<p>[Science fiction] really <b>does deal with</b> [issues /far more serious /than those realistic fiction <b>deals with</b>];</p><p>real problems about human destiny and so on. </p><p> </p><p><b>Do </b>you <b>remember </b>that story about the man //who <b>meets</b> a female monster /<span style="color: #f89009;">landed</span> from another planet</p><p>with all its cubs /<span style="color: #f89009;">hanging</span> round it?</p><p> </p><p> It’<b>s </b>obviously <span style="color: #f89009;">starving</span>, and he <b>offers </b>[them] [thing after thing to eat];</p><p>they immediately <b>vomit</b> it <b>up</b>,</p><p>until one of the young <b>fastens</b> on him, <b>begins</b> sucking his blood, and immediately <b>begins</b> to revive. </p><p> </p><p>This female creature <b>is </b>utterly unhuman, horrible in form; </p><p>there’<b>s </b>a long moment /when it <b>looks</b> at the man – they’<b>re</b> in a lonely place –</p><p>and then very sadly it <b>packs up</b> its young, and <b>goes back</b> /into its space-ship and <b>goes away</b>.</p><p> </p><p>Well now, you could not have a more serious theme than that.</p><p> </p><p> What <b>is </b>a footling story about some pair of human lovers /<span style="color: #f89009;">compared</span> with that?</p><p> </p><p>* footling /British slang ;foolish; silly: ridiculous, footling remarks.<br><br>From Of Other Worlds: Essays and Stories</p>
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