Fondly Fahrenheit

Fondly Fahrenheit is a science fiction short story by Alfred Bester, first published in 1954. Bester adapted it for television as Murder and the Android, which aired on October 18, 1959. The production cast included Kevin McCarthy, Rip Torn, Suzanne Pleshette and Telly Savalas, and was nominated for a 1960 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation.

The central element of the plot is that a rich playboy, James Vandaleur, and his expensive "multiple aptitude android" have become two aspects of a single insane murderous personality. Vandaleur's father is dead, having lost the family fortune, and Vandaleur only has the android which, if it works correctly, can bring in more than enough income to support him in the manner to which he had become accustomed. However, the android becomes erratic when his immediate environment exceeds a certain temperature - when the android is put to work in a foundry, it begins to sing and subsequently pours molten metal on the human supervisor when he investigates the singing. When the android is destroyed during a high-speed chase, Vandeleur is shown as continuing his murder spree after purchasing a cheaper model of android.

Reception

Robert Silverberg has stated that Fondly has only one technical flaw: that there is no connection between the first paragraph and the second;^[1] he also describes it as a "paragon of story construction and exuberant style."^[2]

In 1999, Fondly ranked 4th in Locus's poll for the best novelette of all time.^[3]

See also

• The Science Fiction Hall of Fame Volume One, 1929-1964, an anthology of the greatest science fiction short stories prior to 1965, as judged by the Science Fiction Writers of America

References