Astounding Science Fiction, June 1947

About this issue

This novelette concerns an extraterrestrial visitor. The gray-skinned alien, whose appearance defies terrestrial anatomy (silver-gray skin, six-fingered hands with ball-and-socket wrists, vertically-slit pupils), crashes near a seaside cottage occupied by Jack Garry, his wife Iris, and their daughter Molly. The family discovers the injured alien with a broken arm and tends to it despite their initial fear and skepticism about his origins. Jack deduces from the alien's anatomical impossibilities and exotic clothing that he is not human. Iris eventually accepts this conclusion. The alien makes feline mewing sounds and seems responsive to care. The story explores the family's encounter with evidence of extraterrestrial existence while dealing with the practical problem of treating their mysterious guest. The narrative combines domestic comedy with science fiction encounter elements.