Accept no substitutes by Robert Sheckley
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"Accept No Substitutes" by Robert Sheckley is a science fiction short story written during the mid-20th century. The narrative centers around Ralph Garvey, a man desperate to escape the constraints of Earth's Sexual Morality Act by procuring an illegal sex surrogate from a black market factory. Set in a futuristic universe where humanity has begun to colonize other planets, the story explores themes of desire, identity, and the consequences of seeking substitutes
for genuine human connection. The plot unfolds as Garvey navigates the challenges of smuggling the surrogate aboard his private space yacht while being pursued by Customs inspectors. When he finally activates the surrogate, he discovers she is not only exceptionally strong but also driven by primal instincts that quickly turn dangerous. Garvey finds himself in a life-or-death struggle with this formidable creature as he confronts the folly of his choices. Ultimately, the story culminates in Garvey's decision to seek out real women on Algol instead of relying on synthetic substitutes, highlighting the inherent risks in substituting true relationships for manufactured ones. The story combines humor with tension, showcasing Sheckley's trademark wit and commentary on human nature. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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About this eBook
| Author | Sheckley, Robert, 1928-2005 |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Emshwiller, Ed, 1925-1990 |
| Title | Accept no substitutes |
| Original Publication | New York, NY: Royal Publications, Inc., 1957. |
| Series Title | Produced from Infinity March 1958 |
| Credits | Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at www.pgdp.net |
| Reading Level | Reading ease score: 78.5 (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 | Androids -- Fiction |
| Category | Text |
| eBook-No. | 71859 |
| ISBN (HTML) | 979-8-238-71859-0 |
| Release Date | Oct 12, 2023 |
| Copyright | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 218 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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