Shottle Bop

"Shottle Bop" is a fantasy short story, written by Theodore Sturgeon in 1941, and first published in Unknown.[1] It has been said to be the source of all "odde shoppe" stories; and even if not that, of many.[2]

The protagonist discovers a mysterious shop  "The Shottle Bop", between Twentieth and Twenty-first Streets, on Tenth Avenue in New York City  which has bottles containing all manner of strange things. The proprietor dislikes his pompous attitude, paralyzes him by spraying him with the essential oil from the hair of a Gorgon's head, and only releases him after extracting a grudging apology. The proprietor then mixes up a strange potion, saying it will, when drunk, "cure" him and give him a "talent".

The protagonist returns home and, after initial reluctance, drinks the potion. He discovers that he can now see and talk with ghosts; although they can't see him. (Naturally enough, when he goes back to look for the shop, it isn't there.) He sets himself up as a psychic investigator: a business at which he is highly successful, with the aid of unseen disembodied assistants.

He taunts some of his low-life former associates with his success. They round on him; but he persuades one of them to spend the night in a haunted house, for a bet. That night, the effects of the potion wear off.[2][3]

References

  1. Joshi, S. T.; Dziemianowicz, Stefan R. (2005). Supernatural Literature of the World: An Encyclopedia, Volume 3, PZ. Greenwood Press. p. 1088. ISBN 978-0-313-32777-3.
  2. 2.0 2.1 Davidson, Avram, ed. (1983). Magic for Sale. New York: Berkley Publishing Group. p. 161. ISBN 0-441-51535-5.
  3. D'Ammassa, Don (2006), "Shottle Bop", Encyclopedia of Fantasy and Horror Fiction, p. 319, ISBN 978-0-8160-6192-1