Cause of Death

"Cause of Death" by Max Tadlock is a science fiction novella written in the mid-20th century. The story explores the themes of mortality and the human desire to understand life and death. The narrative centers around a protagonist who, driven by curiosity and the desire to alleviate the fear of death, conducts an experiment to experience death firsthand and return to share his discoveries. The novella follows the protagonist’s obsession with death, beginning with the notion of pigs being able to choose to die at will. This idea leads him to attempt to die deliberately for three days, believing he can return to life with insights about the afterlife. As the experiment unfolds, he confronts reality in the form of fear and the physical sensations of dying, ultimately finding himself unable to come back from the brink of death as he had hoped. On realizing his true condition, the story culminates in a profound contemplation about the nature of existence and the finality of death, ending with a stark acknowledgment that he has left life behind completely.