The Efficeincy Expert by Edgar Rice Burroughs

 

September 22, 2021 and on this day 102 years ago, Edgar Rice Burroughs began writing “The Efficiency Expert,” a novel / novelette based on his experiences as a businessman. The story was serialized in four installments of All-Story Weekly in October of 1928. This was ERB’s thirty-sixth novel. He wrote in 31 days. The first edition of the book was published by House of Greystoke in 1966 and reprinted as Burroughs Bulletins #57-58 in 1976. Unlike most of ERB’s work, I haven’t been able to find a foreign edition.

Charter published a paperback version of the book in June 1979, the only mass edition of the book. Since 2000, the story has been published by people believing the story to be in public domain: Amereon House. Wildside Press, Pulpville Press, and ERBville Press (not associated with ERB Inc.)

Publishing details and the entire text of the original pulp magazine version are available at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag7/0768.html

The drabble for today is “For Efficiencies Sake,” and it was inspired by the novel.

The shop foreman said, “Everyone is busy. How can you help?”

Torrence said, “The more efficient you are at doing the wrong thing, the wronger you become. It is much better to do the right thing wronger than the wrong thing righter. Reorganizing can create the illusion of progress while producing confusion, inefficiency, and demoralization.”

“How nice. What qualifies you as an expert?”

“I came from elsewhere and not accountable for the results of my recommendations.”

‘How does that work?”

“If things get better, I take the credit. If they get worse, I’ll say you didn’t do what I recommended!”