The Great Potlatch Riots by Allen Kim Lang
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"The Great Potlatch Riots" by Allen Kim Lang is a satirical science fiction novella written during the late 1950s. The book humorously critiques consumer culture and the bureaucratic regulation of personal celebrations, particularly revolving around the commercialization of holidays and birthdays. Set in a future where the Bureau of Seasonal Gratuities oversees gift-giving quotas to stimulate the economy, the narrative explores the absurdity of enforced gratitude and the societal pressures placed on
individuals to comply. The story follows Captain Wesley Winfree, a fervent officer within the Bureau, as he prepares for the largest Potlatch Day in two decades while also planning his wedding to Corporal Peggy MacHenery. Winfree's ambitious new initiative—requiring citizens to celebrate every birthday with gifts—sparks outrage among consumers who are already burdened by existing holiday quotas. As tensions escalate, a rebellion against the Bureau's enforcement leads to chaotic riots on the day of Winfree's wedding, highlighting the conflicts between individual desires and imposed societal norms. The narrative concludes with a humorous twist, as the Captain's encounter with the consumers forces both him and the readers to reflect on the true meaning of celebration and autonomy. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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About this eBook
| Author | Lang, Allen Kim, 1928- |
|---|---|
| Title | The Great Potlatch Riots |
| Series Title | Produced from Amazing Science Fiction Stories September 1959. |
| Credits |
Produced by Greg Weeks, Stephen Blundell and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at www.pgdp.net |
| Reading Level | Reading ease score: 74.2 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read. |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature |
| Subject | Science fiction |
| Subject | Short stories |
| Subject | Consumption (Economics) -- Fiction |
| Category | Text |
| eBook-No. | 24864 |
| ISBN (HTML) | 979-8-238-24864-6 |
| Release Date | Mar 18, 2008 |
| Last Update | Jan 3, 2021 |
| Copyright | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 125 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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