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The Laocoön Complex

J. C. Furnas

First published April 1937
Type Short Fiction
Length Short Story

Synopsis

[T]ells the story of a man who is bored with his life, until one day while taking a bath he discovers that a massive green snake has entered into his tub as if by magic. Over time it becomes increasingly clear that he can make these snakes appear without meaning to, much to his own dismay. The remainder of the story follows this man as he attempts to confront his problematic capacity to will snakes into being using psychotherapy. -- from a review

Notes

First published in the magazine Esquire, April 1937.

Publications (21)

Date Publication Publisher Type Page
April 1937 Esquire, April 1937 Esquire-Coronet Inc. MAGAZINE 40
September 1952 Timeless Stories for Today and Tomorrow Bantam Books Anthology 180
November 1954 Beyond the Barriers of Space and Time Random House Anthology 49
1955 Beyond the Barriers of Space and Time Sidgwick & Jackson Anthology 49
March 1955 Beyond the Barriers of Space and Time Random House / SFBC Anthology 47
January 1957 Beyond the Barriers of Space and Time The Science Fiction Book Club (UK) Anthology
December 1961 Timeless Stories for Today and Tomorrow Bantam Books Anthology 154
January 1962 Timeless Stories for Today and Tomorrow Bantam Books Anthology
March 1967 Timeless Stories for Today and Tomorrow Bantam Books Anthology 154
January 1968 Timeless Stories for Today and Tomorrow Bantam Books Anthology 154
September 1968 Timeless Stories for Today and Tomorrow Bantam Books Anthology 154
November 1968 Timeless Stories for Today and Tomorrow Bantam Books Anthology 154
August 1970 Timeless Stories for Today and Tomorrow Bantam Books Anthology 154
August 1972 Timeless Stories for Today and Tomorrow Bantam Books Anthology 154
1974 Fantasy: Shapes of Things Unknown Scott, Foresman and Company Anthology 15
1974 Timeless Stories for Today and Tomorrow Bantam Books Anthology 154
1976 Fantasy: Shapes of Things Unknown Scott, Foresman and Company Anthology 15
September 1976 Timeless Stories for Today and Tomorrow Bantam Books Anthology 154
August 1977 Timeless Stories for Today and Tomorrow Bantam Books Anthology 154
1984 The Seventeenth Fontana Book of Great Horror Stories Fontana Anthology 17
2013 McSweeney's Quarterly Concern, Winter 2013 McSweeney's Books MAGAZINE 129