Manly Banister 24 min read

When Earthmen arrive on the pottery-making world of Zur offering technology 'absolutely free,' one clay-dynasty family should have asked about the freight.

Manly Banister's 1955 story sits in on the House of Masur, whose ancient pottery trade is about to be undone by the seductive gifts of visiting Earthmen, a sly parable about economic colonialism, planned obsolescence, and the true cost of 'free.' Grounded, wry social SF with a sting that lands harder every decade. Read it for a shrewd golden-age fable about what invaders sell and what it really costs.

In its time

Published in 1955, during the 1950s, post-war optimism meets cold war anxiety.

Reading it

24 min read (a short story, a single idea, delivered and gone).

Illustrated by

Sandy Kossin