Fondly Fahrenheit Short Story Review

My quest to read Golden Age science fiction continues. If you aren’t familiar with my reviews, a lot of what I read includes well-known short stories. This week, I decided to read Alfred Bester’s “Fondly Fahrenheit.” I’m a little familiar with Bester’s work, having reviewed The Stars My Destination, so I was excited for this one.

“Fondly Fahrenheit” appeared in 1954 in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. Out of all the short stories Bester wrote, this one might be more well-known. (I had, in the past, read “The Broken Axiom,” though that one is less known). In this story, a rich man and an android fused together to create one being, one that intends to kill. When the man uses the android for work, having lost his father’s inheritance, the android malfunctions when operating in high temperatures. This contributes to another killing that sets them both on the run.

I’ll be honest, it took me some time to figure out who was what and what exactly was going on. This one required more than one reading, where I gained a better idea of what occurred now that I knew the context. The POV was especially difficult to figure out, mostly because the main protagonist consists of one personality but two different people. As the plot moved forward, however, I gained a better sense of what was happening. The climax, where the personality was hunted down, came through clearly. The ending also hit hard for me, especially since it hints at worse things to come.

“He doesn’t know which of us I am these days, but they know one truth. You must own nothing but yourself. You must make your own life, live your own life and die your own death… or else you will die another’s.”

Despite the confusion I underwent, I enjoyed the tension presented in this story. Bester produces enough of it for me that it makes up for the fact that his concepts aren’t always explained. I might review “The Broken Axoim” next to better explain what I mean.

I also recently finished reading another novel, which I can’t wait to review! It might not be from the Golden Age, but I enjoyed it enough to write a post about it. See you all next week!

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