The Four-Hour Fugue
Encyclopedia
The Four-Hour Fugue is a short story by science fiction
writer Alfred Bester
. It was nominated for the 1975 Hugo Award
for Best Short Story of the Year. The story and its two main characters, Gretchen Nunn and Blaise Skiaki, were incorporated into Bester's 1980 illustrated novel Golem100
, where Skiaki was renamed Blaise Shima.
Skiaki is an important commodity to his employer more than a person. He is a genius in creating olfactory chemicals, which are all-important in this dystopia. In this future, water is too precious to be used for mere bathing. Skiaki lives in a giant Northeast Corridor of urban sprawl crammed with people. Therefore, perfumes have taken the place of bathing for most people; water cannot be spared. Not when water requires a license to be used.
Enter Gretchen Nunn, who is a genius of a different kind...
Nunn is contracted to discover where Skiaki vanishes to. He shakes off professionals like a professional himself. When Nunn correlates reports from the detectives, she notes that Skiaki vanishes for four hours. Every time he does so, someone dies. She deduces that Skiaki enters a fugue during those times.
Nunn pretends to be a delivery girl to enter Skiaki's abode. They become lovers. He gives her a synthetic jewel that she promises to wear only for him.
Skiaki meets Nunn during his fugue state
and does not recognize her. When in fugue, Skiaki believes himself a different person, called Mr. Wish. He says that he follows people with a death wish; hence his name. Nunn tries to persuade him that he is mistaken, that she has no death wish - and then strangers appear. The men tell Skiaki to step aside and that they like this choice. Skiaki pouts that he never gets to kill anyone...
Then he sees the jewel Nunn is wearing...
Later, Nunn informs authorities that she resisted an assault and survived.
Her private report to Skiaki's employers does not mention one important fact - Skiaki has discovered that Nunn is actually blind and sees through the eyes of those around her.
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
writer Alfred Bester
Alfred Bester
Alfred Bester was an American science fiction author, TV and radio scriptwriter, magazine editor and scripter for comic strips and comic books...
. It was nominated for the 1975 Hugo Award
Hugo Award
The Hugo Awards are given annually for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year. The award is named after Hugo Gernsback, the founder of the pioneering science fiction magazine Amazing Stories, and was officially named the Science Fiction Achievement Awards...
for Best Short Story of the Year. The story and its two main characters, Gretchen Nunn and Blaise Skiaki, were incorporated into Bester's 1980 illustrated novel Golem100
Golem100
Golem100 is a novel by science fiction author Alfred Bester. Currently out of print, it was published by Timescape Books in 1980, ISBN 0-671-82047-8.-Plot introduction:...
, where Skiaki was renamed Blaise Shima.
Skiaki is an important commodity to his employer more than a person. He is a genius in creating olfactory chemicals, which are all-important in this dystopia. In this future, water is too precious to be used for mere bathing. Skiaki lives in a giant Northeast Corridor of urban sprawl crammed with people. Therefore, perfumes have taken the place of bathing for most people; water cannot be spared. Not when water requires a license to be used.
Enter Gretchen Nunn, who is a genius of a different kind...
Nunn is contracted to discover where Skiaki vanishes to. He shakes off professionals like a professional himself. When Nunn correlates reports from the detectives, she notes that Skiaki vanishes for four hours. Every time he does so, someone dies. She deduces that Skiaki enters a fugue during those times.
Nunn pretends to be a delivery girl to enter Skiaki's abode. They become lovers. He gives her a synthetic jewel that she promises to wear only for him.
Skiaki meets Nunn during his fugue state
Fugue state
A fugue state, formally dissociative fugue or psychogenic fugue , is a rare psychiatric disorder characterized by reversible amnesia for personal identity, including the memories, personality and other identifying characteristics of individuality...
and does not recognize her. When in fugue, Skiaki believes himself a different person, called Mr. Wish. He says that he follows people with a death wish; hence his name. Nunn tries to persuade him that he is mistaken, that she has no death wish - and then strangers appear. The men tell Skiaki to step aside and that they like this choice. Skiaki pouts that he never gets to kill anyone...
Then he sees the jewel Nunn is wearing...
Later, Nunn informs authorities that she resisted an assault and survived.
Her private report to Skiaki's employers does not mention one important fact - Skiaki has discovered that Nunn is actually blind and sees through the eyes of those around her.