Monday, April 9, 2018

"I Will Probably Not Be the Same Again"

"With Intent to Kill."
By John Jakes (born 1932).
First appearance: Cosmos Science Fiction and Fantasy, November 1953.
Reprinted in Science-Fiction Monthly (Australia) #6, February 1956.
Short short story (5 pages).
Online at Archive.org (HERE).
(Note: Text somewhat faded.)
(Parental caution: Strong language.)

"They're coming to examine me, do things to me, check me."
One day our instrumentalities could revolt; if they do, that might not be such a bad thing in every instance, corrupt human nature being what it is . . .
Resources:
- John William Jakes hit the jackpot with his historical novels: Wikipedia (HERE); but in his early career he produced SFF fairly regularly; see the SFE (HERE) and the ISFDb (HERE).

The bottom line:
   "It doesn't think anything we don't want it to think."
   "That's sad,"
said Montag, quietly, "because all we put into it is hunting and finding and killing. What a shame if that's all it can ever know."
   ― Bradbury

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