The Merchants of Venus
"The Merchants of Venus" is a science fiction novella by American writer Frederik Pohl and published in 1972 as part of the collection The Gold at the Starbow's End.[1][2]
It is a satire of runaway free market capitalism. It also features the first appearance of the Heechee.[3]
Plot
[edit | edit source]The story is about Audee Walthers, an "airbody driver and tour operator", who scams Earth tourists who visit Venus. He needs a new liver, so he is seeking a rich client to profit from. He is pleased to meet the seemingly well-off Boyce Cochenour, but Walthers finds out that Cochenour also needs money.
Publication
[edit | edit source]Novella
[edit | edit source]In 1972 by Ballentine Books included the novella in the anthology, The Gold at the Starbow's End.[4]
Adaptation
[edit | edit source]The story was adapted as a graphic novel by Victoria Petersen and Neal McPheeters in 1986, as the fourth title in the DC Science Fiction Graphic Novel series.[5]
Nomenclature
[edit | edit source]Though user-curated databases claim the work was also known as The Merchants of Venus Underground, authoritative databases do not list it by that name.[1][6][5]
References
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