Something Will Turn Up

"Something Will Turn Up" by David Mason is a science fiction short story written in the early 1960s. The narrative revolves around a quirky issue with a television set that displays images upside down, leading to a humorous and bizarre interaction between the owner, Stanley Rapp, and a young repairman. The story explores themes of absurdity and the blurred lines between technology and the supernatural. In this entertaining tale, Stanley Rapp calls a repairman to fix his television, which has mysteriously been showing everything upside down. As they discuss the peculiar situation, the repairman, who fancies himself a poet and a magician, decides to attempt some unconventional magic to solve the problem. After a whimsical and suspenseful effort involving a bizarre incantation, the television's images are eventually restored to the right side up, but not without unexpected consequences, as the repairman's actions may have altered something elsewhere. The story playfully highlights the intersection of everyday life and the surreal, leaving readers with a sense of humor and wonder about the possibilities of technology and magic.