The Malignant Entity #329709

Otis Adelbert Kline’s The Malignant Entity is a classic pulp mystery of scientific experimentation, detective investigation, and terrifying artificial life. When chemist Albert Townsend is discovered dead, reduced to nothing but a skeleton, Dr. Dorp and his companion Evans are called upon to uncover the cause of his bizarre death. Their investigation leads to Townsend’s laboratory and a horrifying discovery: an organism created from inert matter, visible to the naked eye and capable of consuming living creatures until nothing remains but bone. As the mysterious entity threatens to escape beyond the laboratory, Dorp and Evans must unravel Townsend’s experiments and determine how an unnatural form of life can be stopped. First published in Weird Tales in 1924, The Malignant Entity combines detective fiction, weird horror, scientific speculation, and monster fiction in an early example of pulp science fiction. A strong choice for readers who enjoy mad-scientist stories, supernatural mysteries, artificial-life fiction, classic monster tales, and the strange imaginative worlds of the early pulp magazines."I believe he has become a convert to spiritism," I replied.
"With all due respect to Sir Oliver," said the doctor, "I should say that he has rather singled out such facts as suited his purpose and assembled them as evidence to support the spiritistic theory. It may seem paradoxical to add that I believe he has always been thoroughly conscientious in his investigation and sincere in his deductions."
"I'm afraid I do not quite follow you."
"There are times in the life of every man," continued the doctor, "when emotion dethrones reason. At such crisis the most keen-witted of scientists may be blinded to truth by the overpowering influence of his own desires. Sir Oliver lost a beloved son. Only those who have suffered similar losses can appreciate the keen anguish that followed his bereavement, or sympathize with his intense longing , to communicate with Raymond. Most men are creatures of their desires..."