Project Gutenberg
2010-03-16
Public domain in the USA.
145
Fritch, Charles E.
1927
2012
Freas, Kelly
1922
2005
Freas, Frank Kelly
Skin Game
Produced from If: Worlds of Science Fiction May 1954.
Produced by Greg Weeks, Stephen Blundell and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net
"Skin Game" by Charles E. Fritch is a science fiction novel likely written in the early to mid-1950s. The story revolves around a con-artist duo, Harding and Sheckly, who engage in schemes to swindle the alien inhabitants of outer planets. The narrative explores themes of deception and cultural misunderstanding in a setting far removed from Earth. The plot follows Harding and Sheckly as they arrive on a planet inhabited by humanoid lizard creatures. Despite Sheckly's unease about their intentions, Harding is confident they can easily exploit the locals. However, their plans take a dark turn when they discover that the lizard aliens intend to "help" them shed their skins literally, as they have misunderstood the nature of the human con. Sheckly's desperate attempts to escape highlight the tension between their criminal intentions and the horrifying realization of their imminent fate. The story culminates with a twist, leaving readers questioning the true nature of deception and survival in a world where roles can suddenly reverse. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
Reading ease score: 75.8 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read.
en
Science fiction
Short stories
Swindlers and swindling -- Fiction
PS
Text
Science Fiction
Category: Science-Fiction & Fantasy
Category: Novels
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