Beyond Fantasy Fiction, July 1953

"...And My Fear Is Great" by Theodore Sturgeon opens this first issue of Beyond Fantasy Fiction. The novella follows Don, a young petty thief who delivers groceries to Miss Phoebe, an elderly woman living in a cramped apartment building. When she notices his stolen watch, she confronts him with mysterious psychic force—hurling him to the ground without physical contact when he attempts to leave or curse in her house. Terrorized yet oddly compelled, Don confesses to stealing the watch from a local shopkeeper named Eckhart. Rather than turning him in, Miss Phoebe sends him to return it and invites him to tea the following day at four o'clock. The story balances psychological realism with supernatural menace as Don, frightened but drawn to her authority, arrives to the appointment.