Gaudeamus

The basic technologies of the universe include things like fire, tools, agriculture, electricity, and the gaudeamus effect. So what happens when three clowns in a flying saucer steal the gaudeamus device from a secret government lab, and they hire a pseudo-redneck Texan private investigator to find it, and the PI tells the story to his buddy who is a theater professor/science fiction writer? Well, if the professor/writer is John Barnes, you get Gaudeamus. I can't tell you more without giving away plot twists, but it's highly recommended.