Mike Resnick's "The Island of Annoyed Souls" (short story, humor, free)

Among the better stories of Lucifer Jones in South America series. And for a change, Jones has a sane idea.

This, very likely, will be my last post from forthcoming Hazards collection. There are only two stories I've not read - "The Forgotten Kingdom" & "Mother Scorpion's House of Fallen Flowers" (because I don't have them). Of the 10 I've read from collection, 6 are very good to excellent, & none totally crappy.

Story summary.

Doctor Septimus Mirbeau has discovered a process to turn ordinary men & women into speaking animals - like a dog or an elephant that speaks like humans, retains all memory, etc - except for some newly acquired instincts. Criminals pay him for this conversion - to escape law!!

Years after this transformation, some of these animals want to get their human form back. But the doctor demands money for reverse operation! How can a dog or elephant pay back the money?

But Lucifer Jones has an idea. OK - he's just saving his skin, but still...

Collected in.

1. Mike Resnick's "Hazards".

Fact sheet.

First published: Chris Roberson (Ed)'s "Adventure" (anthology, 2005).
Rating: A.
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