Rat in the Skull: Classic Book Guide and Free Edition
Rat in the Skull: author and translator credits, catalogue synopsis, subjects and links to the Gutenberg reading formats.
Rat in the Skull is catalogued by Project Gutenberg with author credits for Phillips, Rog (1909–1965).
Catalogue synopsis
Project Gutenberg supplies this automated synopsis of the opening text:
"Rat in the Skull" by Rog Phillips is a science fiction short story written in the late 1950s. The narrative revolves around Dr. Joseph MacNare, a college professor who, seeking to explore the frontiers of psychology, embarks on a controversial experiment where he aims to connect a newborn white rat to a robotic body, hoping to give it a form of consciousness. The underlying themes of the story touch upon the ethics of scientific experimentation, the nature of consciousness, and the consequences of playing with the boundaries of life and identity. In this haunting tale, Dr. MacNare's ambition leads him to keep the project secret from the academic community, resulting in the creation of a being named Adam, initially a white rat living in an advanced robotic body. As Adam begins to develop and exhibit signs of intelligence and language, a critical flaw unfolds when the secret experiments are inadvertently exposed to Dr. MacNare's young son and his friends. Chaos ensues when Adam, confused and frightened, ultimately turns on his creator, leading to tragic consequences. The story raises profound questions about morality in science, identity, and the unforeseen repercussions of one's pursuit of knowledge.
Book and edition facts
- Title: Rat in the Skull
- Author credits: Phillips, Rog (1909–1965)
- Catalogue language: English
Catalogue subjects
- College teachers -- Fiction
- Cyborgs -- Fiction
- Experiments -- Fiction
- Psychological fiction
- Rats -- Fiction
- Science fiction
Gutenberg collections
- Category: Science-Fiction & Fantasy
- Category: Short Stories
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View the complete Gutenberg catalogue record. Project Gutenberg identifies this edition as public domain in the United States; that designation does not establish its copyright status in every country.
Source notes
Catalogue metadata is public domain and is supplied through Gutendex, which imports Gutenberg's machine-readable catalogue. The automated synopsis is source-supplied, not an independently verified review. Author dates above describe the credited people; no ebook release date is presented as the book's original publication date.
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