Project Gutenberg 2008-03-18 Public domain in the USA. 127 Lang, Allen Kim 1928 Lang, Allen K. The Great Potlatch Riots Produced from Amazing Science Fiction Stories September 1959. Produced by Greg Weeks, Stephen Blundell and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net "The Great Potlatch Riots" by Allen Kim Lang is a satirical science fiction novella written during the late 1950s. The book humorously critiques consumer culture and the bureaucratic regulation of personal celebrations, particularly revolving around the commercialization of holidays and birthdays. Set in a future where the Bureau of Seasonal Gratuities oversees gift-giving quotas to stimulate the economy, the narrative explores the absurdity of enforced gratitude and the societal pressures placed on individuals to comply. The story follows Captain Wesley Winfree, a fervent officer within the Bureau, as he prepares for the largest Potlatch Day in two decades while also planning his wedding to Corporal Peggy MacHenery. Winfree's ambitious new initiative—requiring citizens to celebrate every birthday with gifts—sparks outrage among consumers who are already burdened by existing holiday quotas. As tensions escalate, a rebellion against the Bureau's enforcement leads to chaotic riots on the day of Winfree's wedding, highlighting the conflicts between individual desires and imposed societal norms. The narrative concludes with a humorous twist, as the Captain's encounter with the consumers forces both him and the readers to reflect on the true meaning of celebration and autonomy. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 74.2 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read. en Science fiction Short stories Consumption (Economics) -- Fiction PS Text Science Fiction Category: Science-Fiction & Fantasy Category: Humour Category: Novels 71150 2025-07-10T09:12:09.777506 text/html 67325 2021-01-03T09:53:44 text/html 94688 2025-07-10T09:12:13.354464 application/epub+zip 94008 2025-07-10T09:12:11.253487 application/epub+zip 94008 2025-07-10T09:12:10.288482 application/epub+zip 188144 2025-07-10T09:12:14.937469 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 180353 2025-07-10T09:12:12.800488 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 138862 2022-09-11T12:22:39.355785 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 64778 2025-07-10T09:12:09.540580 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 64583 2021-01-03T09:53:44 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 64574 2021-01-03T09:53:44 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 22109 2025-07-10T09:12:15.057464 application/rdf+xml 12649 2025-07-10T09:12:10.767488 image/jpeg 3641 2025-07-10T09:12:10.525532 image/jpeg 25847 2021-01-03T09:53:44 application/octet-stream application/zip 27280 2021-01-03T09:53:44 application/octet-stream application/zip 25827 2021-01-03T09:53:44 application/octet-stream application/zip 92307 2025-07-10T09:12:09.785499 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog