Replacements (short story)

Summary

As Stuart commences his walk to work, he notices an animal "about the size of a cat, naked looking, with leathery, hairless skin and thin, spiky limbs that seemed too frail to support the bulbous, ill-proportioned body." Disgusted and horrified by the appearance of this animal, he crushes it with his foot. Immediately, he is remorseful and his first instinct is to call his wife Jenny. Since he is not sure what her reaction will be, he waits to call her at the normal time in the afternoon. She is not able to take his call and does not return the call either. Stuart calls again, only to find that she has left work early. This, being unlike her, worries Stuart and he returns home as soon as possible.

Once home, he finds that Jenny brought one of the "creatures" with her. Stuart shows strong dislike towards the creature and wants Jenny to get rid of it. The two argue about what to do with Jenny's new "pet" but never come to a resolution. The creature begins taking up more of Jenny's time and attention. She also does abnormal activities with the creature (letting it drink blood from her). As this progresses, Stuart is regarded less and less and becomes very distanced from Jenny. Eventually, Jenny says that she is going to keep it whether Stuart likes it or not. Stuart then decides that he cannot live with the creature and the woman Jenny has become, and he moves out.

He begins to notice these creatures more and more. The women at work, women on the streets - everyone seemed to have one of these creatures. One evening while on his way home from work, he notices a woman sitting opposite with a gold chain that brings back memories. After leaving the train at the same stop as the woman, he strives to come up with something to say, but he sees the chain linked to one of the "pets" he despises and immediately lets her walk away. He absentmindedly walks to his old house where he sees the creature longing to be outside and he longing to be in.

Gothic elements

Gothic elements are evident in this short story. They include domesticity, the uncanny, and perversity - all of which can be found in this story and explained in the book by Alan Lloyd-Smith, American Gothic Fiction. Tuttle uses these gothic elements to show how a marital relationship changes drastically by the introduction of a new element.

About the author

Tuttle is known for her work in the science fiction, fantasy and horror stories genres. She often includes aspects of feminism and specifically feminist science fiction in her writing. Her award-winning short stories often feature strong-willed women (much like Tuttle herself) questioning their lives, identities and gender issues with a probing, insightful reverence. David Barrett, City Limits (UK) once said of Tuttle’s stories, "Her stories are emotionally uncomfortable… they’re powerful, they’re brilliant, they hurt… and they’re very special. They not only make you think, they make you feel…"

Tuttle's feminist sci-fi short story features a husband's insecurities surfacing while a wife's independence strengthens as she claims a vampire pet for her very own. This story of replacing a husband was written just a few months after the birth of Tuttle's daughter.

Regarding the "Replacements", Tuttle says in an interview with M. M. Hall from Fantastic Metropolis: "My first post-natal story to deal with in any way with motherhood was “Replacements”, written when my daughter was only seven months old. Make of that what you will…".

Print history

"Replacements" is arguably one of Tuttle's best known stories and has been widely reprinted since being first published in 1992, both in Tuttle's own short story collections and various writers anthologies. It was also included on various "best of" anthologies in the year within its first publication:

Television