1,492,633 Marlon Brandos

"1,492,633 Marlon Brandos" by Vance Aandahl is a science fiction short story, set in a city simmering with unease, where a night of turmoil pushes characters towards a surprising collision fueled by basic instincts and wants. The story looks at ideas about who people are, what they desire, how society is structured, and it shows the wild side of people when rules are relaxed. Three main characters, Chester McRae, Bartholomew Oliver, and Oswald Williams, feel a strange urge to be out among a restless crowd of men one night. As they wander the city, their hidden desires and frustrations come out, leading to a moment of anger that starts with the sight of a girl on a balcony. A man controlling things from above changes everything, reminding the characters of the boring lives they usually live. In the end, the story makes you wonder about life as the characters go back to their routines, after they have briefly experienced a wild freedom so much different from their everyday lives