...Or Your Money Back

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

2.8

Word count: 44K words
Chapters: 5

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....Or Your Money Back by Randall GarrettAuthor: Garrett, Randall, 1927-1987,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Nov 18, 2007

Editor's review

A short science fiction piece by the American writer Randall Garrett, published through Project Gutenberg. Garrett was active in the golden age of mid-twentieth-century American science fiction magazines; his work is often satirical and light in tone, using modern subjects such as business, advertising, and bureaucracy to create a sense of the absurd. The title, ...Or Your Money Back, already suggests that the story likely revolves around an outrageous promise or transaction, wrapping a tease of consumer society and the spirit of contract in a science fiction setting. It is short and briskly paced, a good introductory sample of the short-form style of the pulp science fiction era, and can be read in one sitting on a commute or in a short reading session. Readers may note how the author uses everyday commercial vocabulary to create contrast and humor, and how the ending twist is handled.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who enjoy mid-twentieth-century American short science fiction
Readers who prefer satirical, humorous science fiction with business themes
Casual readers looking for a complete short story to read in spare moments
Researchers interested in works from the pulp science fiction magazine era

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting hard science fiction with technical detail and grand world-building
Readers who prefer long-form continuous narrative and dislike short stories
Readers uninterested in retro humor and period vocabulary

Reading tips

Read the whole piece in one go without looking up background first, and feel the gap between the title's promise and the ending twist.
On a second reading, note how commercial vocabulary such as advertising, contracts, and sales pitches is used to drive the plot.
Read it alongside other pulp science fiction short stories and compare the similarities and differences in satirical technique and narrative pace.
After reading, note the most absurd premise you find and think about which real-world commercial phenomenon it corresponds to.

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

What type of story is this?

It is mid-twentieth-century American short science fiction with a clear satirical and humorous bent. The title suggests the story involves a commercial promise or refund clause; for the specific plot, refer to the e-book text. It suits readers who enjoy brisk science fiction with a twist.

Is it long? How long does it take to read?

As a short science fiction piece, it is fairly short and can usually be read in one commute or in one or two hours. Reading it in one sitting is recommended to preserve the full effect of the ending twist.

Do I need to know the background of science fiction history?

Not necessarily. The story can be read on its own, and not knowing the author or the pulp science fiction background does not hinder understanding. For deeper study, you can read up afterward on the development of mid-twentieth-century American science fiction magazines to understand the publication context.

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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.