The Thing From — “Outside”

This was one of the 6 science fiction stories published in the first issue (April 1926) of the first magazine devoted to science fiction, Amazing Stories, edited and published by Hugo Gernsback, now considered to be the father of the science fiction genre. He described this story:

«Here is an extraordinary story by the well-known magazine writer, George Allan England. This story should be read quite carefully, and it is necessary to use one's imagination in reading it.
«The theme of Mr. England's Story is unusual and extraordinary. If we can take insects and put them upon the dissecting table in order to study their anatomy, is there a good reason why some super-Intelligence cannot do the same thing with us humans?
«It may be taken as a certainty that Intelligence, as we understand it, is not only of our earth. It is also not necessary to presume that Intelligence may have its setting only in a body of flesh and blood.
«There is no reason for disbelieving that a Super-Intelligence might not reside in gases or Invisible structures, something which we of today cannot even imagine.»

The copyrights of the magazine and of the individual authors were not renewed. Therefore, this work is in the public domain in the United States.