Invisible Death
“Invisible Death,” written by Anthony Pelcher, was the last entry in Astounding Stories of Super-Science Vol. 1, No. 1 (January 1930). The story delivered a genre-mixing pulp adventure, mystery crossed with science fiction and an extortion thriller. This variety showcased Astounding’s range and ambition: it promised to publish multiple types of SF, appealing to different reader preferences.
“Invisible Death” belongs to scientific romance: stories where one speculative invention drives the plot, often with a pseudo-scientific explanation. H.G. Wells pioneered this genre with The Invisible Man (1897), The Time Machine (1895), and others. By 1930, the template was firmly established: invent one impossible thing, explore its implications, and tell an adventure story around it.
The invisibility device is “Invisible Death’s” singular impossible thing. Everything else—extortion, murder, and detection—is conventional. This follows Wells’s formula: ground the impossible in a plausible-sounding explanation (vibration fields, much like Wells’s refractive index manipulation), then tell a human story about power, crime, and consequences.
Plot Summary of "Invisible Death”
When eccentric inventor Darius Darrow is murdered in his laboratory, his death weapon is stolen, and the killer seemingly vanishes into thin air, it appears to be the perfect crime. The case quickly grows stranger when a mysterious extortion ring, calling itself “Invisible Death,” begins terrorising a wealthy engineering corporation. They threaten directors with the same fate that befell Darrow. Objects fly through the air, cars drive themselves, and criminals disappear before witnesses’ very eyes.
Genre Fusion: Mystery, Science Fiction, and Pulp Sensationalism
“Invisible Death” represents pulp fiction at its most ambitious. It attempts to blend multiple genres while delivering the sensation and spectacle that 1930s readers demanded. Pelcher effectively creates a locked-room mystery crossed with SF gadgetry and showman’s trickery.
The story’s structure follows classic detective fiction: mysterious death, baffling clues, systematic investigation, and the revelation of the method. Yet, it adds SF’s “one impossible thing” (the invisibility device) and theatrical melodrama (the triplets, the mad showman, and the extortion plot). This genre-mixing was typical of early Astounding. The magazine positioned itself between Weird Tales’ supernatural horror and the more grounded adventure pulps.
The result is uneven but entertaining. Serious scientific extrapolation sits alongside absurd coincidences; careful detective work appears next to theatrical reveals. It is pulp in the best sense: energetically overstuffed with ideas, unbothered by implausibility, and committed to delivering sensation and surprise.
The Invisibility Trope
“Invisible Death” is part of SF’s long engagement with invisibility—from Wells’s The Invisible Man through countless adaptations, variations, and reinventions. Each era reimagines invisibility through its own technological language: Wells used chemistry (refractive index), Pelcher uses vibration fields, and later works would use quantum effects or nanotechnology.
The trope endures because invisibility represents the ultimate surveillance advantage; seeing without being seen, and acting without accountability. It literalises social anxieties about hidden threats, unseen watchers, and undetectable dangers.
The story shows SF transitioning from Wells-style scientific romance toward the more systematised genre fiction of the pulp era. It is formulaic yet energetic, implausible yet entertaining. It represents SF before it developed critical self-awareness and literary ambition.
Comparing “Invisible Death” to later Astounding stories reveals the genre’s evolution: from adventure melodrama toward sophisticated speculation about technology, society, and human nature.
Author: Anthony Pelcher
Unfortunately, very little biographical information survives about Anthony Pelcher. This is quite common for pulp writers; many were prolific but were not preserved in literary history. Pelcher appears to have written primarily for pulp magazines in the late 1920s and early 1930s. “Invisible Death” in Astounding’s first issue was likely his most prominent placement, but he never became a major SF name.
The story demonstrates competent pulp craftsmanship: clear prose, systematic plot development, and genre awareness. Pelcher clearly understood mystery conventions and could blend them effectively with SF elements. The technical exposition (Lees explaining the device) is handled adequately, if not brilliantly.
Pelcher represents the vast majority of pulp writers who produced entertaining stories for modest pay but never achieved lasting fame or literary recognition. Only a handful of names from this era—Lovecraft, Howard, Smith, and later Asimov and Heinlein—survived in cultural memory.
Wrapping Up
“Invisible Death” stands as competent pulp fiction: entertaining but not profound, clever but not brilliant, energetic but not artful. It delivered exactly what Astounding’s readers wanted: mystery, spectacle, super-science, and a satisfying resolution.
The story’s limitations are instructive. Its pseudo-science reveals the gap between scientific romance’s theatrical explanations and harder SF’s rigour. Its treatment of the triplets shows pulp fiction’s casual ethics, with narrative convenience trumping moral consideration. Furthermore, its characterisation demonstrates functional adequacy rather than deep psychological depth.
Yet, within these limitations, “Invisible Death” succeeds. The mystery structure provides satisfying detective work, the invisibility device creates spectacular scenes, the chase sequence builds genuine tension, and the resolution ties all the threads together. Pelcher certainly delivered for readers wanting fast-paced adventure with scientific trappings.
The invisibility device, the triplet twist, and the chase sequence remain entertaining nearly a century later. This is testament to pulp fiction’s enduring appeal when done competently.
Other stories from Astounding Stories
More Works invisible enemies:
Another vintage pulp magazine:
Science Wonder Stories, Vol. 1, No. 2
Original Astounding Stories issues at the Internet Archive.
Disclaimer: The story featured on this page is in the public domain. However, the original authorship, magazine credits, and any associated illustrations remain the property of their respective creators, illustrators and publishers. This material is provided for informational and educational purposes only and may not be used for commercial sale.