The Minus Woman

"The Minus Woman" by R. R. Winterbotham is a science fiction novel written in the early 1950s. The book explores themes of alternate realities and the nature of existence through an intriguing plot involving an asteroid that reveals unexpected phenomena. It raises questions about negative matter and the possibility of interactions between dimensions that are not perceived in conventional physical terms. The story follows two astronauts, Jay Hayling and Red Brewer, as they conduct experiments on a seemingly lifeless asteroid, 57GM, which exhibits bizarre behavior that defies known physical laws. While investigating strange fluctuations in mass and the malfunctioning of their laboratory scales, they encounter a mysterious female figure, referred to as the "minus woman." As they unravel the enigma of their surroundings, they discover that their realities are intertwined with a negative dimension, leading to a dramatic climax that culminates in the transformation and demise of one of the characters. Through this fascinating narrative, Winterbotham expertly blends scientific curiosity with human elements, challenging readers to ponder the implications of parallel dimensions and the fundamental nature of reality. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Russell Robert Winterbotham was an American writer of western and science fiction genre fiction, and the author of instructional pamphlets and several Big Little Books. He also wrote crime stories and one science fiction novel using the pen name "J. Harvey Bond". Another science fiction novel used the pseudonym "Franklin Hadley". He also wrote scripts for Fred Harman's western comic Red Ryder.