The Tissue-Culture King

The Tissue-Culture King (1926 in Cornhill Magazine and in The Yale Review, reprinted 1927 in Amazing Stories and many times afterwards)[1] is a science fiction short story by biologist Julian Huxley.

The story tells of a biologist captured by an African tribe. It incorporates the idea of immortality based on reproduction from a tissue culture and genetic engineering, and an early mention of tin foil hats and their supposed anti-telepathic properties.[2][3][4]

Plot

A group of explorers of Africa stumble upon a strange two-headed toad, and that leads them to meet an endocrinologist, Dr. Hascombe. Captured by an African tribe, Dr. Hascombe saves himself by using "magical" powers of modern biology.[5][6][7]

Critical evaluation

Patrick Parrinder considers the story as an allegory to the servile place of science within a capitalist political world.[8]

References
  1. "Title: The Tissue-Culture King".
  2. Julian Huxley, The Tissue-Culture King: A Biological Fantasy , Cornhill Magazine vol. 60 (New Series), #358, April 1926, pp. 422-458 (Magazine table of contents)
  3. Huxley, Julian (1925–1926). "The Tissue-Culture King: A Parable of Modern Science". The Yale Review. XV: 479–504.
  4. Huxley, Julian (August 1927). "The Tissue-Culture King". Amazing Stories. Well, we had discovered that metal was relatively impervious to the telepathic effect, and had prepared for ourselves a sort of tin pulpit, behind which we could stand while conducting experiments. This, combined with caps of metal foil, enormously reduced the effects on ourselves.
  5. p.118
  6. p. 190
  7. p. 39
  8. Patrick Parrinder, Scientist in Science Fiction: Enlightenment and After, in: Science Fiction Roots And Branches: Contemporary Critical Approaches, pp. 72-23


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