AN AUTOMATIC ENIGMA (1878) – By Julian Hawthorne, son of Nathaniel Hawthorne. In the past Balladeer’s Blog has reviewed some of Julian’s horror stories, but this time around it’s a sci-fi tale. An Automatic Enigma first appeared under the title The Mullenville Mystery in 1872 before Hawthorne revised it and had it published in 1878 under the new title.
In Mullenville, a traveler named Ned Holland charms Nellie Swansdowne, who is considered the greatest beauty in the area. After a time, Nellie accuses Ned of acting too machine-like, provoking a fierce argument and a breakup. Continue reading
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