Project Gutenberg 2016-02-27 Public domain in the USA. 129 Blomberg, Con Dillon, Diane 1933 Dillon, Diane Claire Sorber Dillon, Leo 1933 2012 Make me an offer Produced from Galaxy Science Fiction August 1957 Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net "Make Me an Offer" by Con Blomberg is a science fiction short story that was published in the late 1950s. The narrative presents a satirical take on urban management and the consequences of technological overreach, depicting a future where city planning and resource allocation are controlled by a highly advanced computer system known as the Civic Machine. The story explores themes of individuality, societal needs, and the conflicts that arise when human desires clash with automated decision-making. In the story, the protagonist, Ross Ro, a city manager, faces public opposition when he proposes to cover Central Park with a permanent artificial roof, believing it will enhance its appeal. However, a local activist, Mrs. Hatty Dakkon, rallies the women of the city against the project, emphasizing the importance of natural weather experiences for children. As Ro tries to control the public's demand through the Civic Machine, he inadvertently triggers an overwhelming order for gelatin molds due to a coordinated campaign by Dakkon and her supporters. In a frantic attempt to avoid financial disaster from the machine's automated supply chain, Ro ultimately abandons the roof project, illustrating the unpredictable nature of collective human behavior in the face of technological systems. The story delivers a humorous yet cautionary message about the reliance on technology and the importance of listening to community voices. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 81.1 (6th grade). Easy to read. en Science fiction Short stories New York (N.Y.) -- Fiction Protest movements -- Fiction City managers -- Fiction PS Text Science Fiction Category: Short Stories Category: Science-Fiction & Fantasy Category: Humour 42096 2025-07-20T13:25:20.829602 text/html 17987 2024-10-23T00:06:39 text/html 227530 2025-07-20T13:25:22.429601 application/epub+zip 226347 2025-07-20T13:25:21.177658 application/epub+zip 82849 2025-07-20T13:25:20.984599 application/epub+zip 261605 2025-07-20T13:25:23.535640 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 254402 2025-07-20T13:25:22.236594 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 111149 2022-09-23T11:07:46.740300 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 35155 2025-07-20T13:25:20.728633 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 15382 2024-10-23T00:06:39 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 19260 2025-07-20T13:25:23.666592 application/rdf+xml 28273 2025-07-20T13:25:21.051637 image/jpeg 4534 2025-07-20T13:25:21.017609 image/jpeg 205216 2025-07-20T13:25:20.838640 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 en.wikipedia