Citizen in Space

by Robert Sheckley

Contents
The Mountain Without a Name
The Accountant
Hunting Problem
A Thief in Time
The Luckiest Man in the World
Hands Off
Something for Nothing
A Ticket to Tranai
The Battle
Skulking Permit
Citizen in Space
Ask a Foolish Question

Genres: Science Fiction, Short Stories, Fiction, Fantasy, Humor, Collections, Speculative Fiction

264 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published December 1, 1955

About the author

One of science fiction's great humorists, Sheckley was a prolific short story writer beginning in 1952 with titles including "Specialist", "Pilgrimage to Earth", "Warm", "The Prize of Peril", and "Seventh Victim", collected in volumes from Untouched by Human Hands (1954) to Is That What People Do? (1984) and a five-volume set of Collected Stories (1991). His first novel, Immortality, Inc. (1958), was followed by The Status Civilization (1960), Journey Beyond Tomorrow (1962), Mindswap (1966), and several others. Sheckley served as fiction editor for Omni magazine from January 1980 through September 1981, and was named Author Emeritus by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America in 2001.

Reviews

[Vit Babenco · Rating 5 out of 5]

Robert Sheckley was one of the first postmodernists working in the genre of science fiction and it shows… By definition, dystopias are full of dark and gloomy stuff… However A Ticket to Tranai is a jolly cacotopia full of unearthly joy…

Most of Seakirk’s inhabitants were indifferent to the spectacle of corruption in high places and low, the gambling, the gang wars, the teen-age drinking. They were used to the sight of their roads crumbling, their ancient water mains bursting, their power plants breaking down, their decrepit old buildings falling apart, while the bosses built bigger homes, longer swimming pools and warmer stables. People were used to it.

But one fine day, the protagonist – ‘a natural-born crusader’ – learns that there, in the universe, is a wonderful planet Tranai where everything is different: no taxes, no poverty, no crime, no wars – all is bliss and uniform harmony… And he gladly flees for this ultimate safety…

“I heard that there has been no war of any sort on Tranai for four hundred years.”
“Six hundred,” Melith corrected. “And none in sight.”
“Someone told me that there is no crime on Tranai.”
“None whatsoever.”
“And therefore no police force or courts, no judges, sheriffs, marshals, executioners, truant officers or government investigators. No prisons, reformatories or other places of detention.”
“We have no need of them,” Melith explained, “since we have no crime.”
“I have heard,” said Goodman, “that there is no poverty on Tranai.”
“None that I ever heard of,” Melith said cheerfully. “Are you sure you won’t have a cigar?”

End goals are always ideal but the methods allowing to achieve these goals are faulty…

[Pablo Mallorquí · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me ha sorprendido esta colección de relatos de Robert Sheckley, porque me esperaba unas historias más clásicas por ser de los años cincuenta, un momento de la ciencia ficción muy influenciado por el optimismo y el progreso, pero lo que más destaca aquí es la fuerte carga política de Sheckley que hace críticas furibundas al capitalismo y al liberalismo. No todos los relatos están al mismo nivel pero incluso el peor es entretenido y hay una avriedad de tonos y temáticas admirable. Seguiré leyendo al autor porque sus tramas son originales para la época y sus ideas siguen siendo relevantes para los lectores del siglo XXI.

[Edgar Cotes Argelich · Rating 4 out of 5]

Robert Sheckley és un contista clàssic de la ciència-ficció poc conegut actualment, però que val molt la pena tenir en compte. Els seus contes es caracteritzen per una imaginació desbordant i un cert to irònic i humorístic molt marca de la casa. En molts contes és impossible no acabar amb un somriure pel retrat social tan mordaç que fa de la societat americana fent servint les eines que li coincideix la ciència-ficció.

[Bandinnelli Bandinnelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maravillosa.
No hay otra palabra para describir esta antología del que ya considero uno de los mejores cuentistas que he leído nunca. Entre todos destacan "Autorización para delinquir", "Un pasaje a Tranai" y "Algo a cambio de nada" destacan como lo haría Zeus entre el resto del panteón.
Sheckley trata de un modo singular la sociedad que le rodea ubicándola en distantes planetas, dotándola de extrañas particularidades, costumbres ajenas, pero siempre con la intención de volver la mirada a aquellos elementos negativos que decoran lo que venimos a denominar ser humano.

[Temucano · Rating 4 out of 5]

Es un libro buenísimo. Nadie como Sheckley a la hora de destilar humor en las situaciones más desesperadas, logrando ser sarcástico, ingenioso y divertido todo a la vez, sin desentonar en ningún relato. Dentro de tanta categoría mis favoritos son: "La montaña sin nombre", "Caza difícil", "Un pasaje a Tranai" y "Un ladrón en el tiempo".

Todavía no encuentro otro libro del autor que le iguale en calidad.

[Daylis · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the greatest book I've ever read. The author draws an excellent picture of how mankind behaves nowadays, even though the stories are written in a futuristic context... Seems like we will never change.

[Mells · Rating 3 out of 5]

Imagine a lazy evening at a pub, after everybody's had a few and the fiddler got tired, and the annoying dancing couple retired to a corner, and then some sailor starts telling stories, and they're wild and entertaining and fun, and when sharks get punched in the face, it's always justified by the narrative, but you just *know* he's bullshiting you (for once, because you knew fisherman Will all your life and he's never been to open sea). But you're still having fun, right? So you could just skip the noisy pub thing and read a book of Sheckley's short stories instead.

They're really cool, but for all their worth, they never feel like perfect short stories - you know, the ones that dazzle you with an interesting premise, introduce adorable characters, make you really interested all the way, and then drop a completely unexpected ending on your poor excited head. They *almost* pull it off, and then you reach the ending and realize that what I described was never planned in the first place, and the core idea behind the story is a bit silly, but still nice, and not really ehh even, but not too nice, and it's all kind of underwhelming, but probably still worth it, but not entirely, and, you know. Good but not too good.

Still, what Sheckley does well is aliens - they really feel like weird species, with strange needs and understandable desires, and not like cartoon aliens in the most of sci-fi who are clearly one human who just puts on some strange costumes to pretend they're from different planets.
What else Sheckley does well is humour - he makes you chuckle hardly any less sincerely than when you laugh while reading Pratchett.

There were two stories where POV changed between two opposing parties, and it was accomplished very skillfully. There was a really cute story that didn't claim to be in any way serious, but pulled off a silly premise with such passion, that I can't describe it in any other way than adorable and applauds-inducing - I'm talking about you, Citizen in Space. Skulking Permit was a bit naive, but still very cute, Something for Nothing turned out to be very cynical, and A Ticket to Tranai ended in such a way that made me hate the world for a while - or at least a part of it that was a certain sci-fi writer for the good part of the XX century, and now is probably some ashes? The Mountain Without a Name satrted with a cool premise, but ended with a puff, a Thief in Time was a genuinely intriguing bag of surprises. There were some niceish stories that felt like they were there just for filling space, too, but they were very short, and it was entirely ok.

So whatever. Don't read it if you want. Ignore the advice of your grandma who said you had to read it, meet your old friend from the future who says that it's necessary for you to read it and still don't read it, ignore my positive review, ignore your gut feeling, ignore all the billions of alien races who can't be wrong. Just be smart, don't trust big red buttons, don't punch robots, don't touch alien ships and don't forget to have fun in the process.

[Alex Memus · Rating 4 out of 5]

После первой книги Шекли мгновенно разогнался и стало весело. И еще он первый придумал Мисиксов.

1. "The Mountain Without a Name" -> 2/5
2. "The Accountant" -> 2/5
3. "Hunting Problem" -> 4,5/5
4. "A Thief in Time" -> 3/5
5. "The Luckiest Man in the World" -> 2,5/5
6. "Hands Off" -> 4,5/5
7. "Something for Nothing" -> 5/5
8. "A Ticket to Tranai" -> 5/5
9. "The Battle" -> 4/5
10. "Skulking Permit" -> 3/5
11. "Citizen in Space" -> 5/5
12. "Ask a Foolish Question" -> 3/5

No creature without tentacles had ever developed true intelligence. That was Etlib's Law, and it had never been disputed.

Я прочитал эту книгу для обсуждения на подкасте про научную фантастику «Худо Не Было». Послушать можно тут: https://share.transistor.fm/s/3484abb7

[Andra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've previously read Sheckley's "Untouched by Human Hands" and it was outrageously funny, original, and surreal, and I promised myself I need to catch up on this unique, postmodernist author.

This collection is in the same vein - surreal yet funny, challenging yet silly. His ideas are so original, his humor and critiques so astute that it was honestly such a pleasure to read. All the stories are in the postmodernist vein, but totally approachable to every type of reader. Each was great in their own way and if you've read a lotttt of sci-fi, you can tell which of his ideas influenced later writers. 4.5/5!

[Raj · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been a fan of Robert Sheckley for some years, since a friend spent a whole summer forcing as many people as he could to read Sheckley stories. I'm really glad that he did, because I've found the man to be consistently funny, thoughtful, weird and creepy, sometimes in the same story. It's in the short story where Sheckley's skills stand out, and this volume collects twelve of them. I've actually read almost all of them before in other books, but it's nice to have them collected in one place.

It's difficult to pick out highlights as the book has not a single mis-step, but amongst the gems we find The Accountant, about a family of wizards whose son is determined to become an accountant; Hands Off tells the story of some ruffians who have an encounter with an unknown alien and the perils of the unknown; while The Battle tells the story of Armageddon and the armies that fight against the legions of Hell. My favourite story in the collection is probably Skulking Permit, about a long-lost Earth colony whose single interstellar radio one day sparks back into life and the colonists suddenly have to learn to be civilised and have things like police, racism and murderers in a few short weeks. This story is funny, thought-provoking and quite sweet as it describes an interruption in Utopia in a few short, concise pages, following the village's newly licensed Official Criminal.

Finding a book of short stories by Robert Sheckley is always an event worth celebrating and this collection shows an author at the height of his powers.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an enjoyable collection of stories! Wonderfully clever and funny in the way that holds the mirror up to society and changes the names just enough to allow you to suspend disbelief, these stories often reminded me more of the dark humor of some of Kafka’s shorter stories than the other sci-fi writers of the 1950’s.

[G. Edweird Cheese · Rating 4 out of 5]

a collection of really neat, completely original sci-fi short stories. Just as funny and insightful now as it was when first published in the 50's. Reminds me of a mix of Vonnegut and Douglas Adams. I was pleasantly surprised how much i enjoyed all these stories. there wasn't a bad one.

[Tracey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked up what appears to be a first edition paperback of Citizen in Space a few months ago at a local used bookstore - it's a collection of short stories by a SF writer who is less well-known than he deserves to be. The stories, all written in the mid 1950's, seem a bit dated at times (especially "A Ticket to Tranai") , but cover common themes with wry humour.

In "The Accountant", a father is dismayed by the fact his son is studying accountancy, instead of following the family business of wizardry. "A Thief in Time" provides the now-clichéd time travel story in a slightly new light (tho "By His Bootstraps" and "All You Zombies...." covers the topic much better). "Hands Off" has an interesting alien encounter, while "Something for Nothing" puts a technological twist on the genie & three wishes folktale. "The Luckiest Man in the World" and "The Battle" don't pull any punches with their bleak endings, and "The Answerer" is often cited as an inspiration for Douglas Adams' Deep Thought.

I'm somewhat embarrassed to admit this is (as far as I can recall) my first exposure to Robert Sheckley, but it definitely won't be my last. Recommended to readers who like their (late) Golden Age of Science Fiction with a twist.

Memorable quote from "The Answerer":
"Of the race that built him, the less said, the better. They also Knew, and never said whether they found the knowledge pleasant."

[Newly Wardell · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's always crazy to me how much story Robert Sheckley can put in so few pages. I'm of the opinion, why use ten words when one would suffice? In this collection of shorts, Sheckley does that thing where he showcases his strengths for inventive yet simple formats only to surprise with humor that doesnt rely on racism or sexism unless it does. I found value in all but if I had to pick a favorite short it would be Citizen in Space, about an accidential world leader who colonizes a planet of spies who wont spy anymore or Ticket to Trani, which turns the whole idea of utopia upside down.

[Manuel Alfonseca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Buena colección de historias cortas de Robert Sheckley, excelente escritor de ciencia-ficción humorística.

A good collection of short stories by Robert Sheckley, who excelled in humorous science fiction.

[Kent · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fantastic set of short stories from one of the best in the business. I feel Sheckley is overlooked in the world of sci-fi writing. He tells many stories on the subject of Utopia and how things aren't always what we expect. He also likes to do stories where there are misunderstandings and misinterpretations between beings from different parts of the galaxy, but somehow it is all very relatable.
Some of the great stories here are "The Mountain with No Name", where the planets revolt against human destruction", "Thief in Time", where a man is chased into the distant future for a crime he hasn't committed yet. "Something For Nothing" is a story about a machine that will give you anything you want, but then you have to pay for it, or work it off; but immortality is free. "Ticket to Tranai" tells of a man who travels far to a utopia, only to run away from it, because he couldn't cope with the customs. "Skulking License" may be my favorite. It is a planet cut off from Earth for 200 years that has no crime or poverty, but Earth has reasserted control over them, so they must appear more Earth-like. So they hire the fisherman to steal and murder, but he's not quite sure how to do it.
This is a fantastic collection. You should be reading more Sheckley.

[The Leppy · Rating 4 out of 5]

My dad lent me his copy with his favorite stories marked with purple stars and the difference in what he liked vs what I did is fun.
My dad's favorites: The Accountant, The Luckiest Man in the World, Something for Nothing, and Skulking Permit.
My favorites: The Accountant, Hunting Problem, Hands Off, and Skulking Permit

All of the stories were delightfully fun and a bit silly. I laughed a few times and some of the stories were a bit tense! The different depictions of societies was interesting. I found myself rooting for the aliens in every alien story but I can't decide if I liked Hunting Problem or Hands Off more. The ending of Hunting Problem was hilarious and not what I was expecting in a fabulous way. The humans in Hands Off were the worst so I was very pleased with the ending.

I followed my dad's advice and listened to the X Minus One radio play version of Skulking Permit and I spent much of the time laughing.

This is exactly the kind of campy fun sci-fi that makes you think that I grew up with and I adored it.

[Kanlep · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ciencia ficción de la buena. Ciencia ficción de la clásica. Tan clásica que no me quito de encima la impresión de que autores más modernos han expoliado a Sheckley a conciencia. En concreto, por poner un ejemplo, la historia titulada "Un ladrón en el tiempo" se parece peligrosamente, en su premisa, al Paycheck, de John Woo, del 2003. Y aun así, aunque te hayan contado lo mismo en otro lugar, merece mucho la pena: la inversión de roles, la expectativa frustrada, el lugar del ser humano en el universo... no son simples pinceladas retóricas sino rasgos permanentes en la cosmovisión de este autor tan increíble. No por nada lo llaman el maestro del giro al final del relato. ¿Y qué decir de ese sutil y ácido sentido del humor que casi pasa desapercibido?

Por otro lado, la edición de Edhasa, espolvoreada de fallos ortográficos, tipográficos y gramaticales aquí y allá, resulta penosa. Traducción/traición mano a mano a cargo de Norma B. de López y Edith Zilli.

[Joachim Boaz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full review: https://sciencefictionruminations.com...

"Robert Sheckley’s easily one of the best SF satirists in the short story form. The collection Citizen in Space (1955), although not as uniformly brilliant as the collection Store of Infinity (1960), is chock full of gems including “The Luckiest Man in the World” (1955), “Something for Nothing” (1954), “Ask a Foolish Question” (1953), and “Skulking Permit” (1954). Sheckley exposes in all their glory the vast variety of humankind’s follies and utopian delusions.

Later in the 50s and in the span of 6os [...]"

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sheckley! 3.5 stars, only a couple truly unsatisfying stories in the bunch. If there's one overall defect, it's that there's a certain common theme running through a good number of them, that works in each individual story but wears a bit thin in aggregate. Still, for clever little Fifties stories, Sheckley is a very safe bet.

[Jussi Peritalo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Regarding this Finnish language edition: ihan huippukirja. Luin ensikertaa teininä, lainakirjana. Löysin oman kappaleen myöhemmin divarista. Absurdeja, groteskeja ja hullunkurisia satiireja. Hieman Philip k Dick tyyliin. Suosittelen.

[Peter Krevenets · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed immensely, if you seeks for simple yet fascinating scifi stories - this is for you. If you want to check out where the whole scifi business started - this is your book. Yet no complex story here, all characters are quite simple - because the focus is an idea!

[Heather Warner · Rating 3 out of 5]

*3.5 stars*. Entertaining collection of sci-fi/speculative futuristic short stories. Robert Sheckley has a way with sci-fi humor. Most of these stories will make you laugh, a few are more serious but all are interesting. A fun & quick read!

[Forked Radish]

“A Mountain Without a Name”: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: Comparing people to jellyfish is reprehensible. Jellyfish are conscious. 🪼💬 Besides all the damage was caused by the use of fossil fuels. To say otherwise is to commit the crime of disinformationization.

[Barri Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Old-timey nostalgic sci-fi. Beach reading! Except the book fell apart, into dust!

[Colin Nichols · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dated but some fine short stories

[Varpu Vanhapiha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yksi kirja läpi vuosien,. Vain kolahti syvälle sydämeen nämä novellit.

[Ian Hamilton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ticket to Tranai is peak Sheckley and best of the lot. The remaining short stories are consistently solid.

[jola · Rating 4 out of 5]

Puenty większości opowiadań były błyskotliwe, albo śmieszne, albo dające do myślenia.

[Jon Pennycook · Rating 3 out of 5]

not a great collection, but easy to read, all in the author's usual humourous tone