Dalgetty and Elena converse.
"He could guess her thought -" (p. 147)
This is Dalgetty's pov (point of view) as it has been until now. However, just five lines later:
"He gave her a bleak look, but there was an appeal in it. Suddenly his half-glimpsed face looked strangely young and helpless." (ibid.)
A sudden and momentary shift to Elena's pov. On the following page, Dalgetty feels fear so we are back in his pov. Intervening passages just describe actions and dialogue, which could be from any pov.
Elena, rattled by Dalgetty's abilities, asks him whether he is a mutant, an android or an extra-terrestrial. She has just summarized three superhero "secret origin" stories. Anyone who knows about comic book characters will recognize at least two. Every possible explanation of superhuman powers has been thought of. Radioactivity does not kill but grants spider-like powers...
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
Truth to say, I thought parts of "The Sensitive Man" rather awkwardly written. Which is no surprise, being first pub. in FANTASTIC UNIVERSE (Nov/Dec/Jan 1953-54). Meaning this was written at a time when Anderson was still learning how to write.
Ad astra! Sean
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