# Short Fiction — Chapters explained

> Chapter companions for Short Fiction by Manly Wade Wellman.

- [Back to the Beast](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_37_se/chapters/back-to-the-beast.md): Dr. James Lawlor's journal details his experiment with a serum designed to reverse evolution, allowing him to witness his ancestral forms. Initially successful, he regresses from a primitive man to a beast-like creature.
- [The Invading Asteroid](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_37_se/chapters/the-invading-asteroid.md): A mysterious asteroid hurtles toward Earth, sparking global panic and scientific debate. As governments scramble to respond, a small group of astronomers and military officials uncover evidence that the asteroid may be a
- [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_37_se/chapters/i.md): Three young Terrestrial soldiers—Neil Andresson, Bull Mike Tishinev, and Sukune—take an unauthorized space-launch from St. Louis in 2675 during the Interplanetary War with Mars. They journey past the Moon and encounter a
- [II: An Incredible Story](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_37_se/chapters/ii-an-incredible-story.md): Neil, Bull Mike, and Sukune capture a Martian scout who reveals that an artificial asteroid, built from four joined Martian ships, is hurtling toward Earth with 600,000 troops and 2,000 raiding ships. After using jiujits
- [III: The Deserter](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_37_se/chapters/iii-the-deserter.md): Yaxa, a Martian prisoner, is freed by the Terrestrial Neil Andresson, who defects to the Martian cause. Together they escape in Yaxa's spaceship, taking Sukune and Bull Mike as prisoners. After a journey to the Martian a

> 77 more chapter companions — [open a free preview](https://www.betterreads.dev/reader?bookId=short_fiction_37_se_1629kb&preview=1) to unlock the rest.

- [IV: The Great Battle](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_37_se/chapters/iv-the-great-battle.md)
- [The Golgotha Dancers](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_37_se/chapters/the-golgotha-dancers.md)
- [The Hairy Ones Shall Dance](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_37_se/chapters/the-hairy-ones-shall-dance.md)
- [I: “Why Must the Burden of Proof Rest with the Spirits?”](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_37_se/chapters/i-why-must-the-burden-of-proof-rest-with-the-spirits.md)
- [II: “You Can Almost Hear the Ghosts.”](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_37_se/chapters/ii-you-can-almost-hear-the-ghosts.md)
- [III: "That Thing Isn't My Daughter—"](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_37_se/chapters/iii-that-thing-isn-t-my-daughter.md)
- [IV: “I Don’t Know What Killed Him.”](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_37_se/chapters/iv-i-don-t-know-what-killed-him.md)
- [V: “They Want to Take the Law Into Their Own Hands.”](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_37_se/chapters/v-they-want-to-take-the-law-into-their-own-hands.md)
- [VI: “Eyes of Fire!”](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_37_se/chapters/vi-eyes-of-fire.md)
- [VII: “Had the Thing Been So Hairy?”](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_37_se/chapters/vii-had-the-thing-been-so-hairy.md)
- [A Trick That Almost Killed You](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_37_se/chapters/viii-a-trick-that-almost-killed-you.md)
- [IX: “To a Terrified Victim He Is Doom Itself.”](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_37_se/chapters/ix-to-a-terrified-victim-he-is-doom-itself.md)
- [X: Bloodlust and Compassion](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_37_se/chapters/x-bloodlust-and-compassion.md)
- [XI: "To Meet That Monster Face to Face!"](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_37_se/chapters/xi-to-meet-that-monster-face-to-face.md)
- [XII: “We Are Here at His Mercy.”](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_37_se/chapters/xii-we-are-here-at-his-mercy.md)
- [XIII: “Light’s Our Best Weapon.”](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_37_se/chapters/xiii-light-s-our-best-weapon.md)
- [XIV: “I Was—I Am—A Wolf.”](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_37_se/chapters/xiv-i-was-i-am-a-wolf.md)
- [XV: “And That Is the End.”](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_37_se/chapters/xv-and-that-is-the-end.md)
- [The Black Drama](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_37_se/chapters/the-black-drama.md)
- [I: Drafted](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_37_se/chapters/i-drafted.md)
- [Byron's Lost Play](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_37_se/chapters/ii-byron-s-lost-play.md)
- [III: Enter Judge Pursuivant](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_37_se/chapters/iii-enter-judge-pursuivant.md)
- [IV: Into the Country](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_37_se/chapters/iv-into-the-country.md)
- [Jake's Story](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_37_se/chapters/v-jake-s-story.md)
- [VI: The Theater in the Forest](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_37_se/chapters/vi-the-theater-in-the-forest.md)
- [VII: Rehearsal](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_37_se/chapters/vii-rehearsal.md)
- [Pursuivant Again](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_37_se/chapters/viii-pursuivant-again.md)
- [IX: Davidson Gives a Warning](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_37_se/chapters/ix-davidson-gives-a-warning.md)
- [X: That Evening](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_37_se/chapters/x-that-evening.md)
- [XI: Battle and Retreat](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_37_se/chapters/xi-battle-and-retreat.md)
- [XII: Return Engagement](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_37_se/chapters/xii-return-engagement.md)
- [XIII: The Black Book](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_37_se/chapters/xiii-the-black-book.md)
- [Zero Hour](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_37_se/chapters/xiv-zero-hour.md)
- [XV: “Whither? I Dread to Think—”](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_37_se/chapters/xv-whither-i-dread-to-think.md)
- [Fearful Rock](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_37_se/chapters/fearful-rock.md)
- [I: The Sacrifice](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_37_se/chapters/i-the-sacrifice.md)
- [II: The Cavalry Patrol](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_37_se/chapters/ii-the-cavalry-patrol.md)
- [III: The Image in the Cellar](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_37_se/chapters/iii-the-image-in-the-cellar.md)
- [IV: The Mandifers](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_37_se/chapters/iv-the-mandifers.md)
- [V: Blood in the Night](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_37_se/chapters/v-blood-in-the-night.md)
- [Return](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_37_se/chapters/vi-return.md)
- [VII: The Rock Again](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_37_se/chapters/vii-the-rock-again.md)
- [VIII: The Grapple by the Grave](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_37_se/chapters/viii-the-grapple-by-the-grave.md)
- [IX: Debate and Decision](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_37_se/chapters/ix-debate-and-decision.md)
- [X: Enid Mandifer Again](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_37_se/chapters/x-enid-mandifer-again.md)
- [XI: Return of the Sacrifice](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_37_se/chapters/xi-return-of-the-sacrifice.md)
- [XII: Jager](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_37_se/chapters/xii-jager.md)
- [XIII: Lanark](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_37_se/chapters/xiii-lanark.md)
- [XIV: Enid](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_37_se/chapters/xiv-enid.md)
- [Evil's End](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_37_se/chapters/xv-evil-s-end.md)
- [The Valley Was Still](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_37_se/chapters/the-valley-was-still.md)
- [The Witch's Cat](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_37_se/chapters/the-witch-s-cat.md)
- [The Song of the Slaves](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_37_se/chapters/the-song-of-the-slaves.md)
- [The Dreadful Rabbits](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_37_se/chapters/the-dreadful-rabbits.md)
- [Bratton's Idea](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_37_se/chapters/bratton-s-idea.md)
- [The Devil's Asteroid](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_37_se/chapters/the-devil-s-asteroid.md)
- [It All Came True in the Woods](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_37_se/chapters/it-all-came-true-in-the-woods.md)
- [The Half-Haunted](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_37_se/chapters/the-half-haunted.md)
- [The Liers in Wait](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_37_se/chapters/the-liers-in-wait.md)
- [Venus Enslaved](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_37_se/chapters/venus-enslaved.md)
- [Coven](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_37_se/chapters/coven.md)
- [I: The Cursed Damozel](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_37_se/chapters/i-the-cursed-damozel.md)
- [II: The Flying Horned One](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_37_se/chapters/ii-the-flying-horned-one.md)
- [III: The Night Side of Preaching](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_37_se/chapters/iii-the-night-side-of-preaching.md)
- [IV: The Gathering of the Vultures](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_37_se/chapters/iv-the-gathering-of-the-vultures.md)
- [V: The Rout of the Witches](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_37_se/chapters/v-the-rout-of-the-witches.md)
- [VI: The Five Silver Bullets](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_37_se/chapters/vi-the-five-silver-bullets.md)
- [VII: The Grave-Digging](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_37_se/chapters/vii-the-grave-digging.md)
- [Warrior of Two Worlds](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_37_se/chapters/warrior-of-two-worlds.md)
- [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_37_se/chapters/i.md)
- [II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_37_se/chapters/ii.md)
- [III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_37_se/chapters/iii.md)
- [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_37_se/chapters/iv.md)
- [V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_37_se/chapters/v.md)
- [VI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_37_se/chapters/vi.md)
- [All Were Monsters](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_37_se/chapters/all-were-monsters.md)
- [Half Around Pluto](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_37_se/chapters/half-around-pluto.md)

HTML index: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_37_se/chapters