Uncanny Tales #17
"Bud's Birthday Presents!" is a charming, thought-provoking tale from Uncanny Tales #17, featuring art and inks by Sam Kweskin in a whimsical, expressive style. When Ben dreams of escaping Earth for a trip to Uranus, he finds the planet’s inhabitants have handed over all their work to machines—leaving them idle and unfulfilled. The story, with a cover by Ogden Whitney, gently explores what it means to value life on Earth, all through the lens of a child’s imagination and a surprising cosmic journey.
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Ben prepares ships to journey into outer space and it makes him resentful of his life on Earth, imagining the challenges of space. He finally gets to accompany a flight to Uranus, but finds the Uranians have allowed machines to take over their jobs, leaving the species slothful. Ben returns to Earth with newfound love for his life.
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).