Metamorphosis

"Metamorphosis" by Charles V. De Vet is a science fiction story from the early 1960s that follows Max Calof's hunt for his friend, Howard Zealley, who has dramatically changed because of an alien infection. Zealley gained huge powers from the infection, but it also corrupted him, and Max must follow the clues to understand the costs of this dark transformation. The story makes you think about what it means to be human and the dangers of playing with science, especially as Max faces difficult challenges and watches Howard become egotistical and twisted. The tension rises as Max struggles with the idea of their shared connection and the survival of everyone, and it all ends in a tough showdown that forces them to see how their choices have defined them.