Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Algis Budrys' "Look On My Works" (short story, post apocalypse, free): Guides milking tourists...

Illustration by Freas accompanying the publication in Astounding Science Fiction, British edition, of short story Look On My Works by Algis Budrys. Image shows a human tourist from Centaurus in far-future flooded New York city, with a fake gargoyle decorating the roof of an old building in background.
For a post apocalypse story, it's a very light read; even had me smiling many times.

Story summary.

About 600 years into future, New York city is flooded to near roofs of some of the tallest current buildings, & local civilization has regressed to simpler times. But some hardy local conmen are happily milking the visiting human tourists from prosperous space colonies (established before the floods), offering the visitors the almost mythical authentic Terran fare...

Fact sheet.

First published: Astounding, December 1956.
Download full text as part of the scans of Astounding (British ed), April 1957.
Rating: B.
Among the stories from Astounding/Analog issues edited by John Campbell.
Related: Stories of Algis Budrys.

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