Shock Treatment

"Shock Treatment" by Stanley Mullen is a science fiction novella written in the early 1950s. Set against the backdrop of Venusport, the narrative explores the dark and chaotic elements of life within a futuristic society plagued by violence, madness, and existential dread. The story chiefly revolves around Spud Newlin, a bar worker with a nefarious past, who becomes embroiled in a mission involving a mysterious woman named Songeen, who seeks to retrieve her husband, a scientist teetering on the brink of insanity. The plot unfolds as Newlin reluctantly accepts a dangerous job from Songeen to confront her husband, Genarion, whose strange existence reveals the delicate balance between sanity and madness in a universe where desperation leads to uncanny phenomena. As he enters Genarion's realm, Newlin encounters a world transformed by bizarre technology and mind-bending experiences, which culminate in a confrontation that alters both characters' destinies. The narrative ultimately escalates to a revelation about Newlin's own madness and the fate of humanity, conveying themes of love, identity, and the struggle for freedom in a universe riddled with chaos. As Newlin and Songeen are drawn into a larger cosmic conflict, the story raises profound questions about sanity and the moral implications of wielding ultimate power in a fractured world. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Stanley Mullen was an American artist, short story writer, novelist and publisher. He studied writing at the University of Colorado at Boulder and drawing, painting and lithography at the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center where he was accepted as a professional member in 1937. A series of his paintings of Indian ceremonial dances is part of the permanent collection of the Denver Art Museum. Mullen worked as assistant curator of the Colorado State Historical Museum during the 1940s.