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
Copyright Public domain in the USA.
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