- Helix the Cat
"Helix the Cat" is a
science fiction /fantasy short story byTheodore Sturgeon . The story was written in 1939 or 1940 and submitted to John W Campbell. The editor rejected it, as he felt it didn't fit into either fantasy or science fiction catergories.The manuscript was placed in storage, thought lost by the author, and returned to him about thirty years later. It was published, without any alterations, in .
Plot introduction
The story is narrated by Pete Tronti, a struggling
inventor .Plot summary
Whilst experimenting with a new form of
glass he is trying to perfect, Pete is astonished to hear a disembodied voice from within the bottle he is working with. The voice announces itself to be thesoul of Wallace Gregory, who has just died in a road accident. He is hiding from Them, who search out and eat souls.Gregory persuades Tronti to create a body for him and eventually he takes possession of the body of Helix, Tronti's pet
cat . Between them, they then create a modified body for Helix. But when Helix/Gregory start to take over Tronti's life, he decides he has no option but to kill the cat. Helix escapes and goes into business as a cat burglar.
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