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This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.
9 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1953
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About the author
Katherine MacLean
147 books20 followersKatherine Anne MacLean (born January 22, 1925) is an American science fiction author best known for her short stories of the 1950s which examined the impact of technological advances on individuals and society.
Brian Aldiss noted that she could "do the hard stuff magnificently," while Theodore Sturgeon observed that she "generally starts from a base of hard science, or rationalizes psi phenomena with beautifully finished logic." Although her stories have been included in numerous anthologies and a few have had radio and television adaptations, The Diploids and Other Flights of Fancy (1962) is her only collection of short fiction.
Born in Glen Ridge, New Jersey, MacLean concentrated on mathematics and science in high school. At the time her earliest stories were being published in 1949-50, she received a B.A. in economics from Barnard College (1950), followed by postgraduate studies in psychology at various universities. Her 1951 marriage to Charles Dye ended in divorce a year later. She married David Mason in 1956. Their son, Christopher Dennis Mason, was born in 1957, and they divorced in 1962.
MacLean taught literature at the University of Maine and creative writing at the Free University of Portland. Over decades, she has continued to write while employed in a wide variety of jobs -- as book reviewer, economic graphanalyst, editor, EKG technician, food analyst, laboratory technician in penicillin research, nurse's aide, office manager and payroll bookkeeper. photographer, pollster, public relations, publicist and store detective.
It was while she worked as a laboratory technician in 1947 that she began writing science fiction. Strongly influenced by Ludwig von Bertalanffy's General Systems Theory, her fiction has often demonstrated a remarkable foresight in scientific advancements.
Brian Aldiss noted that she could "do the hard stuff magnificently," while Theodore Sturgeon observed that she "generally starts from a base of hard science, or rationalizes psi phenomena with beautifully finished logic." Although her stories have been included in numerous anthologies and a few have had radio and television adaptations, The Diploids and Other Flights of Fancy (1962) is her only collection of short fiction.
Born in Glen Ridge, New Jersey, MacLean concentrated on mathematics and science in high school. At the time her earliest stories were being published in 1949-50, she received a B.A. in economics from Barnard College (1950), followed by postgraduate studies in psychology at various universities. Her 1951 marriage to Charles Dye ended in divorce a year later. She married David Mason in 1956. Their son, Christopher Dennis Mason, was born in 1957, and they divorced in 1962.
MacLean taught literature at the University of Maine and creative writing at the Free University of Portland. Over decades, she has continued to write while employed in a wide variety of jobs -- as book reviewer, economic graphanalyst, editor, EKG technician, food analyst, laboratory technician in penicillin research, nurse's aide, office manager and payroll bookkeeper. photographer, pollster, public relations, publicist and store detective.
It was while she worked as a laboratory technician in 1947 that she began writing science fiction. Strongly influenced by Ludwig von Bertalanffy's General Systems Theory, her fiction has often demonstrated a remarkable foresight in scientific advancements.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 13, 2026
Interesting. A thoughtful reading experience.
It felt a bit dense and convoluted but I believe KM was going for that feel. The reader would be a bit confused at times as to which mind they were thinking with at the moment. The minds of the Old Scientist Purcell and the Youngling Ronny mingle through their telepathic link and their simular actions blurs the boundary between their two realities.
The point being that the weaponizing of Purcell's research, although seemingly created in the theoretical isolation of a research facility, will ultimately affect the real world lives of everyday people. Innocent people like the young Ronny, who has still to have any significant real world experiences.
Too many Research Scientists, to this day, have a tendency to take the money, shrug their shoulders and say: "I'm innocent. What a Government chooses to do with my "Pure Research" is not my problem or responsibility".
"Now I am become death, the Destroyer of Worlds."
It felt a bit dense and convoluted but I believe KM was going for that feel. The reader would be a bit confused at times as to which mind they were thinking with at the moment. The minds of the Old Scientist Purcell and the Youngling Ronny mingle through their telepathic link and their simular actions blurs the boundary between their two realities.
The point being that the weaponizing of Purcell's research, although seemingly created in the theoretical isolation of a research facility, will ultimately affect the real world lives of everyday people. Innocent people like the young Ronny, who has still to have any significant real world experiences.
Too many Research Scientists, to this day, have a tendency to take the money, shrug their shoulders and say: "I'm innocent. What a Government chooses to do with my "Pure Research" is not my problem or responsibility".
"Now I am become death, the Destroyer of Worlds."
June 18, 2024
Brilliant, but a bit too formulaic for my taste i.e. laypeople think that science is all about mathematical formulae. Are art, music, and literature all about mathematical formulae? They are, like science; conceptual, contextual, and computational, rather than formulaic. But the “secret formula” is a tempting, tried and therefore, true; sci-fi trope.
June 8, 2021
Cute listening 🔰
A very will written novella about a young boy's playing in the backyard and the characters he relates to. I would recommend this novella to anyone looking for a quick read. Enjoy the adventure of reading 📚2021 😇
A very will written novella about a young boy's playing in the backyard and the characters he relates to. I would recommend this novella to anyone looking for a quick read. Enjoy the adventure of reading 📚2021 😇
July 23, 2019
Really solid short story, probably the best one I've read of hers. Reminds me a bit of "The Night Face Up."
August 27, 2016
Hmm, tough one to review. I found it intriguing, albeit at times difficult to follow. I think it may benefit from a second reading. Complex for something so short.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews