Copperhead by Gene Wolfe

“Copperhead” is a 2001 science fiction short story by Gene Wolfe. It is about a very powerful remote control held by the President of the United States.

Non-Spoiler Summary In A Nutshell:

“Copperhead” follows the President of the United States as he learns of the suicide of one of his colleagues. In order to get control of the situation he has the Secret Service bring in two women. One of them is let off easy, but the other one gets a little bit of a history lesson as he explains to her where she really came from, and how she got here.

The telephone in the study rang ten minutes before the news came on. The new President picked it up and said hello.

“Mister President?”

“Speaking.” Only eighteen people were supposed to have the number. For an instant, the new President wondered how many actually did.

“This is Marsha. Boone’s killed himself.”

My Two Cents:

• The good:

• Gene Wolfe is an awesome writer! Sure, his stories are bizarre, but they are just so darn unique how can you not like them?
• “Copperhead” is one of those stories that gets better when you read it again. (Knowing a few of those end-game facts really helps out!)

• The bad:

• There is only a very slight science fictional element in this story, and you have to pay close attention to get it.
• If you already know that you don’t like Gene Wolfe’s style, then skip this one - because it is similar to a lot of other stuff he’s written.

Fact Sheet:

• Page Count: 6
• Word Count: 2,653

Where you can find “Copperhead”:

• This short story first appeared on SciFiction.
• “Copperhead” is also included in Gene Wolfe’s collection of short stories Innocents Aboard: New Fantasy Stories.
• You can still read it online for free at SciFiction.

Some Interesting Links:

• If you like this story you can read a review of Gene Wolfe’s book Innocents Aboard: New Fantasy Stories at Strange Horizons.
• Did you know that there is a website devoted entirely to the study of Gene Wolfe’s writings? Yep. Check it out at Ultan’s Library.

Craving More Stories?
If you enjoyed this story then you might also like Heaven, As Built By Tackleby Ames, about a rich old jerk who builds a computer in which he can spend eternity, by Bart Meehan.

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