Jack of No Trades

"Jack of No Trades" by Charles Cottrell is a science fiction tale from the mid-20th century that centers around Willy Maloon, a peculiar technician whose bizarre skills spark a series of surprising events. Driven by a desire to gift his wife a personal asteroid and impress her in a big way, his somewhat criminal actions involving essential equipment from his job begin to raise eyebrows, particularly those of Mr. Goil, his boss. The story explores responsibility, creativity, and the blurry boundary between benefit and harm, especially when a freighter veers out of control and threatens Mars; the plot thickens as Willy’s actions become surprisingly central to preventing a massive collision. Ultimately, Willy displays an unacknowledged genius for preventing disaster, which makes for a suspenseful conclusion, where he saves the day without meaning to, thus securing his future.