Hard Guy by Howard Browne
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"Hard Guy" by H. B. Carleton is a short science fiction story that was first published in "Amazing Stories" in the early 1940s. The narrative follows a chance encounter between a salesman named Frederick Marden and a hitch-hiker, who reveals himself to be part of a gang known as the Strato Rovers, involved in activities that blend heroism and crime. The story explores themes of appearance versus reality and the nature of
moral ambiguity in a futuristic setting. The plot centers around Marden's seemingly mundane act of picking up a hitch-hiker, Mike Eagen. As they travel, the conversation reveals Eagen's involvement with the Strato Rovers, a group that claims to target only criminals, likening themselves to modern-day Robin Hoods. They are on a mission to stop a dangerous figure known as the Black Hornet, who is plotting to sabotage a government ammunition facility. The story culminates in a playful twist, as it is revealed that Eagen is actually an eleven-year-old boy, providing a humorous commentary on the exaggerated nature of his claims and the innocence of youth amidst serious undertones of crime and moral choices. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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About this eBook
| Author | Browne, Howard, 1907-1999 |
|---|---|
| Title | Hard Guy |
| Note | Produced from Amazing Stories April 1956 and was first published in Amazing Stories November 1942. |
| Credits |
Produced by Greg Weeks, Stephen Blundell and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at www.pgdp.net |
| Reading Level | Reading ease score: 87.0 (6th grade). Easy to read. |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature |
| Subject | Science fiction |
| Subject | Short stories |
| Category | Text |
| eBook-No. | 26855 |
| ISBN (HTML) | 979-8-238-26855-2 |
| Release Date | Oct 9, 2008 |
| Last Update | Oct 11, 2008 |
| Copyright | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 200 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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