Baker's Dozens

In Short

This inventive work of science fiction follows the legendary interstellar criminal known as Baker, a "Robin Hood" figure who steals from corrupt Earth interests to aid extraterrestrial societies. The narrative is structured as a series of accounts detailing Baker’s various deaths across the galaxy, analyzed by a xenologist and an investigative director. As the layers of reports peel away, the story transforms into a dizzying meta-fictional puzzle, questioning the nature of identity, the reliability of history, and the dangerous, contagious power of a compelling myth.

The Story

The story begins with a high-stakes meeting between an unnamed director of Extraterrestrial Investigations and Mr. Street, the premier xenologist on Earth. Their objective is to unravel the mystery of Baker, a criminal whose exploits have made him a hero to alien populations and a plague to human authorities. The director presents a string of reports detailing Baker’s various deaths on different planets, hoping Street can verify which, if any, are authentic.

We learn of Baker’s past operations: his attempt to smuggle "variant" readers onto Ignatz XI to disrupt Earth’s propaganda, his entanglement with a teleportation scientist on Klondike II that resulted in his accidental duplication, and his stint as a "loan arranger" among gun-obsessed aliens on Wister VI. Each account ends in catastrophe or perceived death, yet Baker always seems to resurface, leading the director and Street to engage in a tense, intellectual game of cat and mouse.

As the accounts progress, the characters become increasingly paranoid. Street attempts to explain away each death as a clever ruse, but his intimate knowledge of Baker’s motives raises the director’s suspicions. The power dynamic shifts violently as the director accuses Street of being the true Baker. A lethal confrontation ensues, yet the resolution is not a simple victory. The characters continue to insist upon their own status as the "original" Baker, revealing that the teleportation technology—the very device that created duplicates—has fractured the criminal’s identity.

The cycle of violence extends beyond the director and Street. The narrative moves into a final, recursive layer involving an editor at Man's True Space. The editor, like those before him, falls into the trap of claiming the identity of Baker, leading to a final, tragic shootout. In the closing moments, the true Baker is revealed to be an observer watching the entire spectacle unfold from the shadows. He reflects on his own existence, acknowledging that while many copies of himself have succumbed to madness or death, he remains the original. He concludes that the chaos caused by the duplicates—and the mental disorientation triggered by the teleportation process—has created a galaxy full of men who believe they are him, all while he continues to profit from his crusades for the downtrodden.

How It Unfolds

The inquiry begins A director meets with a xenologist to analyze conflicting reports of an outlaw’s death. They agree to sift through the data to find the single, objective truth behind the legend.

The pirate’s path The narrative jumps to a scene of literary smuggling on Ignatz XI. Baker uses his status as a pirate to replace propaganda with books that might empower the local population.

The duplication crisis On Klondike II, Baker seeks a high-speed travel device and encounters a scientist’s teleportation machine. A technical malfunction results in two Bakers, sparking a cycle of violence and legal confusion.

The identity cascade The investigative director and the xenologist turn their guns on one another as the reality of the duplicate Bakers sinks in. Each man insists he is the true outlaw, demonstrating that the legend has become a psychological contagion.

The editorial trap The search for the truth reaches an editor, who is drawn into the same deadly assertion of identity. The story concludes with the original Baker watching the cycle repeat, satisfied that his legend survives in the confusion of those who hunt him.

The People

Baker is the central figure, though his singular identity is constantly obscured. He is a man driven by a blend of altruism and greed; he genuinely wants to help extraterrestrial cultures resist Earth's economic and cultural exploitation, yet he consistently enriches himself through theft. As the book progresses, he shifts from a person into a concept—a template for rebellion that others, including his pursuers, begin to inhabit.

The director of Extraterrestrial Investigations begins as a cold, bureaucratic hunter, but his obsession with Baker proves to be his undoing. As he studies the reports, he grows envious of Baker’s freedom and unpredictability, eventually losing his own sense of self as he attempts to claim the criminal's mantle.

Mr. Street serves as the intellectual foil to the director. As an expert in xenology, he uses his knowledge to manipulate the director, acting as a guide through the labyrinth of reports. Like the director, his certainty that he is the "real" Baker suggests that his expertise was merely a cover for his own fractured psyche.

Jeb, the assistant to the scientist on Klondike II, represents the chaotic, reactionary force of the public. He highlights the absurdity of the situation by jumping to violent conclusions before the law can even process the facts of the case.

In Its Own Voice

The tone of the book is sharp and detached, treating the surreal nature of the plot with clinical, matter-of-fact prose.

"Catching him was no problem; they caught him everywhere--and practically all at once!"

This opening line captures the impossible, omnipresent nature of the criminal at the heart of the mystery.

"I am at last convinced that there is only one way in which you could be so certain that Baker is not dead."

The director realizes that the xenologist’s intimate defense of the outlaw reveals a deep, personal connection to the man they are hunting.

What It's Really About

The book is a sharp interrogation of how identities are constructed and how legends are sustained. It argues that the truth is often less significant than the story people tell themselves. By turning the "Robin Hood" archetype into a biological and psychological virus, the narrative asks whether a hero is defined by his actions or by the collective belief of those who follow him. It also highlights the danger of bureaucracy; the very agency tasked with capturing the outlaw inadvertently creates more versions of him through its obsession with surveillance, technology, and the need to control the narrative.

Why Read It Today

This book is a fascinating artifact for readers who enjoy high-concept science fiction that leans into the weird and the recursive. If you appreciate stories that refuse to provide a simple, linear resolution, you will enjoy the way the author dismantles the "great man" myth with every passing chapter. The pacing is relentless, reflecting the frantic, disjointed nature of a man whose reality is split across a dozen different worlds.

However, modern readers should be prepared for the mid-century pulp style, which favors rapid-fire dialogue and high-concept "gadgetry" over deep character development. The book carries the distinct flavor of 1950s science fiction magazines, where the focus is on the idea—in this case, the breakdown of the self—rather than sustained emotional realism. While the "aliens" and the specific cultural references might feel dated or stylized to contemporary tastes, the core anxiety about identity in a digital, highly connected world feels surprisingly relevant. It is a brief, intense, and cynical look at how we project our desires onto those we view as "outlaws," and it will likely stay with you as a clever puzzle that doesn't mind leaving you slightly disoriented by the end.