, ▁as ▁" dist inct ly ▁late - model ▁de ▁Camp , ▁comment ing ▁on ▁the ▁current ▁scene -- and ▁especially ▁the ▁sub urban , ▁or ▁more ▁properly ▁ex urban ▁scene -- by ▁project ing ▁it ▁into ▁the ▁future , ▁where ▁its ▁" th ings ▁of ▁custom " ▁appear ▁in ▁all ▁their ▁incon gru ity . ▁As ▁the ▁plot ▁grows ▁simpler ▁and ▁simpler , ▁the ▁settings ▁and ▁comment ary ▁carry ▁more ▁and ▁more ▁of ▁the ▁load , ▁in ▁the ▁manner ▁of ▁an ▁off - B road way ▁play . ▁And ▁there ▁will ▁be ▁those ▁who ▁say ▁the ▁author ▁has ▁written ▁himself ▁into ▁most ▁of ▁his ▁rather ▁put - up on ▁hero es - in - sp ite - of - th ems el ves ." ▁Comment ing ▁on ▁this ▁story , ▁he ▁notes ▁that ▁it ▁" s ug gest s ▁that ▁on ▁the ▁other ▁side ▁of ▁space ▁ar che olog ists ▁may ▁release ▁some ▁of ▁their ▁in hib itions ." ▁ ▁Av ram ▁David son ▁found ▁the ▁story ▁among ▁most ▁others ▁in ▁A ▁Gun ▁for ▁Din osa ur ▁and ▁Other ▁Im agin ative ▁T ales ▁" a ▁great ▁disappoint ment ," ▁feeling ▁the ▁author ▁"[ t ] ime ▁after ▁time ▁... ▁gets ▁hold ▁of ▁a ▁great ▁idea — and ▁throws ▁it ▁away ▁in ▁playing ▁for ▁laugh s ▁of ▁the ▁fe eb l est ▁conce iv able ▁sort ." ▁ ▁Rel ation ▁to ▁other ▁works ▁The ▁plot ▁feature ▁of ▁future ▁scient ists ▁investig ating ▁past ▁e cos ystem s ▁and ▁cult ures ▁is ▁a