# Slim — Short Science Fiction character guide

> Slim in Short Science Fiction by Isaac Asimov.

**Role:** major

**Also known as:** good old Slim, IV Slim

**First appearance:** 0000-the-magnificent-possession

## Snapshot

A slight, watchful boy who wants to be an astronomer like his father, Slim is drawn into Red's secret and finds himself keeper of a promise he never fully agreed to.

## Who they are

Slim is the Astronomer's son, newly arrived and eager for the quick, unquestioning friendship Red offers. Where Red is all swagger and scheme, Slim is cautious, honest, and quietly desperate to give the right answer; he follows Red to the barn even as something in him recoils from the caged, gesturing creatures. His loyalty — and his inability to lie well — becomes the hinge on which the boys' secret swings.

## Relationships

### [Red](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_science_fiction_se/characters/red)

_friendship_

Red and Slim are close companions, likely partners in adventure or crime, with a high frequency of interaction suggesting deep trust.

### [The Astronomer](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_science_fiction_se/characters/the_astronomer)

_friendship_

Slim and The Astronomer are companions, with Slim possibly serving as a protector or confidant to the scientist.

### [Dad](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_science_fiction_se/characters/dad)

_family_

Dad and Slim are family members, possibly father and son or close relatives, sharing a bond that ties into the main plot.

### [The Industrialist](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_science_fiction_se/characters/the_industrialist)

_rivalry_

Slim and The Industrialist are enemies, with Slim actively opposing the Industrialist's schemes.

### [Red](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_science_fiction_se/characters/red)

_friendship_

Red and Slim are close companions, likely partners in adventure or crime, with a high frequency of interaction suggesting deep trust.

### [Red](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_science_fiction_se/characters/red)

_friendship_

Red and Slim are close companions, likely partners in adventure or crime, with a high frequency of interaction suggesting deep trust.

### [Dad](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_science_fiction_se/characters/dad)

_family_

Dad and Slim are family members, possibly father and son or close relatives, sharing a bond that ties into the main plot.

### [The Industrialist](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_science_fiction_se/characters/the_industrialist)

_rivalry_

Slim and The Industrialist are enemies, with Slim actively opposing the Industrialist's schemes.

### [The Astronomer](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_science_fiction_se/characters/the_astronomer)

_friendship_

Slim and The Astronomer are companions, with Slim possibly serving as a protector or confidant to the scientist.

### [The Astronomer](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_science_fiction_se/characters/the_astronomer)

_friendship_

Slim and The Astronomer are companions, with Slim possibly serving as a protector or confidant to the scientist.

## In the story

### [Youth](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_science_fiction_se/chapters/youth)

Accompanies Red, representing the youthful perspective and eagerness for adventure.

### [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_science_fiction_se/chapters/i)

Awakened by Red, initially hesitant but agrees to join Red's scheme after being convinced.

### [II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_science_fiction_se/chapters/ii)

The Astronomer's son, sent by Red to find food for a captured animal, shows precise manners and city-bred unfamiliarity with the countryside.

### [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_science_fiction_se/chapters/iv)

Reluctantly takes the meat from Red, reports the creatures are sniffing it, and follows Red to spy on the adults.

### [VI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_science_fiction_se/chapters/vi)

Excitedly identifies the object as a spaceship, drawing on knowledge from his father's books, and wants to get a closer look.

### [VII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_science_fiction_se/chapters/vii)

Mentioned as having asked the Astronomer what animals eat, which indirectly reveals Red's pet-keeping.

### [VIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_science_fiction_se/chapters/viii)

Arrives late to lunch, distraught, and insists on speaking to Red alone. Later reveals he saw dead aliens in the spaceship.

### [IX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_science_fiction_se/chapters/ix)

Witnesses the creatures as 'people,' fears a disintegrator gun, and threatens to fetch his father.

### [Chapter X](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_science_fiction_se/chapters/x)

Attempts to speak in defense but is cut off by the Industrialist.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_science_fiction_se/characters/slim
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_science_fiction_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_science_fiction_se/characters