Happy Ending

Happy Ending is a science fiction novella by Fredric Brown, published in the late 1950s. Set in a post-apocalyptic world, it follows Mr. Smith, a once-powerful dictator now isolated on Venus after a devastating war. As he grapples with his mental decline and interacts with the planet's alien inhabitants, the story explores themes of power, isolation, and the consequences of tyranny, ultimately leading to a horrifying fate that symbolizes the downfall of oppressive rule.