Roger D. Aycock 25 min read

A mild veterinarian who dreamed of taming jungle beasts, but was ruled by his formidable aunt and sister, must help any sick animal, however strange.

Roger D. Aycock's 1953 story sends the meek Oliver Watts, cheated of his adventurer's dream, into an encounter with a very unusual patient. Wry, warm space opera about an unassuming man and a hidden call to heroism. Read it for a genial golden-age tale about a gentle vet and the wild wonder that finds him.

In its time

Published in 1953, during the 1950s, post-war optimism meets cold war anxiety.

Reading it

25 min read (a novelette, room for a turn or two).

Illustrated by

Connell