The Merchants of Venus

"The Merchants of Venus" by A. H. Phelps is a science fiction story focused on humanity's struggle to colonize Venus as a solution to Earth's overpopulation. A personnel director named Rod Workham deals with constant failures and resignations within Project Venus. He enlists the help of a peculiar historian colleague named Jaimie, and together, they pursue an unusual recruitment strategy to attract settlers, leading to a rush of diverse personalities to Venus. The story portrays their struggles to make their idealistic visions and dreams of starting a new society a reality as they explore human nature. The author paints a picture of the moral complexities and unexpected circumstances that arise when trying to establish a new world.