Dear Pen Pal
| "Dear Pen Pal" | |
|---|---|
 Winter 1949 issue | |
| Author | A. E. van Vogt |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Science fiction short story |
| Published in | The Arkham Sampler |
| Publication type | Periodical |
| Media type | Print (Magazine, Hardback & Paperback) |
| Publication date | Winter 1949[1] |
"Dear Pen Pal" is a science fiction short story by A. E. van Vogt.
Summary
The one-sided dialog takes the form of correspondence between Skander, an alien, and an unnamed human who's replies we do not see. Skander spends some time in the first letters describing his home planet of Aurigae II, a hot planet circling a star in Auriga. Over the series of letters, Skander admits that his is a criminal who is writing from jail, having been incarcerated for illegal scientific experiments. Desiring to see his pen pal, he sends several photographic sheets that can be exposed if the user simply thinks about a picture being taken.
The last letter is from the unnamed human back to Skander. The human is now in Skander's body. He had realized long ago that Skander was trying to scam him, and immediately took the "photographs" to the Earth authorities. They informed him they were a form of consciousness transfer device that Skander was attempting to use to escape from prison. Learning this, the human went through with the process anyway.
He offers his hope that Skander will enjoy the short life that he has left, trapped in a dying wheelchair-bound body.
Publication history
The story was originally published in The Arkham Sampler (1949) and has been published in many collections and anthologies,[2] such as Destination: Universe!, Far Boundaries and such, the most recent being The Arkham Sampler: A Facsimile Edition (2010, ISBN 1-55246-927-1). It was also published in Urania #1480 in 2003.
Variant titles
- Out of This World Adventures, July 1950, as Letter from the Stars.
- The Earth in Peril / Who Speaks of Conquest?, 1957, as Letter from the Stars.
It has also been translated into Italian (Pianeta Aurigae, Caro Corrispondente), Dutch (Beste Correspondentievriend), French (Correspondence), and German (Lieber Brieffreund).