The Faces Outside by Bruce McAllister
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"The Faces Outside" by Bruce McAllister is a science fiction novella that was likely written during the early 1960s. The story explores themes of humanity, isolation, and the concept of instinctual desire within a speculative setting, focusing on the consequences of alien experimentation on Terran lifeforms. The narrative addresses profound issues such as reproduction, emotional connection, and the struggle against oppressive forces represented by the 'Faces' observing the protagonists. The story follows
two human beings, a male and a female, who find themselves living in an artificial aquatic environment—referred to as a "tank." They are kept under the watchful gaze of alien entities represented by the 'Faces' who have subjected them to mutations that render them nearly robotic and incapable of independent thought. Despite their altered existence, the couple, whom they name Diane and the narrator, develop a deep emotional bond and long for a family. As Diane begins to give birth to a new generation, the narrative shifts to a struggle for autonomy against the oppressive oversight of the 'Faces.' The themes of reproduction and the desire for freedom culminate in a poignant exploration of what it means to be truly alive in the shadow of an indifferent universe. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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About this eBook
| Author | McAllister, Bruce, 1946- |
|---|---|
| Title | The Faces Outside |
| Series Title | Produced from Worlds of If Science Fiction, July 1963 |
| Credits |
Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at www.pgdp.net |
| Reading Level | Reading ease score: 75.3 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read. |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature |
| Subject | Science fiction |
| Subject | Short stories |
| Subject | Man-woman relationships -- Fiction |
| Subject | Human-alien encounters -- Fiction |
| Subject | Psychic ability -- Fiction |
| Category | Text |
| eBook-No. | 61397 |
| ISBN (HTML) | 979-8-238-61397-0 |
| Release Date | Feb 13, 2020 |
| Last Update | Oct 17, 2024 |
| Copyright | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 434 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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