02594cam a22003733u 4500 63640 UtSlPG 20260610134451.0 m cr n 260607r2020||||utu|||||o|||||||||||||| d UtSlPG en iso639-1 PS Haley, A. L. Jupiter's Joke Salt Lake City, UT : Project Gutenberg, 2020 1 online resource : multiple file formats text txt rdacontent computer c rdamedia online resource cr rdacarrier Produced from Planet Stories Fall 1954 Release date is 2020-11-05 Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net "Jupiter's Joke" by A. L. Haley is a science fiction novel written during the mid-20th century. The story centers around Casey Ritter, an audacious space smuggler who finds himself in a deadly predicament when he is sentenced to an improbable mission on the gas giant Jupiter in exchange for his freedom. The book explores themes of survival, deception, and the consequences of one's daring nature as Ritter navigates an alien world filled with bizarre creatures and treacherous situations. The narrative follows Casey Ritter as he reluctantly accepts a mission to uncover the secrets of Jupiter's strange inhabitants, the hopper-scorpions, while trying to secure his own freedom after being caught smuggling illegal crystals. Teaming up with Pard Hoskins, a fellow inmate, Casey learns about the powerful Killicut Emeralds and devises a plan to trade them with the scorpion queen, Akroida, in exchange for the coveted anti-gravity technology. What ensues is a wild adventure filled with danger, unexpected relationships, and a humorous twist when Casey realizes the true nature of both the scorpions and the technology he seeks. Ultimately, the story highlights Casey's journey from a self-serving smuggler to a man forced into collaboration and negotiation with extraterrestrial beings, leading to an unforeseen outcome that leaves him both enriched and puzzled. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Original publication data not identified Science fiction Short stories Human-alien encounters -- Fiction Jupiter (Planet) -- Fiction Freas, Kelly, 1922-2005 Produced from Planet Stories Fall 1954 https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/63640 104464 104464