02688cam a22003973u 4500 64646 UtSlPG 20260610134506.0 m cr n 260607r2021||||utu|||||o|||||||||||||| d UtSlPG en iso639-1 PS De Courcy, John Goma's Follicles Salt Lake City, UT : Project Gutenberg, 2021 1 online resource : multiple file formats text txt rdacontent computer c rdamedia online resource cr rdacarrier Produced from Planet Stories Summer 1948 Release date is 2021-02-27 Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net "Goma's Follicles" by John De Courcy and Dorothy De Courcy is a science fiction short story published in the mid-20th century, specifically in the summer of 1948. The narrative revolves around the humorous and peculiar dynamics between human colonizers and the alien natives of Procyon IV, primarily examining the consequences of cultural misunderstandings related to something as ordinary as haircuts. The story captures the clash between the colonists' goals and the traditions of the indigenous people. The plot unfolds with Captain Webster of the spaceship "Franklin" making an unscheduled stop on Procyon IV to pick up a passenger, Sam Purcell, who is desperate for a haircut after spending years on the planet. The local chief, Goma, is initially embarrassed about his long hair, which has become a source of ridicule among his peers. A series of events culminate in Goma being persuaded to get a haircut, only for it to be revealed that the native's hair is linked to their sensory nerves, resulting in significant emotional fallout for Goma. To maintain his status as chief and avoid shame, Goma ultimately negotiates for land by agreeing that the barber should leave—highlighting the absurdity and consequences of intercultural interactions. The story blends humor with a critique of colonial attitudes and the often-comical misunderstandings that can arise from them. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Original publication data not identified Science fiction Short stories Human-alien encounters -- Fiction Space colonies -- Fiction Mines and mineral resources -- Fiction Barbers -- Fiction De Courcy, Dorothy Produced from Planet Stories Summer 1948 https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/64646 105469 105469