Looking for a particular short story
TenaciousD
by a more well known author. Years ago I read a short story dealing
with (highly abbreviated synopsis) a physician/scientist who
transplanted a human heart into an alligator, which allowed the
alligator to quickly metamorphose into a dragon. The gist of the story
was that these reptiles were originally dragons and the human heart
sped their metabolism to the point they once again became dragons.
This is a shot into the dark. Any ideas or suggestions? Thanks
Chuck U. Farley
Chuck U. Farley intoned thusly:
While I don't remember precisely the title or author of this, I DO remember
that it was a short in a collection with Alfred Hitchcock in the title. I
don't think the alligators had a human heart transplant, rather, their
metabolisms were acclerated somehow, and resulted in them becoming dragons,
who then went on to destroy civilisation, and become the dominant lifeform
on the planet, ala "Reign of Fire". There were some other cool stories, one
about a slime monster that ate a drunk.
--
"What the f*** was that?" - Mayor of Hiroshima
Mike Williams
> On 1 Dec 2004 10:21:11 -0800, barryb...@hotmail.com (TenaciousD) wrote:
>
>
>>I'm not certain who this story was written by, though I think it was
>>by a more well known author. Years ago I read a short story dealing
>>with (highly abbreviated synopsis) a physician/scientist who
>>transplanted a human heart into an alligator, which allowed the
>>alligator to quickly metamorphose into a dragon. The gist of the story
>>was that these reptiles were originally dragons and the human heart
>>sped their metabolism to the point they once again became dragons.
>>This is a shot into the dark. Any ideas or suggestions? Thanks
>
>
>
> Chuck U. Farley intoned thusly:
> While I don't remember precisely the title or author of this, I DO remember
> that it was a short in a collection with Alfred Hitchcock in the title.
"Monster Museum" . Guy Endore: "The Day of the Dragon"
David E. Siegel
I belive this is "The Day of the Dragon" by Guy Endore .
ISFDB says:
The Day of the Dragon (1934)
Monster Mix (1968) , Robert Arthur , Dell , pb , 5797 , $0.60 , 284pp
Tales of Terror (1967) , Kurt Singer , W.H. London: Allen , hc , 30/-
, 255pp
Alfred Hitchcock's Monster Museum (1973) , Alfred Hitchcock , Collins
- Lions , pb , 0-00-670696-7 , 45p , 190pp
Alfred Hitchcock's Monster Museum (1965) , Alfred Hitchcock , Random
House , hc , $3.95 , 207pp
Zoo 2000 (1973) , Jane Yolen , Seabury Press , hc
Avon Fantasy Reader, #2 1947 (1947) , Donald A. Wollheim , Avon Book
Co.; New York , $0.35 , 132pp
---
I recall reading the story too, adn it made quite an imporession on me
at the time (I was perhaps 15).
-DES
Rick Kleffel
The story is 'The Day of the Dragon' by Guy Endore. Actually, in the
story the character modifies the heart of a crocodile by stretching
the tissue so that heart has four chambers instead of of two, and the
oxygenated and non-oxygenated blood no longer mix. They go from
sluggish crocs to dragons, and humanity ends up in the caves. The
movie 'Reign of Fire' (with about 15 seconds of decent film which you
see in the previews and another 100 minutes of Doctor Who-style
filmed-in-the-quarry footage) liberally rips off this story. You can
find it in 'Monster Mix', edited by Robert Arthur, a 1968
Laurel-Leaf/Mayflower Dell mass market paperback. (No ISBN) It also
includes 'Mimic' by Donald A Wolheim, the basis for a rather better
movie.
'Monster Mix' is actually quite a superior collection. You'll find
'The Wendigo' by Algernon Blackwood, 'The Mannikin' by Robert Bloch
and 'The Derelict' by William Hope Hodgson. An excellent introduction
for 11-year old schoolkids back in 1968 to weird fiction.
Thanks,
Rick Kleffel
Editor, The Agony Column
Book Reviews, News, Interviews and Commentary
http://trashotron.com/agony
David Tate
> On 1 Dec 2004 10:21:11 -0800, barryb...@hotmail.com (TenaciousD) wrote:
>
> >I'm not certain who this story was written by, though I think it was
> >by a more well known author. Years ago I read a short story dealing
> >with (highly abbreviated synopsis) a physician/scientist who
> >transplanted a human heart into an alligator,
Actually, I think it was surgery to turn the crocodile (not
alligator?) heart into a more human-like no-leakage-or-backwash heart.
> > which allowed the
> >alligator to quickly metamorphose into a dragon. The gist of the story
> >was that these reptiles were originally dragons and the human heart
> >sped their metabolism to the point they once again became dragons.
> >This is a shot into the dark. Any ideas or suggestions? Thanks
> While I don't remember precisely the title or author of this, I DO remember
> that it was a short in a collection with Alfred Hitchcock in the title.
Good remember: _Alfred Hitchcock's Monster Museum_.
> I don't think the alligators had a human heart transplant,
See above.
> rather, their
> metabolisms were acclerated somehow, and resulted in them becoming dragons,
> who then went on to destroy civilisation, and become the dominant lifeform
> on the planet, ala "Reign of Fire".
The story is "The Day of the Dragon", 1934, by Guy Endore.
Also anthologized in:
Avon Fantasy Reader #2, 1947 (ed. Donald A. Wollheim)
Tales of Terror, 1967 (ed. Kurt Singer)
Monster Mix, 1968 (ed. Robert Arthur)
Zoo 2000, 1973 (ed. Jane Yolen)
--
David Tate
John Pelan
wrote:
The stories in question are "It Was the Day of the Dragon" by Guy
Endore and "Slime" by Joseph Payne Brennan. That's the book I checked
out from the library at age eight that probably led me to become a
horror writer...
Cheers,
John
Robert A. Woodward
ag...@trashotron.com (Rick Kleffel) wrote:
> barryb...@hotmail.com (TenaciousD) wrote in message news:
> > I'm not certain who this story was written by, though I think it was
> > by a more well known author. Years ago I read a short story dealing
> > with (highly abbreviated synopsis) a physician/scientist who
> > transplanted a human heart into an alligator, which allowed the
> > alligator to quickly metamorphose into a dragon. The gist of the story
> > was that these reptiles were originally dragons and the human heart
> > sped their metabolism to the point they once again became dragons.
> > This is a shot into the dark. Any ideas or suggestions? Thanks
>
> The story is 'The Day of the Dragon' by Guy Endore. Actually, in the
> story the character modifies the heart of a crocodile by stretching
> the tissue so that heart has four chambers instead of of two, and the
> oxygenated and non-oxygenated blood no longer mix. They go from
> sluggish crocs to dragons, and humanity ends up in the caves.
I remember reading once (about 40 years ago) that the crocodilians,
who are not lizards, have 4 chambered hearts (can't remember if the
blood circulation loops are properly segregated).
--
Robert Woodward <robe...@drizzle.com>
<http://www.drizzle.com/~robertaw
r.r...@thevine.net
wrote:
>barryb...@hotmail.com (TenaciousD) wrote in message news:
>> I'm not certain who this story was written by, though I think it was
>> by a more well known author. Years ago I read a short story dealing
>> with (highly abbreviated synopsis) a physician/scientist who
>> transplanted a human heart into an alligator, which allowed the
>> alligator to quickly metamorphose into a dragon. The gist of the story
>> was that these reptiles were originally dragons and the human heart
>> sped their metabolism to the point they once again became dragons.
>> This is a shot into the dark. Any ideas or suggestions? Thanks
>
>The story is 'The Day of the Dragon' by Guy Endore. Actually, in the
>story the character modifies the heart of a crocodile by stretching
>the tissue so that heart has four chambers instead of of two, and the
>oxygenated and non-oxygenated blood no longer mix.
It's four instead of three. Reptiles generally have a three-chamber
heart, with two atria and a partially divided ventricle. Amusingly
enough, googling supplies several websites that state that crocs are
unusual among reptiles because they have a four-chamber heart, so
hopefully the story used alligators, which have a three-chamber heart.
The things you learn when you go looking stuff up.
Rebecca
TenaciousD
responses. I think it was that particular anthology that I read
(Hitchcock's Monster Museum sounds familiar). I'm going to check it
out again. I think I remember some other stories from it (including
"Slime") but would rather not display my ignorance for all to see.
I remember reading it as a youngster in elementary school. Cool stuff
for a young kid.
Thanks
Ghod
news:c46de353.04120...@posting.google.com...
: 'Monster Mix' is actually quite a superior collection. You'll find
: 'The Wendigo' by Algernon Blackwood, 'The Mannikin' by Robert Bloch
: and 'The Derelict' by William Hope Hodgson. An excellent
introduction
: for 11-year old schoolkids back in 1968 to weird fiction.
This is going to cause me much grief, now......I don't remember if I
actually managed to get a copy or not, so I'll have to dig and dig and
dig and......nope, I'll probably just try to find a copy somewhere,
and if I've already got one, oh well. But still.....I already spend
too much money on books.
Peter Meilinger
>I belive this is "The Day of the Dragon" by Guy Endore .
>ISFDB says:
>The Day of the Dragon (1934)
>Alfred Hitchcock's Monster Museum (1973) , Alfred Hitchcock , Collins
>- Lions , pb , 0-00-670696-7 , 45p , 190pp
>Alfred Hitchcock's Monster Museum (1965) , Alfred Hitchcock , Random
>House , hc , $3.95 , 207pp
It might be in the 1973 edition, but it's not in the 1965. I've
got it right here, and no "Day Of The Dragon."
Pete
Randy Money
Inter-Library Loan. If they can borrow it from another library, then you
can check to see if you really want it.
Of course, if you do really want it, you'll be hard pressed to give it
back ...
Oh, well. Just a thought.
Randy M.
Mike Williams
> It might be in the 1973 edition, but it's not in the 1965. I've
> got it right here, and no "Day Of The Dragon."
>
> Pete
The link I submitted earlier shows the differences.
Myrmecodia
>
> It's four instead of three. Reptiles generally have a three-chamber
> heart, with two atria and a partially divided ventricle. Amusingly
> enough, googling supplies several websites that state that crocs are
> unusual among reptiles because they have a four-chamber heart, so
> hopefully the story used alligators, which have a three-chamber heart.
Alligators are crocodilians, so they should have a four chambered
heart, too. The anatomy is more complex than in mammals and birds and
allows blood to be shunted away from the lungs, which one might assume
would make it less efficient. Apparently, however, there are valves
that allow this shunting to be controlled, and it is thought to be an
adaptation to prolonged submergence. If you are under water for a
long time, there is no point in routing blood through your lungs.
It's better to concentrate it in your heart and brain. So, the
surgery proposed in the short story might just produce crocodiles or
alligators that can't lurk under water.
That's assuming I have understood this article correctly...
http://eprint.uq.edu.au/archive/00001423/01/gg_jeb_199_96.pdf