True to type by Arthur T. Harris
"True to Type" by Arthur T. Harris is a short story that explores the themes of creativity, originality, and betrayal through a supernatural lens. Written in the mid-20th century, it features a unique narrative structure, focusing on the relationship between a struggling writer and his typewriter. The story delves into the idea of artistic integrity and what happens when the lines between inspiration and imitation blur. The narrative follows Pascal Halmer, a
writer whose superficial talent leads him to plagiarize plots from older publications. As he becomes increasingly dependent on his typewriter, he begins to neglect it, which causes a rift in their relationship. After a drunken night of writing, Halmer inadvertently allows the typewriter to type a title he did not create, leading to a shocking revelation when he submits the work, which turns out to be a direct copy of a previously published story. The plot culminates in Halmer's furious outburst as he realizes he has been caught, believing his typewriter had betrayed him. This story serves as both a critique of artistic dishonesty and a cautionary tale about the consequences of seeking success without originality. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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About this eBook
| Author | Harris, Arthur T. |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Lief, Bert |
| Title | True to type |
| Original Publication | New York, NY: King-Size Publications, Inc., 1954. |
| Series Title | Produced from Fantastic Universe October 1954. |
| Credits | Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at www.pgdp.net |
| Reading Level | Reading ease score: 84.9 (6th grade). Easy to read. |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature |
| Subject | Fantasy fiction |
| Subject | Typewriters -- Fiction |
| Subject | Authorship -- Fiction |
| Subject | Plagiarism -- Fiction |
| Category | Text |
| EBook-No. | 74206 |
| Release Date | Aug 7, 2024 |
| Copyright Status | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 265 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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