DIY History | Transcribe | Hevelin Fanzines | Fantascience Digest, v. 1, issue 1, November-December 1937

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Fantascience Digest, v. 1, issue 1, November-December 1937

Page 5

FANTASCIENCE DIGEST     Page 5

the chair and shut my eyes, breathing deeply. When I opened them the bald head was as large as my fist, and it was perched on top of a scrawny[[?]] body which set on the edge of the desk. The little man was fumbling with a drawer, trying to open it.

"You might offer me a drink," he said reproachfully.

Dazedly I opened the drawer and handed the little man a flat brown bottle. He fumbled with the cork, cursed, and suddenly shot up until he was nearly six feet tall. That done, he extracted the cork and shrank again to his former size. "Handy trick,this atomic compression," he said absently. "Makes the liquor last longer." But at the rate he was drinking,the flat bottle would soon be emptied.

I took it away from him. "Listen," I said, "Are you real?"

"Yeah," he said, eyeing the bottle."Why not? You've been writing about me long enough. Lousy writing, too. I could do better myself."

That stung. "I may not be a Wells," I told him hotly. "But just the same it it hadn't been for me you'd never have existed."

He sneered. "Existed! Do you call that existence? I was bored stiff. Nothing to do but save the earth, save the earth, save..."

"What's dull about that?"

He expanded to six feet again, snatched the bottle, and drank greedily. "Plenty! I haven't had a drink in years, except when I was on the opposite page from a bottle.

Saving...

FANTASCIENCE DIGEST Page 5 the chair and shut my eyes, breathing deeply. When I opened them the bald head was as large as my fist, and it was perched on top of a scrawny[[?]] body which set on the edge of the desk. The little man was fumbling with a drawer, trying to open it. "You might offer me a drink," he said reproachfully. Dazedly I opened the drawer and handed the little man a flat brown bottle. He fumbled with the cork, cursed, and suddenly shot up until he was nearly six feet tall. That done, he extracted the cork and shrank again to his former size. "Handy trick,this atomic compression," he said absently. "Makes the liquor last longer." But at the rate he was drinking,the flat bottle would soon be emptied. I took it away from him. "Listen," I said, "Are you real?" "Yeah," he said, eyeing the bottle."Why not? You've been writing about me long enough. Lousy writing, too. I could do better myself." That stung. "I may not be a Wells," I told him hotly. "But just the same it it hadn't been for me you'd never have existed." He sneered. "Existed! Do you call that existence? I was bored stiff. Nothing to do but save the earth, save the earth, save..." "What's dull about that?" He expanded to six feet again, snatched the bottle, and drank greedily. "Plenty! I haven't had a drink in years, except when I was on the opposite page from a bottle.