only need some tolerance for the common style of mid-twentieth-century American science fiction short stories.

Is this book suitable for learning English?

As an original English short story, it can be used for extensive reading, but the text contains period-style humorous expressions and science fiction terms. Intermediate or higher English reading ability is recommended, along with a dictionary.

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About the author

Garrett, Randall, 1927-1987 Author

Randall Garrett (1927-1987) was an American science fiction writer active in the mid-twentieth century. Public information about his life is limited, and details such as his exact birth and death dates and nationality still require further verification. The library holds 43 of his works, including The Highest Treason, Dead Giveaway, The Foreign Hand Tie, Thin Edge, The Asses of Balaam, Anything You Can Do!, That Sweet Little Old Lady, and The Bramble Bush. Judging from these titles, his output consists mainly of short stories and novellas, often built around tricks, misunderstandings, and reversals. He was skilled at creating suspense within a limited space, advancing plots through witty dialogue and a brisk pace, and frequently ending with an unexpected twist. His titles often carry a playful, ironic tone, showing a confident command of science fiction conventions and a humorous attitude toward them. Although public information is limited, these works remain useful samples for studying mid-twentieth-century English-language science fiction short fiction.