The man who saved New York

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

76899

Title

The man who saved New York

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

In this whimsical science fiction tale, narrator Ray Cummings recounts how his friend Porky Jenks, a hardware salesman plagued by a bizarre ability to swap minds with strangers, inadvertently saves New York City from a Nazi air raid. When Porky's power vanishes after falling in love, the war's outcome hangs in the balance, blending humor with speculative concepts.

Summary up to 500 words

In Ray Cummings' *The Man Who Saved New York*, the narrator, Ray Cummings, recounts a bizarre yet pivotal event during World War II that he prefers to keep as fiction to avoid being labeled insane. His friend, Porky Jenks, suffers from a terrifying condition where his ego no longer resides in his own body. Instead, Porky's consciousness involuntarily slips into strangers, causing them to act out his desires. After Porky accidentally directs confused traffic by possessing an elderly woman, Ray, his daughter Lisbeth, and cartoonist friend Baldy Green realize this gift could be weaponized for the war effort. The trio devises a daring plan: Porky will possess the commanders of Nazi submarines lurking off Sandy Hook. By inhabiting the enemy officers, Porky could ram the vessels onto the shore or detonate them with their own torpedoes. Although Porky initially fears he cannot escape a dying body, he agrees to save the war. That night, while Porky's physical body lies inert on the beach, his consciousness merges with a submarine commander. The result is the emergence of a colossal, green, humanoid giant rising from the ocean. This 'Green Giant' single-handedly defends New York, swatting Nazi bombers out of the sky and destroying them before retreating to safety just as torpedoes strike. However, the following night brings a devastating twist. Porky returns to Ray's study beaming with happiness, only to reveal that his supernatural gift has vanished entirely. He explains that his soul and ego are now permanently bound to Lisbeth, as the two have become engaged. With his power gone, he can no longer intervene in the conflict. Ray accepts the situation with a mix of regret and resignation. He acknowledges that while the war might have been won by Porky's unique abilities, nothing could be done about romantic feelings taking precedence over global conflict. The story concludes with Ray noting that the war would have been won by now if Lisbeth had not 'queered' the plan, leaving the fate of the world to chance rather than the miraculous intervention of a giant.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

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Categories

• Short Stories
• Psychology
• History
• Science Fiction