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Hard Sell Trivia Quiz

This quiz is on the book "Hard Sell", admittedly one of Mr. Anthony's less popular works. Don't take the quiz without having read the book; not only will you get most answers incorrect, the question text and interesting information has plot spoilers.

A multiple-choice quiz by fastfinge. Estimated time: 4 mins.

Author
fastfinge

Time
4 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
229,024

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
7 / 10

Plays
177

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. Before we get on to the meat of the plot, here's a mundane question to start us off. Much of this book (the first three of six chapters) was published in serial form in a magazine. What magazine was it? Hint

Twilight Zone

Analog

Galaxy

NEXT>

Question 2 of 10

2. Now, let's begin the plot. As the book opens, our protagonist (a fellow by the name of Fisk Centers) receives an interplanetary call from Mars. This call is from a company looking to offer Fisk an investment oppertunity; they say they're planning to build geodesic domes on Mars, and they're selling real estate to gain capital. What is the name of this dubious company? Hint

Mars Inc

Mars Ltd

Solar Development Holding Company

The Marsland Corporation

NEXT>

Question 3 of 10

3. After his experiences in the last chapter, Fisk is compelled to get into the black market adoption racket. The first client he meets is a Venus spacer, who says he plans to retire and cultivate a rare type of plant. What is the name of this plant? Hint

high jumps

big bumps

low slumps

mugwumps

NEXT>

Question 4 of 10

4. Poor Mr. Centers! This daughter he's landed himself with is destined to make his life rather interesting; as the old Chinese curse goes, "May you live in interesting times." What's her name? Hint

Lola

Yola

Nancy

Anne

NEXT>

Question 5 of 10

5. Those interesting times I mentioned start up right away. What is the first scrape his adopted daughter gets Fisc into? Hint

Racecar driver

Asteroid mining

Parasailing on Jupiter

Movie producer

NEXT>

Question 6 of 10

6. By this point, Fisk has held two wildly differing, yet tangentially related, jobs. What does he try his hand at selling next? Hint

Farm land in Africa

Mugwumps

"Free" plots at Perpetual Laser Memorial Gardens

Discount Garden Supplies

NEXT>

Question 7 of 10

7. Everything would have gone just fine for Fisk, for once, if his daughter hadn't managed to upset everyone after whose death? Hint

Mrs. Pontimer

Ms. Lunchtimer

Mr. Longtimer

Mr. Pontimer

NEXT>

Question 8 of 10

8. After that last mishap, Fisk once again finds himself looking for a new profession. This one, however, is still somewhat related to his old one. What is it? Hint

death insurance investigator

cremation salesman

life insurance salesman

model

NEXT>

Question 9 of 10

9. The next job isn't even for Fisk; this time, it's for his daughter. What is it? Hint

travel agent

commercial actress

movie star

singer

NEXT>

Question 10 of 10

10. In this last adventure, it's not Yola who causes the trouble; this time, it's Fisk. Why? Hint

He wants more money

He's upset that the company is ripping Yola off

He doesn't like Yola's acting

He doesn't like commercials

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

Answer: If

"If" magazine, originally subtitled "Worlds of Science Fiction", was renamed "Worlds of If" after 1972. "Galaxy" is the sister magazine of "If"; they were both eventually published by Robert Guinn. "Twilight Zone" published chapter five of "Hard Sell", but chapters four and six were not published elsewhere outside of the book. "Analog" is a rather famous science fiction magazine, and one of the longest running sf magazines on the market.

Answer: Mars Ltd

Ltd stands for limited, meaning that the company is organized to give the owners limited liability if anything happens. In this case, the company's liability is limited to investments it has on Earth. Unfortunately, it has none.

Answer: mugwumps

All of the choices for this question come from one line of a song by The Mamas and the Papas called "Creeque Alley": "Mugwumps, high jumps, low slumps, big bumps--- Don't you work as hard as you play." Did you know that mugwump is a real word? It means someone who is neutral or uncommitted.

4. Poor Mr. Centers! This daughter he's landed himself with is destined to make his life rather interesting; as the old Chinese curse goes, "May you live in interesting times." What's her name?

Answer: Yola

An easy one; not a particularly common name, and thus hard to forget...though some people confuse her with the girl from a famous song by The Kinks (can you think of the one?)

5. Those interesting times I mentioned start up right away. What is the first scrape his adopted daughter gets Fisc into?

Answer: Racecar driver

Even though he had never raced anything before, he wound up driving most of the race!

6. By this point, Fisk has held two wildly differing, yet tangentially related, jobs. What does he try his hand at selling next?

Answer: "Free" plots at Perpetual Laser Memorial Gardens

While the book is science fiction, this chapter offers us an interesting oppertunity to reflect on the "American way of death".

7. Everything would have gone just fine for Fisk, for once, if his daughter hadn't managed to upset everyone after whose death?

Answer: Mr. Pontimer

Fisk was placed in charge of the funeral arangements as a publicity stunt by his company.

8. After that last mishap, Fisk once again finds himself looking for a new profession. This one, however, is still somewhat related to his old one. What is it?

Answer: death insurance investigator

Death insurance insures that the holder is allowed to die a natural death.

9. The next job isn't even for Fisk; this time, it's for his daughter. What is it?

Answer: commercial actress

The company making the commercials sells, of course, live matter transmission.

10. In this last adventure, it's not Yola who causes the trouble; this time, it's Fisk. Why?

Answer: He's upset that the company is ripping Yola off

Congrats, you're done! While the last story leaves things open for another book, this is one of Piers Anthony's few stand alone works; that's all we'll ever hear of the adventures of Yola and Fisk.

Source: Author fastfinge

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