Project Gutenberg 2020-08-12 Public domain in the USA. 192 Brown, Fredric 1906 1972 Brown, Fred Clyne, Ronald 1925 2006 And the Gods Laughed Produced from Planet Stories Spring 1944 Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net "And the Gods Laughed" by Fredric Brown is a science fiction novella that was published in the early 1940s. Set in a future where space travel is common, the story navigates the themes of identity and invasion through a riveting plot involving parasitic beings from the moon Ganymede. This work reflects the imaginative yet introspective nature of early mid-20th century science fiction, exploring what it means to be human in the face of unfamiliar and possibly hostile extraterrestrial forces. The narrative follows a crew of space miners stranded on an asteroid as they recount their strange experiences on Ganymede. The protagonist, Hank, describes how the expedition initially appears to discover a primitive but intelligent humanoid race known for their peculiar custom of wearing large gold earrings. However, as the crew interacts with the Ganymedeans, they come to realize that these earrings are not mere adornments; they are tools of possession wielded by an otherworldly telepathic entity that takes over the minds and bodies of its hosts. As paranoia and dread escalate, Hank faces a terrifying confrontation with these entities, ultimately leading him to question his own identity and humanity as he battles against being taken over himself. The blend of humor, suspense, and a deep philosophical undercurrent makes this novella a thought-provoking and engaging read. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 81.3 (6th grade). Easy to read. en Science fiction Short stories Miners -- Fiction Storytelling -- Fiction Asteroids -- Fiction PS Text Category: Science-Fiction & Fantasy 59815 2025-07-25T05:39:20.674698 text/html 36289 2024-10-18T05:09:21 text/html 508264 2025-07-25T05:39:22.688727 application/epub+zip 507103 2025-07-25T05:39:21.143754 application/epub+zip 84500 2025-07-25T05:39:20.874683 application/epub+zip 544679 2025-07-25T05:39:24.017661 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 537064 2025-07-25T05:39:22.462718 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 114672 2022-09-28T11:10:45.951605 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 53248 2025-07-25T05:39:20.516679 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 33485 2024-10-18T05:09:21 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 17772 2025-07-25T05:39:24.164662 application/rdf+xml 35752 2025-07-25T05:39:20.982708 image/jpeg 5748 2025-07-25T05:39:20.925693 image/jpeg 463873 2025-07-25T05:39:20.688719 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 en.wikipedia