This is Who Goes There? (1948), by John W. Campbell, Jr. It is an anthology of science fiction stories I, admittedly, have not read. The exception being the title novella, which is the basis of the 1951 Howard Hawks film The Thing from Another World and what might be my favorite movie of all time, John Carpenter’s The Thing (1982).

This wasn’t cited in Appendix N, but I feel like the idea of a shape-shifting creature informed by Campbell’s Thing is well used in a variety of RPGs and justifies inclusion this week. Also, that Hannes Bok cover is absolutely sick and I love it so much.

Funny story about this book. I’d wanted it for a long time, but couldn’t find it for a not-outrageous price. About ten years ago, I was traveling up the California coast and stopped in San Luis Obispo for the night. Up to that point, I hadn’t been hitting the used bookstores, but after dinner I just had the strongest premonition I’d find Who Goes There? in the local spot. And, well, I did! The universe is a strange place sometimes.

This copy seems to have been used in some capacity by someone at RKO during the adaptation of the story into the Howard Hawks film. If anyone recognizes that signature, lemme know.

And, heck, why not? Here’s the cover of the Alan Dean Foster novelization of John Carpenter’s The Thing, too. May as well get it all out of my system. The cover painting is by Jim Burns and is pretty terrifying. I’ve seen another version of the painting that tones down the alien bits and adds the dog sitting on the ice. Don’t know which I prefer.