The Shrinking Man (Magill’s Guide to Science Fiction and Fantasy Literature)
At a glance:
- Author: Richard Matheson
- First Published: 1956
- Type of Work: Novel
- Type of Plot: Science fiction—evolutionary fantasy
- Time of Work: The 1950’s
- Setting: The vicinity of New York City
- Genres: Long fiction, Science fiction
- Subjects: 1950’s, New York, North America or North Americans, Northeast, U.S., United States or Americans, Spiders, New York City, Size or shape
- Locales: New York, NY
The Plot
The Shrinking Man relates the plight of Scott Carey, a man who finds himself diminishing in height by one inch per week. After exhaustive testing, a doctor at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital explains this condition as a negative balance of nitrogen, calcium, and phosphorus in Carey’s body. This imbalance was caused by accidental exposures to radiation and insecticides on separate occasions.
Although Carey’s emotional reactions to this condition can be compared to those of a person who has received a diagnosis of a terminal illness, his personality and...
[The entire page is 1007 words long]
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