Made in Tanganyika

"Made in Tanganyika" by Carl Jacobi is a science fiction novella likely written in the mid-20th century. The story revolves around Martin Sutter, a conchologist who, on his fortieth birthday, decides to break free from his routine life. He purchases a peculiar television set that leads him into a surreal and mysterious adventure that intertwines with themes of time travel and alternate dimensions. In the narrative, Sutter discovers that the television set he bought has a strange connection to an alternate reality featuring beautiful alien shells on a beach. His roommate, Lucien Travail, who shares a hobby in shell collecting, provides an uneasy company as Sutter embarks on experiments to explore this new world through the TV. As he gathers these shells and their value heightens, suspicion grows towards Travail, whom Sutter suspects may harbor ulterior motives. The tension ultimately culminates in a dramatic turn as Sutter’s attempt to frighten Travail leads to both men being caught in the fantastical realm within the shell, leaving their fates uncertain. The story mixes elements of humor and suspense while exploring the allure and dangers of obsession. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Carl Richard Jacobi was an American journalist and writer. He wrote short stories in the horror and fantasy genres for the pulp magazine market, appearing in such pulps of the bizarre and uncanny as Weird Tales, Ghost Stories, Startling Stories, Thrilling Wonder Stories and Strange Stories. He also wrote stories crime and adventure which appeared in such pulps as Thrilling Adventures, Complete Stories, Top-Notch, Short Stories, The Skipper, Doc Savage and Dime Adventures Magazine. Jacobi also produced some science fiction, mainly space opera, published in such magazines as Planet Stories. He was one of the last surviving pulp-fictioneers to have contributed to the legendary American horror magazine Weird Tales during its "glory days". His stories have been translated into French, Swedish, Danish and Dutch.