The augmented agent and other stories Book

"Shape-Up" (1953) -- Fun, and clever in unexpected ways. The characters weren't that developed (it's quite short) but there is a surprising sense of extensive background history and world-building created with very few sentences. I highly recommend looking at this if you are an author and find yourself info-dumping. 4 stars

"The Man from Zodiac" (1967) -- Longer and slower but very intelligent and interesting to watch develop. And how many fictions about economic development professional managers can you name? 4 stars

"Golden Girl" (1951) -- Short and not very smart or original. The ending was particularly poorly handled, with the heavy-handed coincidence. It's funny how sci-fi writers often seem so much flatter and more dated when they try to work in a contemporary setting than in a futuristic one. I did like the aspect of the stranded alien being the equivalent of a jet-setting socialite crashing a yacht while driving recklessly with her party pals. 2 stars

The library wants this back so I guess I'll read the other stories some future date.

The Planet Machine (1951)
Crusade to Maxus (1951)
Three-Legged Joe (1953)
Sjambak (1953)
The Augmented Agent (1961)