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Rule of Three

Theodore Sturgeon

First published January 1951
Type Short Fiction
Length Novelette

Synopsis

Three aliens who each consist of three subunits come to evaluate earth. They are horrified as everyone in earth seems to be infected by a dangerous space parasite which causes erratic behavior. They divide into subunits and inhabit humans to get a grasp of the situation. Afterward they have a lot of trouble to get together again, as humans tend to pair, and units of three are uncommon. After a lot of talking and scheming, they manage to get together again.

Publications (10)

Date Publication Publisher Type Page
January 1951 Galaxy Science Fiction, January 1951 World Editions, Inc. MAGAZINE 74
February 1952 Galaxy Reader of Science Fiction Crown Publishers Anthology 40
October 1979 The Stars Are the Styx Dell Collection 37
May 1981 The Stars Are the Styx Dell Collection 37
March 1984 The Stars Are the Styx Bluejay Books Collection 37
November 1999 Baby Is Three North Atlantic Books Collection 54
2000 Baby Is Three North Atlantic Books Collection 54
2010 Baby Is Three North Atlantic Books Collection 54
April 2013 Baby Is Three North Atlantic Books Collection |54
September 2013 Baby Is Three Gateway / Orion Collection