TY  - BOOK
AU  - Browne,Howard
TI  - Hard Guy
AV  - PS 
PY  - 2008///
CY  - Salt Lake City, UT
PB  - Project Gutenberg
KW  - Science fiction
KW  - Short stories
N1  - Produced from Amazing Stories April 1956 and was first published in Amazing Stories November 1942; Release date is 2008-10-09; Produced by Greg Weeks, Stephen Blundell and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net; Original publication data not identified
N2  - "Hard Guy" by H. B. Carleton is a short science fiction story that was first published in "Amazing Stories" in the early 1940s. The narrative follows a chance encounter between a salesman named Frederick Marden and a hitch-hiker, who reveals himself to be part of a gang known as the Strato Rovers, involved in activities that blend heroism and crime. The story explores themes of appearance versus reality and the nature of moral ambiguity in a futuristic setting.  The plot centers around Marden's seemingly mundane act of picking up a hitch-hiker, Mike Eagen. As they travel, the conversation reveals Eagen's involvement with the Strato Rovers, a group that claims to target only criminals, likening themselves to modern-day Robin Hoods. They are on a mission to stop a dangerous figure known as the Black Hornet, who is plotting to sabotage a government ammunition facility. The story culminates in a playful twist, as it is revealed that Eagen is actually an eleven-year-old boy, providing a humorous commentary on the exaggerated nature of his claims and the innocence of youth amidst serious undertones of crime and moral choices. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
UR  - https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/26855
ER  -