Please help me identify this early science-fiction/horror story?
I want to identify a story I read several years ago. The story is in a Germanic horror genre and probably dates to the 18th century. I read the story in English but I'm not sure if I was reading a translation.
The story concerns a renowned watchmaker whose watches have suddenly slowed or stopped working, coinciding with a downturn in his personal health. Upon examination, the watches' mainsprings have mysteriously stopped expanding. It is revealed that the watchmaker had invented the self-winding mechanism; as this mechanism created a self-contained entity which required no winding, it comprised an affront to God. I'm unclear on the rest of the story but if I had to guess I'd say it borrowed heavily on Faust.
I'd thought it was by Jules Verne but googling does me no good, so now I'm wondering if it was by some German author and not particularly well-known in the English speaking world. Does this ring any bells with anyone?
It was a short story, not a book. But go ahead and give me the title of the book...
Posted in horror fiction
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February 8th, 2010 at 11:51 am
I think I came across a book like this, does it happen to be a war book?
February 8th, 2010 at 11:51 am
It might be from a short story collection called "The Dark Domain" by Stefan Grabinski. In the story a watchmakers death causes all the towns clocks to stop. I don’t know the name of the specific story and "The Dark Domain" was also, I believe, published as an English translation under the name "The Motion Demon".
However, its a little earlier than the 1950s as Grabinski lived from 1897-1936. He was often referred to as "The Polish Poe"
February 9th, 2010 at 7:55 pm
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