Dover Spargill’s Ghastly Floater-Jack Vance short story

Dover Spargill’s Ghastly Floater-Jack Vance short story

Dover Spargill's Ghastly Floater is a 17 page short story that was published initially in Marvel Science Fiction in November, 1951. Twenty one year old Dover Spargill recently inherited about a third of the Earth's moon plus other assets.  His attorney suggests he not make any purchases or sales without consulting first with him.  But Dover is young and impulsive and suddenly buys up the rest of the moon without telling anybody. He had not seen the news announcement that Earth scientists had found a means of transmutating minerals.  Because of this new discovery Spargill’s newly purchased moon, valuable only for its mineral deposits, is suddenly worthless, and Dover has spent his entire fortune acquiring it.  But Dover does not give up.  He might be young and impulsive but others might have underestimated him and his innovative ideas. This is another light, enjoyable, older sci fi story. I’ve read it several times and rated it a 3+ "Liked it +."

Included in the Jack Vance collection titled The Dark Side of the Moon (1986)

Included in the Jack Vance collection titled Gadget Stories (2005) part of VIE

Included in the Jack Vance collection titled Magic Highways: The Early Jack Vance, Volume 3 (2015)

Included in the Vance collection titled Sail 25 and Other Stories (2017 Spatterlight)

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