Dwight V. Swain 1 hr 37 min read

A man lies paralyzed in a shining shadow-world beyond space and time, tormented by a hollow-eyed face and silent, chilling laughter.

Dwight V. Swain's 1957 story surfaces Clark Dane into a nightmare of pulsing radiance and lethargy, uncertain whether he is alive or dead as a taunting presence looms. Feverish, atmospheric space opera with a psychological edge. Read it for delirious golden-age SF that opens inside a mind trapped between worlds.

In its time

Published in 1957, during the 1950s, post-war optimism meets cold war anxiety.

Reading it

1 hr 37 min read (a novella, a full arc in one sitting or two).