02351cam a22003373u 450000100060000000300070000600500170001300600020003000700050003200800410003704000110007804100170008905000070010610000300011324500150014326400510015830000470020933600260025633700260028233800360030849000580034450000310040250801140043352012430054753400450179065300200183565300180185565300390187383000580191285600430197030353UtSlPG20260610133707.0mcr n260607r2009||||utu|||||o|||||||||||||| d  aUtSlPG 7aen2iso639-1 4aPS1 aHernhuter, Albert,d1934-14aThe Smiler 1aSalt Lake City, UT :bProject Gutenberg,c2009  a1 online resource :bmultiple file formats  atextbtxt2rdacontent  acomputerbc2rdamedia  aonline resourcebcr2rdacarrier1 aProduced from If Worlds of Science Fiction July 1952.  aRelease date is 2009-10-28  aProduced by Greg Weeks, Stephen Blundell and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net  a"The Smiler" by Albert Hernhuter is a science fiction short story originally published in the early 1950s. The narrative unfolds in a tense and intriguing atmosphere, centered around the themes of infiltration, control, and the potential dangers of creative expression. It explores ideas about the power of imagination and its impact on society through the lens of an extraordinary premise involving Martians disguised as humans.  The story revolves around Martin Cole, a literary agent who admits to killing a fellow writer, Sanford Smith, to protect a Martian conspiracy aimed at taking over Earth. During a coroner's inquest discussing Smith's death, Cole reveals that the Martians view science fiction writers as a significant threat due to their ability to disclose forbidden knowledge and undermine their plans. As the inquest progresses, it becomes apparent that Cole's seemingly controlled demeanor masks a chilling reality, leaving a haunting impression of how deeply their influence pervades society. The riveting conclusion sees Cole using a deadly weapon disguised as a common fountain pen, emphasizing the story's themes of hidden dangers and the subversive potential of fiction. (This is an automatically generated summary.)  nOriginal publication data not identified  aScience fiction  aShort stories  aExtraterrestrial beings -- Fiction 0aProduced from If Worlds of Science Fiction July 1952.40uhttps://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/30353