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Mimsy Were The Borogoves
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Who is the author of Mimsy Were The Borogoves? Lewis Padgett Lewis Padgett was the joint pseudonym of the science fiction authors and spouses Henry Kuttner and C. L. Moore, taken from their mothers' maiden names. They also used the pseudonyms Lawrence O'Donnell and C. H. Liddell, as well as collaborating under their own names.
Writing as 'Lewis Padgett' they were the author of many humorous short stories of science fiction in the 1940s and 1950s.
Henry Kuttner wrote several things that I have read and enjoyed. He died at the age of 42 in 1958. His only award was a Retro Hugo Award, but he had over a dozen pen names. There was a convention that no single author should have more than one story at a time in the Pulp Magazines. He and his wife C.L. Moore either singly or together did just that by using pen names.
Writing as 'Lewis Padgett' they were the author of many humorous short stories of science fiction in the 1940s and 1950s.
Henry Kuttner wrote several things that I have read and enjoyed. He died at the age of 42 in 1958. His only award was a Retro Hugo Award, but he had over a dozen pen names. There was a convention that no single author should have more than one story at a time in the Pulp Magazines. He and his wife C.L. Moore either singly or together did just that by using pen names.
Why choose Mimsy Were The Borogoves? Although there are several of Kuttner's works I liked, this is one of his best known and it is nice that it is one of the collaboration stories. It is memorable and has been widely anthologized: The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume I, The Best of Henry Kuttner, or The Best of C.L. Moore and Henry Kuttner. It also fits my chosen theme of What does it mean to be human? Science fiction often explores how new technology changes the experience of life for humans.
Oh and just for fun here's an audiobook version read by (of course) William Shatner. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkCv7...
Oh and just for fun here's an audiobook version read by (of course) William Shatner. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkCv7...
Thanks for the heads up, Lynn. I will make sure to have them both in hand early. I don't usually do audio, but Shatner is a real temptation.

And I've read Childhood's End. Arthur C. Clarke is always good!
Good choices, Lynn!

Agreed! I think I’ll listen to his reading as well! 😁
Thank you for the background information, Lynn! I like the theme you chose for your selections and plan to read all three.
In May 2025 the Moderator's Pick is the short story Mimsy Were The Borogoves by the husband and wife writer team that used the pen name Lewis Padgett. This thread is now the spoilers discussion thread for Mimsy. Next month the short novel Childhood’s End by Arthur C. Clarke will be discussed.

Lynn, I noticed that this story and Call Me Joe both involved learning in a sci-fi manner. Was that a coincidence, or were you drawn to these stories as a former teacher?
message 11:
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Lynn, Old School Classics
(last edited May 01, 2025 12:02PM)
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rated it 5 stars
Connie wrote: "I liked the title of this story with its association with "Alice in Wonderland" and "Through the Looking Glass." I found it fascinating how the two children were learning to think differently after..."
Wow, you know me better than I know myself. Perhaps they do appeal to me because of my teaching background. My first 5 years of teaching were in a Montessori Preschool. As my children grew I moved up to Public Schools.
Wow, you know me better than I know myself. Perhaps they do appeal to me because of my teaching background. My first 5 years of teaching were in a Montessori Preschool. As my children grew I moved up to Public Schools.

I hadn't previously read anything by "Lewis Padgett" or by Henry Kuttner and C. L. Moore unless it was very long ago (I'm kind of old). It's fun to read a well-written old scifi-ish story like this occasionally. I've also listened to a few of the other stories in the book: “Huddling Place” [Simak, Clifford D. 1944], “The Roads Must Roll” [Heinlein, Robert 1940] and “Nightfall” [Asimov, Isaac 1941] which I also enjoyed. Nightfall has especially high ratings and was evidently the one that got Asimov's writing career in high gear.
It's funny that no one in these old stories about the future has a mobile phone.
Thoroughly enjoyed this story. (maybe I like Sci-Fi after all, lol).
Very interested in what others have to say. Not posting my own thoughts right now because I want to give others time to read this, I want to mull it over, and I am going to give a listen to Shatner's reading. Thanks for this one, Lynn.
Very interested in what others have to say. Not posting my own thoughts right now because I want to give others time to read this, I want to mull it over, and I am going to give a listen to Shatner's reading. Thanks for this one, Lynn.
Sara wrote: "Thoroughly enjoyed this story. (maybe I like Sci-Fi after all, lol).
Very interested in what others have to say. Not posting my own thoughts right now because I want to give others time to read t..."
I haven't reread yet, but one thing I remember from previous readings was how sad I felt for the parents. Through the three stories I've picked there are characters that change and others who are left behind. That may also be a common theme in Science Fiction.
Very interested in what others have to say. Not posting my own thoughts right now because I want to give others time to read t..."
I haven't reread yet, but one thing I remember from previous readings was how sad I felt for the parents. Through the three stories I've picked there are characters that change and others who are left behind. That may also be a common theme in Science Fiction.

Very interested in what others have to say. Not posting my own thoughts right now because I want to give others t..."
I really enjoyed the story, Lynn! And I agree with you -- those poor parents! There really wasn't anything that they could do.

I really enjoyed this. I thought it was full of thoughtful and compelling ideas about the way we think and grow. This was what I liked best about the story. (And it was interesting and surprising to see babies described as another species with their own culture and way of thinking: "one of the most developed species of the lower vertebrates." I've never thought of it that way; I haven't decided yet what I think of the idea.)
I did feel quite badly for the parents, who as others have said, were losing people they loved, being left behind, and could do nothing about it. And from a practical standpoint, quite apart from the emotional effects of losing their children, their lives might become quite terrible now, once the police are involved in their children's disappearance.
In contrast to the parents' fear and despair, I thought the authors were very effective in conveying the excitement of the children as they navigated this new world they were discovering.
I also liked that the parents came to reject the child psychologist, because he was telling them truthful things they didn't want to hear -- that's such a human response, and I thought it was a nice touch.
I also found the ending sad and poignant. I do not think the sender is meant to be an alien, but a human from a great distance in time. The story is sad in its outcome, because even the children do not really understand the consequences of what they are doing. The children have disappeared…to where? To whom? What are their chances of survival in the alien (to them) world to which they have gone? Are they now in future time? The story opens with the inventor who is "doing the equivalent of standing in the equivalent of a laboratory." So, we don't really know if this world is strictly physical in nature.
The interweaving of Charles Dodgson (Lewis Carroll) and Alice’s Through the Looking Glass is marvelously done. I wondered if this encounter with the box was merely going to change the children or the course of human history. Luckily none of the adults understood, so the course of history remains the same for now, but there is an unanswered question for me. The toys still remain. Are they still there? It would make sense that these parents would now pursue every avenue and scientists would not scruple to risk other children to try and find the answer to this mystery if they came to believe it was real.
The reference to High Wind in Jamaica is not an accident. I think the two people who wrote this story were influenced by that book, but also that they wanted to say there is a huge framework here that is about children and it has been explored before. Here is the reference work, if you want more. If you strip away the supernatural/sci-fi element, this is a profound story about the possibilities of human intelligence and understanding and how it dies, rather than expands, as we age and build in our cultural biases.
The interweaving of Charles Dodgson (Lewis Carroll) and Alice’s Through the Looking Glass is marvelously done. I wondered if this encounter with the box was merely going to change the children or the course of human history. Luckily none of the adults understood, so the course of history remains the same for now, but there is an unanswered question for me. The toys still remain. Are they still there? It would make sense that these parents would now pursue every avenue and scientists would not scruple to risk other children to try and find the answer to this mystery if they came to believe it was real.
The reference to High Wind in Jamaica is not an accident. I think the two people who wrote this story were influenced by that book, but also that they wanted to say there is a huge framework here that is about children and it has been explored before. Here is the reference work, if you want more. If you strip away the supernatural/sci-fi element, this is a profound story about the possibilities of human intelligence and understanding and how it dies, rather than expands, as we age and build in our cultural biases.

I also wonder -- what has happened to the first set of toys? Charles's "niece" told people her mother gave them to her, but then what? At least they know where the second set is. I feel they would perhaps try to destroy them.
The story definitely says children are more mentally flexible, and able to learn a wider variety of things, But in a way it doesn't actually give them more understanding, just a very different understanding. Once their brains are on the new path, they aren't really able to understand the path the rest of humanity (during their time) is on. That's how I read it.
The doll was not anatomically correct for this father, but it was no doubt perfect for the future...so physiologically these children will be different if they make it to the "future".
I agree about the understanding of the children. They could adapt because they had not yet learned a set way...but once they do learn and ascribe to a certain idea, I don't think they will be any more adaptable than other adults. There was also a strange reference regarding Unthahorsten's son that the toys were ones he "had brought with him when he passed over from earth" and that "he was conditioned and had put away childish things." Perhaps these children were whisked immediately to some kind of reception area for children who "pass over from earth".
The story leaves you with questions, but that is not a bad thing in a sci-fi story, I think. I liked this one enough to want to read more of Kuttner. He was highly praised by Ray Bradbury, which gives me confidence that I might like all his stories.
BTW, they made a movie of this story "The Last Mimsy". Might be interesting to see what they did with it.
I agree about the understanding of the children. They could adapt because they had not yet learned a set way...but once they do learn and ascribe to a certain idea, I don't think they will be any more adaptable than other adults. There was also a strange reference regarding Unthahorsten's son that the toys were ones he "had brought with him when he passed over from earth" and that "he was conditioned and had put away childish things." Perhaps these children were whisked immediately to some kind of reception area for children who "pass over from earth".
The story leaves you with questions, but that is not a bad thing in a sci-fi story, I think. I liked this one enough to want to read more of Kuttner. He was highly praised by Ray Bradbury, which gives me confidence that I might like all his stories.
BTW, they made a movie of this story "The Last Mimsy". Might be interesting to see what they did with it.

Ah yes, I'd forgotten about the anatomically incorrect doll. In that case, the children will presumably arrive in the future with bodies that aren't quite right to thrive there.
You're right that the story leaves us with plenty of questions. But that's part of what makes our discussion interesting. :)

Just a few thoughts and observations I'd like to add to the excellent discussion so far:
- My big takeaway from this story was the idea that perhaps humans are capable of greater perception and ability than we know, but perhaps we are "trained" from childhood to see the world from a more limited perspective. This has all kinds of implications and makes me think of the Suzuki method of teaching children to play the violin at a very young age. Of course the idea of children being trained into a restricted form of thinking can be interpreted broadly, lending the story perhaps a tint of social criticism.
- Many people unfortunately will have skipped reading this excellent story because it is Science-Fiction and therefore cannot be considered Serious Literature, a fallacy that (ironically) is also often taught to young people. This baseless bias is perhaps the reason why Booker Award winning author Margaret Atwood famously prefers for her works to be called by the more vague term "Speculative Fiction." (Atwood has also dismissively referred to Science-Fiction as "talking squids in outer space" which is a bit unfair.)
- Kuttner wrote The Dark World which is often cited as an inspiration for Roger Zelazny when he wrote his beloved Amber series which is often cited as a Fantasy classic.
- I saw the movie The Last Mimsy which was based (loosely, if I recall correctly) on this story. I don't remember being very impressed.
- I had forgotten the reference to A High Wind in Jamaica by Richard Hughes and now I want to move that book up in my TBR pile. High Wind is often credited as a forerunner to the classic Lord of the Flies by William Golding.
- There are plenty of other Science-Fiction stories about the expansion of human potential (although many are about adults and not children) - some of my favorites include Nexus by Ramez Naam, the story "Understand" by Ted Chiang, and the underappreciated film Limitless with Bradley Cooper.
- And I loved the comment about how parents often get the short end of the stick in Science-Fiction stories. One of may favorite stories is "The Veldt" by Ray Bradbury which is a perfect example of kids getting the upper hand.
RJ - Slayer of Trolls wrote: "I'm glad you picked this story, Lynn. It was one of my favorites when I read the excellent anthology The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume One, 1929-1964 a couple years ago.
Just..."
The Suzuki method is wonderful example!
Just..."
The Suzuki method is wonderful example!
message 24:
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Lynn, Old School Classics
(last edited May 20, 2025 05:47AM)
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rated it 5 stars
You're correct that Science Fiction has been called a "literary ghetto". People relegate stories to Science fiction then won't read them. You have a lot of good allusions listed.
This time reading it I'm struck by the literary devices being used. We have allusion to other literary works, which has been mentioned. There's ironic foreshadowing. For instance the mother says to the psychologist that her daughter, "...has to live in this world. "
I understand how some of the themes and attitudes of Science fiction could put people off of the genre. For instance, the warm cozy emotions of a Mary Stewart Romance just won't be found in Sci Fi. I like both but only according to my mood. There is an emphasis on intellect over emotions usually; if there are emotions they tend toward the thriller or horror side rather than warm and cozy.
Another reason Science Fiction can seem out of the main stream is that the references are so circular. I had forgotten that the father's name was Professor Paladin. Anyone who has watched the "Andromeda" series will remember the name Paladin being used for the ascended race of beings on an alien planet. These references might create a barrier for casual readers.
I think the characterization was well done. Scott was an inquisitive intelligent boy to begin with. The family lives in a well-to-do intellectual environment. There's no surprise really that the children were able to achieve what they did. But the flip side of this is that Science Fiction can feel elitist at times. That is a common criticism of the genre.
This time reading it I'm struck by the literary devices being used. We have allusion to other literary works, which has been mentioned. There's ironic foreshadowing. For instance the mother says to the psychologist that her daughter, "...has to live in this world. "
I understand how some of the themes and attitudes of Science fiction could put people off of the genre. For instance, the warm cozy emotions of a Mary Stewart Romance just won't be found in Sci Fi. I like both but only according to my mood. There is an emphasis on intellect over emotions usually; if there are emotions they tend toward the thriller or horror side rather than warm and cozy.
Another reason Science Fiction can seem out of the main stream is that the references are so circular. I had forgotten that the father's name was Professor Paladin. Anyone who has watched the "Andromeda" series will remember the name Paladin being used for the ascended race of beings on an alien planet. These references might create a barrier for casual readers.
I think the characterization was well done. Scott was an inquisitive intelligent boy to begin with. The family lives in a well-to-do intellectual environment. There's no surprise really that the children were able to achieve what they did. But the flip side of this is that Science Fiction can feel elitist at times. That is a common criticism of the genre.
I am reevaluating my rating. I don't know if any of you do that. I am bumping up the 4 to a five. I think when I reread I usually do change the rating. Most of the time the rating will improve. I remember when I taught The Outsiders year after year in Middle School I loved it more and more. It definitely went from a 3 to a 5 as I noticed more in the book.
This time, thanks to all of your comments, I focused more on the connection with Alice in Wonderland. It is well done. That last scene with the sunlight hitting Mr. Bear was so emotional.
This time, thanks to all of your comments, I focused more on the connection with Alice in Wonderland. It is well done. That last scene with the sunlight hitting Mr. Bear was so emotional.
Just a reminder for Challenges. Mimsy Were The Borogoves by Lewis Padgett (1943) is an winner of the Retro Hugo Award for Best Novelette 2019

I definitely see what you're saying. I think in many ways, this describes classic scifi. More recent writing is more likely to be cross-genre in nature. For example, the Wayfarers Series by Becky Chambers is meant to be cosy scifi. For a fairly gentle scifi with a very satisfying romance, I recommend Winter’s Orbit by Everina Maxwell (with a trigger warning for (view spoiler) ). For a short story that blends really interesting scifi concepts with good interpersonal relationships, try How It Unfolds by James S.A. Corey.
Even in classic scifi there are exceptions. For an emotional scifi about personal relationships, look no further than the short story The Rocket Man by Ray Bradbury. (Actually, I could list quite a few such stories by Bradbury -- he's quite exceptional.)
message 28:
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Lynn, Old School Classics
(last edited May 20, 2025 03:42PM)
(new)
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rated it 5 stars
Wobbley wrote: "Lynn wrote: "I understand how some of the themes and attitudes of Science fiction could put people off of the genre. For instance, the warm cozy emotions of a Mary Stewart Romance just won't be fou..."
Of course you're right that there are exceptions. I overstated the point. A surprising tear-jerker story is Death of a Spaceman by Walter M. Miller Jr..
Of course you're right that there are exceptions. I overstated the point. A surprising tear-jerker story is Death of a Spaceman by Walter M. Miller Jr..

Thanks for the recommendation! I don't think you overstated the point; as you say, there are always exceptions. What I meant is that there seem to be a lot more versions of the scifi genre (or perhaps more sub-genres of scifi) today than there were in the mid-1900s.

I tried the video/audio version, but the sound wasn’t balanced between both ears, and that distracted me. So after some searching, I read it on an online page instead.
I thought the story had a good beginning with the time-traveling box, but after that, I only found it interesting again around 60–70% of the way through. I’m not sure why — maybe it just wasn’t for me, I guess.
I read some of the discussion here about the kids vanishing and how sad that must have been for the parents. I hadn’t thought about that angle, and now I wonder: how would they even explain to the parents that their kids vanished? Maybe the parents would blame the psychologist, who they already think is a crazy man. How would they explain the kids’ disappearance to the police? Could the psychologist blame the parents, since Emma said they were the ones who gave the toys to the kids? Honestly, you could write a whole new drama just about what happens after.
But I actually thought about something more magical here, because of the references to Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass. Maybe the kids, because of what they learned from the toys, actually understood that they were going on a journey — kind of like when Alice accepted the madness and the illogical things waiting at the other end of the rabbit hole, and was curious enough to risk going in. Maybe the kids were trying to explore something that the adults simply couldn’t, because the adults didn’t understand the strange, alternate logic (the x logic) they had unlocked. So maybe it doesn’t necessarily mean the kids won’t come back.
In that sense, I think the reference to Carroll’s poem was an elegant way to mix the illogical side of imagination with the illogical side of time travel.

I reevaluate my ratings all the time, up and down. Sometimes I do this after re-reads, other times I do it after I have a chance to get some distance and perspective from the book.
I gave this one a five-star review when I read it a year or two ago but I believe I'd previous read it years and years ago and probably didn't rate it that high at the time.
Books mentioned in this topic
Death of a Spaceman (other topics)How It Unfolds (other topics)
Wayfarers Series (other topics)
The Rocket Man (other topics)
Winter’s Orbit (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Walter M. Miller Jr. (other topics)James S.A. Corey (other topics)
Ray Bradbury (other topics)
Becky Chambers (other topics)
Everina Maxwell (other topics)
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I wanted to announce the May and June selections. In May I would like to read Mimsy Were The Borogoves by Lewis Padgett (1943). For June I would like to read the short novel Childhood’s End by Arthur C. Clarke (1953)
This is the No Spoilers Thread. Realize that Mimsy is for next month and Childhood's End is two months away.
This early posting of the No Spoiler thread is to discuss any non-plot issues pertaining to the book.
Appropriate Posts can contain:
1. Information about the author.
2. Compare editions/translations.
3. Any historical or background information
4. Are you familiar with this author’s work? Do you have any expectations going into the book?
5. What made you decide to read this book?
6. Any fan fiction that you have read or would like to read? Just link the books.
7. If you loved the book and want others to share in that experience, use this thread to motivate others, again save plot specifics for the Spoiler thread
8. If you hated the book, it would be best to keep that for the spoiler page
The most important thing to remember is no plot discussion. Any post that contains plot information or spoilers will be deleted