Helix the Cat
Encyclopedia
"Helix the Cat" is a science fiction
-fantasy
short story
by Theodore 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 categories.
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 Astounding: The John W Campbell Memorial Anthology
, in 1973.
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 the soul
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.
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
-fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
short story
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
by Theodore Sturgeon
Theodore Sturgeon
Theodore Sturgeon was an American science fiction author.His most famous novel is More Than Human .-Biography:...
. 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 categories.
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 Astounding: The John W Campbell Memorial Anthology
Astounding: The John W Campbell Memorial Anthology
Astounding: The John W. Campbell Memorial Anthology is a 1973 festschrift honoring noted science fiction and fantasy editor John W. Campbell, in the form of an anthology of short stories by various science fiction authors, edited by Harry Harrison...
, in 1973.
Plot summary
Whilst experimenting with a new form of glassGlass
Glass is an amorphous solid material. Glasses are typically brittle and optically transparent.The most familiar type of glass, used for centuries in windows and drinking vessels, is soda-lime glass, composed of about 75% silica plus Na2O, CaO, and several minor additives...
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 the soul
Soul
A soul in certain spiritual, philosophical, and psychological traditions is the incorporeal essence of a person or living thing or object. Many philosophical and spiritual systems teach that humans have souls, and others teach that all living things and even inanimate objects have souls. The...
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
Cat
The cat , also known as the domestic cat or housecat to distinguish it from other felids and felines, is a small, usually furry, domesticated, carnivorous mammal that is valued by humans for its companionship and for its ability to hunt vermin and household pests...
. 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.