Project Gutenberg 2010-01-18 Public domain in the USA. 124 Brudy, John Varga, Mel If at First You Don't... Produced from Amazing Stories June, 1960. E-text prepared by Greg Weeks, Graeme Mackreth, and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net) "If at First You Don't..." by John Brudy is a satirical science fiction novella likely written in the early 21st century. The book focuses on the bureaucratic and absurd challenges surrounding the fate of the satellite '58 Beta, which becomes a symbol of pride and contention among various stakeholders in the U.S. government and public. It delves into themes of nostalgia, historical significance, and the often comical nature of administrative decision-making in the face of trivial yet heated debates. The story follows Amos Jordan, the Secretary for Cislunar Navigation, as he is drawn into a chaotic political fracas regarding the fate of the aging satellite '58 Beta, which is on a collision course with the Earth's atmosphere. The narrative unfolds through Jordan's interactions with his assistant, Clements, and various political figures, including the obstinate Senator Darius, who insists on preserving Beta as a tribute to early space exploration. As public sentiment rises, leading to student riots and congressional debates, Jordan grapples with the absurdity of the situation, ultimately leveraging a little-known regulation to classify Beta as dangerous debris, allowing it to be decommissioned without further fuss. The finale humorously twists into a bureaucratic triumph with the successful re-launching of '58 Beta after taking into account numerous administrative mishaps, culminating in a reflection on the cyclical nature of power and historical preservation in a spacefaring age. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 76.6 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read. en Science fiction Short stories Political fiction Satellites -- Fiction PS Text Category: Science-Fiction & Fantasy Category: Humour Category: Novels Category: American Literature 67276 2025-08-12T14:38:37.425375 text/html 65480 2010-01-18T13:33:29 text/html 133711 2025-08-12T14:38:41.330358 application/epub+zip 132384 2025-08-12T14:38:39.069370 application/epub+zip 92045 2025-08-12T14:38:38.002375 application/epub+zip 236240 2025-08-12T14:38:43.006369 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 228846 2025-08-12T14:38:40.704363 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 150561 2022-09-14T09:36:06.612341 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 60369 2025-08-12T14:38:37.146386 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 60098 2010-01-18T13:31:10 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 19586 2025-08-12T14:38:43.137334 application/rdf+xml 13060 2025-08-12T14:38:38.522367 image/jpeg 3872 2025-08-12T14:38:38.262356 image/jpeg 63212 2010-01-18T13:36:11 application/octet-stream application/zip 23928 2010-01-18T13:31:10 application/octet-stream application/zip 128190 2025-08-12T14:38:37.434385 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