Swenson, Dispatcher

"Swenson, Dispatcher" by R. De Witt Miller is a science fiction novel written in the mid-20th century. The story is set in a future interplanetary society in the 22nd century, following the adventures of a determined dispatcher, Swenson, who navigates the complexities of space shipping regulations and corporate antics after securing a job with Acme Interplanetary Express. The novel combines elements of humor and drama, exploring themes of survival, ingenuity, and the absurdities of bureaucratic processes. The narrative follows Patrick M. Swenson as he attempts to salvage the beleaguered Acme Interplanetary Express after the previous dispatcher has left the company in chaos. Charged with dealing with grounded ships, unpaid freight, and a potentially mutinous crew, Swenson employs a mix of wit and unconventional tactics to manage the crisis, including manipulating a Senator's speech for leverage. His unusual methods raise eyebrows but ultimately lead to a resolution that enables the company to regain its operational status. Throughout the story, Swenson's character shines through as both resourceful and irreverently humorous, depicted against the backdrop of a chaotic space transport industry. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Richard DeWitt Miller was an American writer of science fiction and Forteana. His first science-fiction publication was "The Shapes" which appeared in Astounding Science Fiction in 1936. His non-fiction books include You Do Take It With You (1936) as well as The Mastery of the Master (1944), Impossible - Yet It Happened, Stranger Than Life (1955), You Do Take It with You: An Adventure into the Vaster Reality (1955), and Reincarnation: The Whole Startling Story (1956). Miller wrote one science-fiction novelette published in March 1938 by Astounding Science Fiction under the title "The Master Shall Not Die" with no collaborator; it was not issued in book form until 1956, when Ace Books brought it out in its dos-à-dos format Ace Doubles under the title The Man Who Lived Forever, with co-author Anna Hunger. The book was bound back-to-back with Jerry Sohl's The Mars Monopoly. Miller also authored a fantasy work entitled The Loose Board in the Floor (1951).