Science Fiction Story Review: "A World by the Tale" by Randall Garrett

Tweet

Professor John Hamish McLeod, a zoologist, has returned from a year on the planet of the Galactics, where he worked as the caretaker for various earth animals the Galactics wanted to study. The Galactics didn’t find anything interesting about the animals or about earth in general. McLeod has only a general idea of where the planet is. Nevertheless, the Union Bureau of Investigation wants to know all about his time there and everything he can tell them about the Galactics. Again. The Galactics paid handsomely for his services. Because Earth is in desperate need of Galactic credit, McLeod pays 98 percent income tax on his fees. To make up the shortfall, he writes a book about his stay, Interstellar Ark. Its sales are poor until a Galactic literary agent show up. McLeod becomes a galactic millionaire, but his fellow earthlings resent his literary masterpiece. This little farce is quite amusing. On the first page, Union Bureau of Investigation agents strong arm their way into his house. McLeod says he’s never heard of the person they’re asking for because they mispronounce his name (“McLee-od”). It’s the beginning of beautiful relationship. The story is nothing profound, but it’s fun watching the put-upon professor stick it to the man. Author Randall Garrett was a prolific science fiction and fantasy writer. He was also one of the founding members of the Society for Creative Anachronism. This is available from Project Gutenberg. ______ Title: “A World by the Tale” Author: Seaton McKettrig a pseudonym for Randall Garrett (1927-1987) First published: Analog of Science Fact and Science Fiction Oct. 1963 Source: ISFDB *An earlier version of this review appeared on another site. It has been updated and expanded for its inclusion in myLot.*