Haunted Corpse

A co-worker pointed out to me recently that many issues of Galaxy Science Fiction have been scanned into the Internet Archives and are available to read for free. Since we work in a library, we wondered about copyright issues, but after a little research, discovered that the Internet Archives just makes stuff available and only takes it down if someone complains. So it's likely that Galaxy will be around for awhile--I suspect many of the original writers or their estates will just be happy to have their stuff read again.

Anyway, I pulled up a random issue (January 1957) and--seeing it included a Frederik Pohl story--immediately read that one. (Um... I mean I waited until I got home that day rather than reading it at work. Yeah, that's it. I wouldn't be reading fiction at my desk while at work. I'm shocked --and appalled--that any of you would even suggest such a thing!)

The story is "The Haunted Corpse" and its narrated by a very by-the-book, get-the-job-done Lt. Colonel named Windermere. The Pentagon has just learned that an elderly (and very crotchety) scientist named Dr. Horn has invented a method to kill people electronically without actually touching them.

Windermere immediately sets up a perimeter around Horn's home/lab and insists that the scientist submit to all security procedures, including giving daily reports on progress. Horn--a standard-issue ill-tempered scientist who brooks no interference with his work--is a bit ticked off about this, but he soon realizes he has no choice.







When he finally concedes to giving reports, he drives a corporal taking dictation up a wall by using complex scientific terminology. But the gist of it is that his machine doesn't literally kill people. Rather, it removes and electronically stores the target's mind. That mind can then be transferred into another body. It's pretty much the same machine that Captain Kirk was subjected to in the 3rd-worst episode of the original Star Trek or what the denizens of Gilligan's island were zapped with in the episode "The Friendly Physician," which is actually about 200 more watchable that the Trek story.

Horn proves that his machine works by swapping the minds of a hen and a dog. Windermere immediately gets excited about the espionage possibilities, but a test with humans is still necessary. Horn hasn't been able to find any volunteers.

But it there's one thing the Army is good at is finding "volunteers." Windermere's executive officer, for instance, is"a courageous man, typical of the very best leadership type"--who also would really, really like his upcoming transfer to Korea called off. A latrine orderly with a history of going AWOL is also recruited with the promise of cancelling his court martial.

The two men's minds are switched, then switched back. The machine works perfectly.






It's only then that Windermere discovers Horn (who is very old and very ill) might just have his own plans for the machine. This leads up to a not-quite-predictable twist ending.

Pohl's stories are always full of wit and very enjoyable. This one, which I don't believe I've read before--is typically excellent. I'm especially impressed by Pohl took stereotypical characters (crotchety scientist and by-the-book soldier) and fit them so smoothly into the plot without those stereotypes in anyway taking us out of the story.

The story is available to read HERE.