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Cover of Cinderella Story

Cinderella Story

Written by Allen Kim Lang

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Science FictionHuman-alien encountersBanks and banking

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About this book

"Cinderella Story" by Allen Kim Lang is a satirical science fiction narrative penned in the early 1960s. The book examines themes of identity, espionage, and the absurdity of modern institutions through the lens of a quirky banking environment. It follows the experiences of Orison McCall, a government spy tasked with uncovering the secrets of an eccentric bank that hides its operations behind a peculiar façade. In the story, Orison begins her new job at the William Howard Taft National Bank, where she finds a surreal atmosphere characterized by bizarre staff behavior, including the mandatory use of earmuffs. As she navigates her role of reading newspapers into a microphone, she becomes entangled in a conspiracy involving the bank, which is secretly operated by extraterrestrial forces led by the enigmatic Dink Gerding. Following a series of comedic and dramatic encounters with various characters, including Dink’s unhinged brother Kraft and the flamboyant Auga Vingt, Orison learns that the bank's true purpose involves counterfeiting and an imperial agenda. Ultimately, the narrative culminates in a blend of humor and intrigue as Orison grapples with her evolving feelings for Dink and the implications of their shared fate as potential rulers of a galactic empire.

Reading guide

Themes, characters and key ideas in Cinderella Story, written by Chaptra AI.

  • about 8 hours
  • intermediate
  • humorous
  • mysterious
  • satirical

Allen Kim Lang's "Cinderella Story" is a satirical science fiction novel from the early 1960s, plunging government spy Orison McCall into the bizarre world of the William Howard Taft National Bank. Tasked with uncovering the bank's secrets, Orison finds herself in a surreal environment where mundane tasks like reading newspapers into a microphone mask a much grander, extraterrestrial conspiracy. Led by the enigmatic Dink Gerding, the bank is a front for alien operations involving counterfeiting and an imperial agenda. As Orison navigates peculiar staff and dramatic encounters, she grapples with her evolving affections for Dink, culminating in a humorous and intriguing revelation about their potential shared destiny as rulers of a galactic empire.

“One could only truly understand the universe by embracing its most illogical propositions.”

Key themes

The Absurdity of Modern Institutions
Lang uses the William Howard Taft National Bank as a microcosm to satirize the nonsensical rules, bureaucratic inefficiencies, and ultimately the hidden agendas that often characterize large organizations. The bizarre staff behavior and mandatory earmuffs serve as vivid symbols of conformity and the often-meaningless rituals that dominate institutional life, even when concealing something far more sinister or grand.
Identity and Self-Discovery
The theme explores Orison McCall's journey from a government spy with a clear mission to someone whose allegiances and personal feelings become profoundly conflicted. Her evolving relationship with Dink Gerding and the revelation of a potential galactic destiny force her to re-evaluate who she is and what she stands for, blurring the lines between duty, love, and personal ambition.
Espionage and Deception
The novel deeply explores the themes of spying, secrets, and the layers of deception inherent in both Orison's mission and the bank's true operations. It questions the ethics of espionage and how easily one can become entangled in the very web of lies they are meant to unravel. The deception extends from the personal (Orison's hidden identity) to the global (the bank's true purpose) and even to the cosmic (the alien agenda).

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How does Lang use the setting of a bank to satirize modern institutions and bureaucracy?

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