Knock (short-story)
Encyclopedia
"Knock", written by Fredric Brown
, is a science fiction short story
that starts with a description of "a sweet little horror story that is only two sentences long." It then goes on to elaborate on those two sentences and build a more complete plot around them.
It was published in the December 1948 issue of Thrilling Wonder Stories
. There have been three different radio adaptations (Dimension X
, X Minus One
and Sci Fi Channel
's Seeing Ear Theatre). The story was reprinted in The Best Science Fiction Stories: 1949
Walter Phelan is the last man on Earth, and the alien Zan who have come visiting have killed off all life other than pairs of specimens for their zoo of exotic Earth flora and fauna. Grace Evans, the last woman, is not overly impressed with Walter and maintains her distance.
The Zan, who are immortal, become disturbed when one by one the other animals begin to die. They turn to Walter for advice and he tells them that the creatures have perished from lack of affection, suggesting that they pet the survivors regularly to keep them alive. He demonstrates with one of them. When the Zan begin dying, they depart the planet in fear. It is then revealed that the creature Walter advised them to pet was a poisonous snake.
Then Walter discusses the future of the human race with Grace. She is shocked by his proposal and leaves. The narrative then ends as it began:
The last man on Earth sat alone in a room. There was a knock on the door.
Fredric Brown
Fredric Brown was an American science fiction and mystery writer. He was born in Cincinnati.He had two sons: James Ross Brown and Linn Lewis Brown ....
, is a science fiction short story
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
that starts with a description of "a sweet little horror story that is only two sentences long." It then goes on to elaborate on those two sentences and build a more complete plot around them.
It was published in the December 1948 issue of Thrilling Wonder Stories
Wonder Stories
Wonder Stories was an early American science fiction magazine which was published under several titles from 1929 to 1955. It was founded by Hugo Gernsback in 1929 after he had lost control of his first science fiction magazine, Amazing Stories, when his media company Experimenter Publishing went...
. There have been three different radio adaptations (Dimension X
Dimension X
Dimension X was an NBC radio program broadcast on an unsponsored, sustaining basis from April 8, 1950 to September 29, 1951. The first 13 episodes were broadcast live, and the remainder were pre-recorded...
, X Minus One
X Minus One
X Minus One was a half-hour science fiction radio drama series broadcast from April 24, 1955 to January 9, 1958 in various timeslots on NBC.-Overview:...
and Sci Fi Channel
Syfy
Syfy , formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel and SCI FI, is an American cable television channel featuring science fiction, supernatural, fantasy, reality, paranormal, wrestling, and horror programming. Launched on September 24, 1992, it is part of the entertainment conglomerate NBCUniversal, a...
's Seeing Ear Theatre). The story was reprinted in The Best Science Fiction Stories: 1949
The Best Science Fiction Stories: 1949
The Best Science Fiction Stories: 1949 is a 1949 anthology of science fiction short stories edited by Everett F. Bleiler and T. E. Dikty. It was the first published anthology to present the best science fiction stories for a given year...
Plot summary
The first two lines are a complete short-short story:- The last man on Earth sat alone in a room. There was a knock on the door...
Walter Phelan is the last man on Earth, and the alien Zan who have come visiting have killed off all life other than pairs of specimens for their zoo of exotic Earth flora and fauna. Grace Evans, the last woman, is not overly impressed with Walter and maintains her distance.
The Zan, who are immortal, become disturbed when one by one the other animals begin to die. They turn to Walter for advice and he tells them that the creatures have perished from lack of affection, suggesting that they pet the survivors regularly to keep them alive. He demonstrates with one of them. When the Zan begin dying, they depart the planet in fear. It is then revealed that the creature Walter advised them to pet was a poisonous snake.
Then Walter discusses the future of the human race with Grace. She is shocked by his proposal and leaves. The narrative then ends as it began:
- The last man on Earth sat alone in a room. There was a knock on the door...
The last man on Earth sat alone in a room. There was a knock on the door.