Jizzle
Encyclopedia
Jizzle is a collection of science-fiction
short stories by John Wyndham
, published in 1954.
The collection contains:
filmed this story, retitling it Maria.
Technical Slip: deals with the aftermath of a bureaucratic error by a demonic trader. A corporate bureaucracy gives a wealthy old man extra life by taking him back to an earlier part of his life. Crucially, it leaves his memories intact, meaning that he has a chance to alter the "future".
A Present from Brunswick: sees the Pied Piper of Hamelin's enchanted pipe reappearing in America after World War II, with unforeseen consequences for the inhabitants of a small town.
Chinese Puzzle: deals with the egg of a Chinese dragon hatching in Wales, much to the astonishment of the local populace. Originally published in Argosy
, this story inspired Peter Rudland's design for the cover of early editions.
Esmeralda: is a performing flea. Though she never managed the bicycle trick, her greatest stunt involved unwittingly sorting out her owner's love-life.
How Do I Do?: sees a young woman meeting her future self. Her first thought upon travelling to the future or to the past? Buying a new wardrobe.
Una: sees a genetically created creature fall in love with one of the people who come to investigate its creator's lab. Originally published in Argosy, this story also appears in The Best of John Wyndham
(a.k.a. The Man from Beyond) under the title "The Perfect Creature").
Affair of the Heart: tells of a man who has proposed to the same woman on the same day for over thirty years. Why, then, does he commit suicide after the 32nd date?
Confidence Trick: tells of an Underground train-journey to hell itself, and the effects of belief on the part of the travellers. This story inspired the cover artwork for later editions.
The Wheel: takes a brief look at the religiously devout survivors of a near-apocalyptic catastrophe for a humanoid race.
Look Natural, Please!: presents the story of an iconoclastic young photographer who becomes part of the artistic establishment.
Perforce to Dream: sees two women discovering that not only have they independently written two near-identical novels based on their recurring dreams, but that many other women share these very same dreams. This story originally appeared in Women's Journal.
Reservation Deferred: sees a ghost visit a dying teenage woman and change her views about the male-designed afterlife.
Heaven Scent: originally published in Everybody's, is the story of the scheming secretary of a brilliant inventor.
More Spinned Against: (which first appeared in Argosy), tells of how the legendary Arachne
finds herself in the clutches of a spider-obsessed collector and of the deal she makes with the collector's wife Lydia.
Selected stories from this collection make up the bulk of the material collected in Tales of Gooseflesh and Laughter
.
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
short stories by John Wyndham
John Wyndham
John Wyndham Parkes Lucas Beynon Harris was an English science fiction writer who usually used the pen name John Wyndham, although he also used other combinations of his names, such as John Beynon and Lucas Parkes...
, published in 1954.
The collection contains:
Stories
- Jizzle
- Technical Slip
- A Present from Brunswick
- Chinese Puzzle
- Esmeralda
- How Do I Do?
- Una
- Affair of the Heart
- Confidence Trick
- The Wheel
- Look Natural, Please!
- Perforce to Dream
- Reservation Deferred
- Heaven Scent
- More Spinned Against
Plot summaries
Jizzle: the title story Jizzle refers to a monkey purchased by a man working in a circus side-show. The monkey, apparently named Jizzle as a mis-pronunciation of Giselle, has the ability to draw portraits of anyone placed in front of her, and her new owner exploits this talent in the circus. Jealousy builds up between the monkey and the man's wife, culminating when the man finds a picture Jizzle has drawn of his wife apparently sleeping with his friend. After his wife leaves, as a result of the picture, the man begins to tire of Jizzle and mistreats her, eventually giving her away to another worker at the circus. A few days later the new owner appears with Jizzle and a picture she has drawn of the new owner's wife and the old owner in bed together. As the new owner exacts his revenge, Jizzle smirks. Alfred Hitchcock PresentsAlfred Hitchcock Presents
Alfred Hitchcock Presents is an American television anthology series hosted by Alfred Hitchcock. The series featured dramas, thrillers, and mysteries. By the premiere of the show on October 2, 1955, Hitchcock had been directing films for over three decades...
filmed this story, retitling it Maria.
Technical Slip: deals with the aftermath of a bureaucratic error by a demonic trader. A corporate bureaucracy gives a wealthy old man extra life by taking him back to an earlier part of his life. Crucially, it leaves his memories intact, meaning that he has a chance to alter the "future".
A Present from Brunswick: sees the Pied Piper of Hamelin's enchanted pipe reappearing in America after World War II, with unforeseen consequences for the inhabitants of a small town.
Chinese Puzzle: deals with the egg of a Chinese dragon hatching in Wales, much to the astonishment of the local populace. Originally published in Argosy
Argosy (magazine)
Argosy was an American pulp magazine, published by Frank Munsey. It is generally considered to be the first American pulp magazine. The magazine began as a general information periodical entitled The Golden Argosy, targeted at the boys adventure market.-Launch of Argosy:In late September 1882,...
, this story inspired Peter Rudland's design for the cover of early editions.
Esmeralda: is a performing flea. Though she never managed the bicycle trick, her greatest stunt involved unwittingly sorting out her owner's love-life.
How Do I Do?: sees a young woman meeting her future self. Her first thought upon travelling to the future or to the past? Buying a new wardrobe.
Una: sees a genetically created creature fall in love with one of the people who come to investigate its creator's lab. Originally published in Argosy, this story also appears in The Best of John Wyndham
The Best of John Wyndham
The Best of John Wyndham is a paperback collection of science fiction short stories by John Wyndham, published after his death by Sphere Books, first in 1973. Michael Joseph Limited has published the book as a hardcover under the title The Man from Beyond and Other Stories in 1975...
(a.k.a. The Man from Beyond) under the title "The Perfect Creature").
Affair of the Heart: tells of a man who has proposed to the same woman on the same day for over thirty years. Why, then, does he commit suicide after the 32nd date?
Confidence Trick: tells of an Underground train-journey to hell itself, and the effects of belief on the part of the travellers. This story inspired the cover artwork for later editions.
The Wheel: takes a brief look at the religiously devout survivors of a near-apocalyptic catastrophe for a humanoid race.
Look Natural, Please!: presents the story of an iconoclastic young photographer who becomes part of the artistic establishment.
Perforce to Dream: sees two women discovering that not only have they independently written two near-identical novels based on their recurring dreams, but that many other women share these very same dreams. This story originally appeared in Women's Journal.
Reservation Deferred: sees a ghost visit a dying teenage woman and change her views about the male-designed afterlife.
Heaven Scent: originally published in Everybody's, is the story of the scheming secretary of a brilliant inventor.
More Spinned Against: (which first appeared in Argosy), tells of how the legendary Arachne
Arachne
In Greco-Roman mythology, Arachne was a great mortal weaver who boasted that her skill was greater than that of Minerva, the Latin parallel of Pallas Athena, goddess of wisdom and crafts. Arachne refused to acknowledge that her knowledge came, in part at least, from the goddess. The offended...
finds herself in the clutches of a spider-obsessed collector and of the deal she makes with the collector's wife Lydia.
Selected stories from this collection make up the bulk of the material collected in Tales of Gooseflesh and Laughter
Tales of Gooseflesh and Laughter
Tales of Gooseflesh and Laughter is a collection of science fiction short stories by John Wyndham, published in 1956 by Ballantine Books.The collection contains:* "Chinese Puzzle"* "Una"* "The Wheel"* "Jizzle"* "Heaven Scent"* "Compassion Circuit"...
.