Subject to Change

"Subject to Change" by Ron Goulart is a science fiction story set in the 1960s, focusing on strange ideas about identity and change. The book looks at discovering who you are and what is real through a weird and unique storytelling style. It's mostly about how people change their bodies and what that means for love and how society works. The story is about Pendleton, who comes back to San Francisco after being away for two months and wants to see his girlfriend, Beth. But things get crazy when he finds out Beth can turn into different things, like objects and animals, and she uses this power to steal and try new things. Pendleton is confused and struggles with Beth's transformations and her strong need to be free and express herself. Their relationship faces problems as Pendleton tries to understand why Beth needs to change and what happens because of it, leading to a big, sad fight that questions who they really are.