Cat and Mouse (Ralph Williams story)
| "Cat and Mouse" | |
|---|---|
|
Illustration by H. R. Van Dongen | |
| Author | Ralph Williams |
| Country |
 USA |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Science fiction |
| Published in | Astounding |
| Publication type | Periodical |
| Publisher | Street & Smith |
| Media type | Magazine |
| Publication date | June 1959 |
"Cat and Mouse" is a science fiction novelette by Ralph Williams. Originally published in the June 1959 issue of Astounding Science Fiction, it was nominated for, but did not win, the 1960 Hugo Award for Best Short Fiction.[1]
Plot summary
The story is set in Alaska. Its main protagonist is Ed Brown, a trapper who has just begun a winter's stay in the wooded mountains. He soon discovers a "hole" into another world.
At this point in the story, the reader has already been told about the hole and the other world. The other world, named in the story only as World 7, is being used by an alien civilization as an experimental ground for transplanting intelligent life from different planets. However, World 7 has inadvertently been infested with a Harn, an intelligent predator. The entity overseeing the planet, known in the story only as the Warden, needs to eliminate the Harn and decides that the easiest way to do this is to open a portal from World 7 to Earth. The Warden's intention is to have the people of Earth kill the Harn.
His curiosity piqued by what he sees through the portal, Ed Brown passes through and investigates the other world. He soon comes into conflict with the Harn, but escapes back through to Earth. The Harn follows him through the portal and a final fight takes place in the mountains of Alaska.
Publication history
In addition to its original appearance in Astounding Science Fiction, "Cat and Mouse" appeared in the November 1959 issue of the British version of Astounding.
The novelette has never been anthologized, nor has it been included in any collection devoted to Williams' work (indeed, no such collection has ever been published). In 2011, "Cat and Mouse" was published as a chapbook by Aegypan Press.
The foregoing was taken from the story's listing in the Internet Speculative Fiction Database (for which see the External Links section below). More detail on its publication history can be found at that listing.
The author
Little is known about Ralph Williams. What little is known comes from a letter written by one of his sons to a science-fiction web site.[2] In that letter, the son reports that his father's actual name was Ralph William Slone and that he died in 1959 (at age 45) while fishing on Kachemak Bay (in Alaska).
"Cat and Mouse" was the last of Williams' stories to be published. More detail on his publication history can be found at his listing in the Internet Speculative Fiction Database (for which see the External Links section below).
References
- ↑ "1960 Hugo Awards". World Science Fiction Society. Archived from the original on 2011-05-07. Retrieved 2010-04-19.
- ↑ "Letter from David R. Slone". SF Site. Retrieved October 11, 2015. An archived version is in the biography listing at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database, for which see the External Links section below.
External links
- "Cat and Mouse" at Project Gutenberg
- "Cat and Mouse" listing at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database
- "Cat and Mouse" audio version at Librivox.org
- Ralph Williams biography at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database
- Ralph Williams bibliography at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database