# Obsession and Madness in Short Fiction

> Theme guide for Short Fiction by Henry Kuttner.

Characters are driven to obsession by supernatural forces or objects, such as O'Brien's fixation on the crystal and the 'Crystal Circe,' leading to madness, loss of self, and tragic transformation.

## Where it surfaces

- [The Crystal Circe](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_27_se/chapters/the-crystal-circe): Arnsen's growing obsession with the crystal drives him to extreme measures, including summoning an ancient sorceress.
- [Prologue](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_27_se/chapters/prologue): Arnsen is obsessed with the crystal and the memory of Circe, driving him to the brink of madness.
- [I: The Star-Gem](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_27_se/chapters/i-the-star-gem): O'Brien's fixation on the gem and his vision of a woman suggests an obsessive and potentially maddening influence.
- [II: Lure of the Crystal](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_27_se/chapters/ii-lure-of-the-crystal): O'Brien's single-minded pursuit of Deirdre, driven by the gem, borders on obsession and space-madness.
- [III: The Singing Crystals](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_27_se/chapters/iii-the-singing-crystals): O'Brien's fixation on the crystal and Deirdre drives him to reckless behavior, nearly causing his death.
- [IV: Circe the Immortal](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_27_se/chapters/iv-circe-the-immortal): Arnsen's obsessive search for O'Brien and his descent into near-madness from loneliness and despair.
- [V: The Jewel-Folk](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_27_se/chapters/v-the-jewel-folk): Arnsen's overwhelming obsession with Circe, driven by her alien power, nearly drives him to madness and loss of self.
- [Epilogue](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_27_se/chapters/epilogue): Arnsen's obsessive grip on the jewel and his inability to find peace on Earth reflect his madness and fixation on the alien artifact.
- [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_27_se/chapters/i): Vanning is driven by the North-Fever, an irresistible compulsion to go north, overriding his sanity and survival instincts.
- [I: Hijacker from Hell](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_27_se/chapters/i-hijacker-from-hell): Duncan's obsessive hatred for Moriarty and his desperate need for freedom and Andrea drive him to accept a suicidal hijacking plan.
- [III: Destination—Death!](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_27_se/chapters/iii-destination-death): Duncan's grief drives him to a suicidal revenge mission, overriding reason and endangering all aboard.
- [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_27_se/chapters/i): Garth's obsessive guilt over Willard's disappearance and his own drunken descent into madness drive his actions.
- [II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_27_se/chapters/ii): Garth is haunted by the memory of Doc Willard and the possibility of his death.
- [V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_27_se/chapters/v): Paula's obsession with finding the power-source drives her to risk the entire expedition, even as the poison threatens everyone.
- [The Eyes of Thar](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_27_se/chapters/the-eyes-of-thar): Dantan's relentless pursuit of vengeance against the Redhelms, driven by the loss of his love, borders on obsession and madness.
- [Chapter II: The Hall of the Aesir](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_27_se/chapters/ii): Stuart's psychological ordeal with resurrected childhood fears borders on madness.
- [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_27_se/chapters/iv): Stuart's obsessive thoughts about Kari, torn between hatred and longing, and the psychological torment of isolation and possession.
- [Dream's End](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_27_se/chapters/dream-s-end): Bruno's obsessive certainty in his experiment and the descent into hallucinatory madness after the procedure.
- [Don't Look Now](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_27_se/chapters/don-t-look-now): Lyman's three-year obsession with seeing Martians and his desperate need to find someone who believes him borders on madness, as he questions his own sanity.
- [Chapter II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_27_se/chapters/ii): Martin's altered mental state and his fixation on controlling his environment, bordering on madness.
- [III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_27_se/chapters/iii): Martin's obsessive fear and irrational behavior, driven by the matrix, lead to paranoid delusions and frantic actions.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_27_se/themes/obsession_and_madness
- Themes index: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_27_se/themes