In the early 1900s, drought-stricken farmers in Kansas traded harvesting crops for digging up meteors to sell. The practice turned out to be so profitable that many were able to pay off their mortgages and save for their retirement. In one instance, a meteor hunter persuaded a lawyer to sell his yard ornament for $3…and then turned around and sold it to a researcher for $150. Others fetched upwards of $1000 from collectors.
This is great background for a period novel, but also an idea that could be mined (pun intended) for SF, horror, or other genre work. Alternatively, what other occupation could be turned on its head? As farmer abandoned crops for meteors, what other work could be reimagined with a twist? How might gardeners, barbers, plumbers, or writers use their skills when their main gig falters? What happens next?
