Tales Galactic 1: Sides [Paperback]

Mike Resnick (Author)

Book Description

Series: Tales Galactic | Publication Date: October 5, 1982

Traveling carnival owner Thaddeus Flint swindles the owner of a freak show into an unlikely business partnership. When Flint discovers that the freaks are a group of undercover alien tourists, he keeps the secret from the outside world and looks for an opportunity to expand his carny tour out to the stars.

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Roc (October 5, 1982)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451132181
• ISBN-13: 978-0451132185
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,373,585 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Mike Resnick is the author of numerous science fiction novels and short stories, including Dragon America, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider: The Amulet of Power, Mutiny, Return to Santiago, and Santiago. He is the editor of This Is My Funniest and has won five Hugo Awards and the Nebula Award. He lives in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars The most unusual sideshow freaks in the world, November 28, 2009

By 

Andrew W. Johns "ResQgeek" (Alexandria, VA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sideshow (Tales of the Galactic Midway #1) (Paperback)

Thaddeus Flint is an old hand at the Carny game, but he's never seen anything like these sideshow freaks. When Flint cons his way into possession of a competitor's sideshow, he discovers that the "freaks" are actually extra-terrestrial aliens, tourists from other planets. Determined to exploit their uniqueness, Flint sets up his new sideshow, displaying the unhappy aliens to the gawking public. Soon, however, the aliens begin to become ill, falling prey to the unfamiliar environment. Flint's determination that the show go on seems headed for a collision with the reality of life on Earth for the aliens.

The story is narrated by a "real freak", a hunchbacked human who serves as Flint's assistant. He is sympathetic to the plight of the aliens, but feels an obligation to Flint that limits his ability to reach out to them. This short book is filled with interesting characters (including some intriguingly portrayed aliens), and keeps the reader guessing about the final outcome until the final pages. I'm looking forward to reading more from this series.