"Tk’tk’tk" is a

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...

short story A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the oldest ...

written in 2005 by

David D. Levine David D. Levine (born February 21, 1961, in Minneapolis, Minnesota) is an American science fiction writer who won the Hugo Award for Best Short Story in 2006 for his story "Tk'tk'tk". His novel ''Arabella of Mars'' was published by Tor Books in J ...

. It received the 2006

Hugo Award for Best Short Story The Hugo Award for Best Short Story is one of the Hugo Awards given each year for science fiction or fantasy stories published or translated into English during the previous calendar year. The short story award is available for works of fiction of ...

Premise

The story is about a penniless human salesman trying to sell software on an alien planet populated by giant, intelligent, impersonal (yet very humble) insects, many

light year A light-year, alternatively spelled light year, is a large unit of length used to express astronomical distances and is equivalent to about 9.46 trillion kilometers (), or 5.88 trillion miles ().One trillion here is taken to be 1012 ...

s from Earth. The main character, Walker, has trouble with everything from his ability to sell his computer systems and gadgets, to paying for his hotel and participating in the local religious holiday. In the end he finds a uniquely spiritual restaurant that changes his life.

Adaptations

Audio

Escape Pod An escape pod, escape capsule, life capsule, or lifepod is a capsule or craft, usually only big enough for one person, used to escape from a vessel in an emergency. An escape ship is a larger, more complete craft also used for the same purpose ...

publishe
EP054: Tk’tk’tk
read by

Paul Tevis Paul Tevis is an Ennie-award-winning podcaster whose shows Have Games, Will Travel and The Voice of the Revolution discuss games, game design, and gamer subculture. He is an active participant in this subculture, and is a recognizable figure at ...

on May 18, 2006.

External links

*
"Tk'tk'tk"
- at ''

Asimov's Science Fiction ''Asimov's Science Fiction'' is an American science fiction magazine which publishes science fiction and fantasy named after science fiction author Isaac Asimov. It is currently published by Penny Publications. From January 2017, the publication ...

''
EP054: Tk’tk’tk
at

2005 short stories Science fiction short stories Hugo Award for Best Short Story winning works Works originally published in Asimov's Science Fiction 2000s science fiction works {{2000s-sf-story-stub