Bleedback

"Bleedback" by Winston K. Marks is a science fiction novel written during the mid-20th century. The story revolves around the chaos unleashed by a seemingly innocuous children's toy, the "Mystery i-Gun," which can make small metal objects disappear, only for them to gradually return, creating a dangerous phenomenon as these items re-emerge and inflict strange injuries on the public. The narrative explores themes of greed, the consequences of scientific experimentation, and societal panic. The plot follows a police lieutenant investigating the suspicious injury of Calvin Baxter, a mathematician who may have been harmed by his own invention, which his brother Leo hastily market as a toy. As the i-Gun hits the shelves, bizarre incidents occur across the nation, leaving countless people with painful, mysterious wounds. The lieutenant soon realizes that the accidents are linked to the i-Gun’s malfunction, culminating in a race against time to understand the accompanying dangers before more harm is done. Ultimately, as a deadly epidemic emerges, the lieutenant must rely on Baxter's research to find a solution, revealing both the terrifying and absurd outcomes of humanity's relationship with technology and its consequences.