Ricardo's Virus: Restored Classics to Go Edition

William Tenn was the pen name of Philip Klass, an American writer born in London and raised in Brooklyn, whose sharp wit and restless imagination helped shape the modern science fiction short story. After serving in the U.S. Army during World War II, he began publishing in the booming postwar magazines, quickly earning a reputation for stories that were as funny as they were unsettling. Over a career that stretched across decades, he became one of the genre's most incisive satirists, using speculative settings to probe human vanity, bureaucracy, greed, conformity, and the absurd ways people behave when faced with power or progress. His best work often turns a familiar science-fiction premise into a mirror held up to society, revealing how easily intelligence can be twisted by self-interest and how technological change exposes moral weakness. That combination of humor, irony, and social criticism still feels fresh today, especially in an age shaped by politics, media spectacle, and rapid innovation. Tenn's legacy lies in showing that science fiction can be both entertaining and intellectually sharp, capable of making readers laugh even as it unsettles them. Readers who enjoy clever, idea-driven stories with a skeptical edge and a strong satirical bite are especially likely to appreciate his work.