Tillie

"Tillie" by Rog Phillips is a science fiction story from the 1940s about brilliant college professors who stumble upon 'tellecarbon,' a metal that reacts to thoughts and emotions, sparking an incredible advancement when they build a spaceship using it to journey to other planets. Woven into this tale of invention and exploration are light-hearted moments and romantic entanglements, as Bill Halley and his team learn to navigate not only the cosmos but also their own feelings, especially with the arrival of Lahoma Rice. The story takes unexpected turns as the tellecarbon takes on a life of its own, which makes the characters work together not only to pilot the ship they create and travel through space, but also to keep their emotions in check amongst themselves and the sentient metal now called, "Tillie", as they learn the value of love, friendship, and understanding.