The Star Mouse

by Fredric Brown

Robinson Crusoe ... Gulliver ... Paul Bunyan; the story of their adventures is nothing compared to the Saga of Mitkey.

Fredric Brown was a science fiction and mystery writer. He is known for his use of humor and mastery of the short story form. His stories contained ingenious plotting devices, surprise endings, humor, and a somewhat postmodern outlook.

Genres: Science Fiction, Short Stories

22 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 24, 2020

About the author

Fredric Brown was an American science fiction and mystery writer. He was one of the boldest early writers in genre fiction in his use of narrative experimentation. While never in the front rank of popularity in his lifetime, Brown has developed a considerable cult following in the almost half century since he last wrote. His works have been periodically reprinted and he has a worldwide fan base, most notably in the U.S. and Europe, and especially in France, where there have been several recent movie adaptations of his work. He also remains popular in Japan.

Never financially secure, Brown - like many other pulp writers - often wrote at a furious pace in order to pay bills. This accounts, at least in part, for the uneven quality of his work. A newspaperman by profession, Brown was only able to devote 14 years of his life as a full-time fiction writer. Brown was also a heavy drinker, and this at times doubtless affected his productivity. A cultured man and omnivorous reader whose interests ranged far beyond those of most pulp writers, Brown had a lifelong interest in the flute, chess, poker, and the works of Lewis Carroll. Brown married twice and was the father of two sons.

Reviews

[Sara]

Y were my first love
song..cheese..
even thee throw me to moon
and thee make me ware red pant and yallow gloves
i still remmber yr hole
my gray killer
y awake my dream and make me sleep
fly throw space
the love as death come without knock
throw telscope y search my foot
and i happy that y search
y my killer
my sun my moon
how take that secret far
when y know all about y
just go to hole
free i will paint yr foot
my fly far was gd farniss
coz i love y more
talk to y in many profssor lang
disny land wilcom us
and love
my gray one
love ya

[Zen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an O.K. story but it's not Fredric Brown at his best. No wierd twist at the end. Nothing substantial to grind your teeth into.

The biggest problem with the story is that there doesn't seem to be much point to it. Just an Amusing Tale to pass some time.

A Rocket Test Mouse gets his Intelligence Heightened by some Aliens. And he comes back to Earth. End of story. Nothing, plot wise, is done with the Set-Up.

The part about the civilization on the Tiny Astroid world of PRXL was the most interesting part of the story. I liked the attitude of the Prxlians and would have rather had a whole story about them. That would have been more fun.

As it is, the rest of the story about Star Mouse and Professor Oberburger was passable. Even a bit dated in its humour.

Oh well. At least this story had a happy ending.

There's a Golden Age Sci-Fi Story out there about a Mouse Test Subject that gets its Brain Expanded in a Laboratory Test. And the ending to that one is such a downer it's instant depression.

[Paliosec Λογιώτατος · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ένα "διαμαντάκι" γραμμένο από έναν από τους πιο ιδιοφυείς "μεγάλους παλιούς" συγγραφείς της Επιστημονικής Φαντασίας. Ο υπέροχος Fredric Brown, δεξιοτέχνης του λόγου, βιρτουόζος του λεπτού και έξυπνου χιούμορ, δίνει κι εδώ δείγμα γραφής. Θα ήθελα και σήμερα να υπάρχει στο είδος, κάποιος ισάξιος του πνεύματός και του φλέγματός του.

[Forked Radish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meeces hate cheese to pieces (unless it’s toasted),
Every intrepid trapper knows,
They’d much rather have peanut butter (Reeces).
Another Mousterian mythos installment.