EC Classics #12

In "The Loathsome!", a deformed girl raised in an orphanage becomes the target of the women who care for her, driven by fear and prejudice. When a younger nurse discovers the child secretly hiding notes in tree hollows, the tension escalates—leading to a desperate flight and a tragic fall. As the final note is found, its simple, heartbreaking message lingers in the silence.

In "Surprise Package," Martha’s growing unease about Leonard reaches a chilling peak when she uncovers a shocking truth: he’s been using marionettes of himself to live multiple lives at once. As her suspicions spiral, the line between reality and illusion blurs in ways she never expected.

In "The Reformers," a group of interstellar agents tasked with blaming societal decay on things like comic books and loose clothing find themselves baffled when they land on a world where such indulgences coexist with peace and virtue. Despite their efforts to stir unrest, they're stymied by a society that enjoys life’s pleasures without succumbing to corruption. The story unfolds with quiet tension as their mission unravels in a place where the very things they despise are not only tolerated—but celebrated without downfall.

In "50 Girls 50," fifty men and fifty women are cryogenically frozen for a century-long voyage to colonize a distant solar system, their sole purpose to repopulate a new world. When Sid finds a way to wake early and thaw other women one by one for fleeting romances, he thinks he’s outsmarted the system—until one of his choices refuses to play along.

In "A New Beginning," a brilliant professor harnesses time travel to send Adam and Eve back to a primordial Earth, hoping to seed a new, superior race free from humanity’s flaws. As the couple steps into the dawn of creation, they face a choice that challenges the very foundation of their mission—whether to shape life by design or let it unfold as nature intended.

In "The Headhunters," a doctor treats a raving man brought in from a park, using a diathermy machine to calm him—only to discover a strange burn mark on his forehead, identical to those on previous patients. The cure comes at a cost, as the machine’s true purpose remains hidden: tiny spacemen descend upon the victims’ heads, eradicating worm-like parasites that drive them mad.

In "Outcast of the Stars," a devoted father dreams of sharing the cosmos with his children, though he can’t afford a real rocket. With only a broken prototype and every penny he has, he builds a dazzling illusion of flight—just to give them a moment of wonder.