Skin Game by Charles E. Fritch
In Charles E. Fritch's novel Skin Game, a young man named Jack is struggling to make ends meet in a small town in the Midwest. He's been living with his aunt and uncle since his parents died, and he's desperate to find a way to make some money. When he hears about a mysterious underground game called Skin Game, he decides to take a chance and join in. The game is a high-stakes game of chance, and Jack soon finds himself in over his head. He's pitted against some of the most dangerous criminals in the city, and he's forced to use his wits and cunning to survive. As the stakes get higher, Jack finds himself in a desperate race against time to win the game and save his own life. Will Jack be able to outwit his opponents and win the game? Or will he be taken down by the criminals he's playing against? Skin Game is a thrilling story of suspense and danger, and it will keep readers on the edge of their seats until the very end.
By Charles E. Fritch · First published 1954 · Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Crime Fiction · 3,890 words
First lines
"People are basically alike," Harding said democratically. He sat idly against the strawlike matting of the hut wall and reached for a native fruit in a nearby bowl. "They're all suckers, even the smartest of them; in fact, the ones who think they're the smartest generally wind up to be the dumbest." Carefully, he bit into the fruit which resembled an orange and, mouth full, nodded approvingly. "Say, these aren't bad. Try one."
Sheckly shook his head, determined to avoid as many aspects of this culture as he could. "But these aren't people," he reminded, not happy with the thought. "They're lizards."
What this Textopian page supports
Skin Game is listed on Textopian as a short story by Charles E. Fritch, dated 1954 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: Charles E. Fritch
- Date: 1954 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Crime Fiction, Detective Fiction
- Length: 3,890 words
- Structure: 1 section, 93 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Skin Game by Charles E. Fritch
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
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Genres
- Mystery — The book follows the story of a private investigator who is hired to investigate a murder, making it a mystery novel.
- Thriller — The book contains suspenseful moments and unexpected twists, making it a thriller.
- Crime Fiction — The book follows the story of a private investigator who is hired to investigate a murder, making it a crime fiction novel.
- Detective Fiction — The book follows the story of a private investigator who is hired to investigate a murder, making it a detective fiction novel.
Tags
Fiction · Science Fiction · Short stories · Swindlers and swindling · back · could · creatures · earth · earthling · felt · fruit · get