The Unwilling Professor

"The Unwilling Professor" by Arthur Porges is a science fiction novella written during the early 1950s. The narrative focuses on the amusing and bizarre encounter between two struggling college students and a Venusian rabbit professor, who is unexpectedly thrust into the role of their math tutor. The book blends elements of humor and absurdity as it explores themes of academic struggle and unexpected mentorship. In the story, college students Fatty Schultz and Irv Lece, both infamous for their poor academic performance, stumble upon a crashed spacecraft and its pilot, Professor Iglowt P. Slakmak, a rabbit-like creature from Venus. After capturing the professor and forcing him to tutor them in calculus, the duo unexpectedly improves their grades and popularity among their fraternity brothers. However, the professor's displeasure grows as he struggles with being held captive and forced to teach. Eventually, a friendly Martian dog named Hotspur rescues the professor, leading to a humorous yet satisfying ending where the professor finally escapes and wishes ill upon his captors, hoping they face academic consequences for their misdeeds.