The Plagiarist

By Raymond Benson

A writer in the future travels back in time to write the big best-sellers before the real writers do in this "Twilight Zone"-style tale.

A short story by internationally-known author Raymond Benson.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Raymond Benson
• Release date: May 4, 2010
• ISBN: 9781458079169

Raymond Benson

Raymond Benson is the author of the original James Bond 007 novels The Man With The Red Tattoo, Never Dream Of Dying, DoubleShot, High Time To Kill, The Facts Of Death, and Zero Minus Ten. He also wrote the award-winning reference book The James Bond Bedside Companion, the mystery novel Evil Hours, has designed critically-acclaimed computer games, and spent over a decade directing theatre and composing music off-off and off-Broadway.

Book preview

THE PLAGIARIST

A Short Story

by

RAYMOND BENSON

© Copyright 1986 by Raymond Benson

Smashwords Edition

THE PLAGIARIST

From the window of the 48th floor office, the view of the city should have been marvelous. Instead, it was more like looking into thick, green soup.

It was one of the things Jonathan Baker really hated about New York now. The haze first appeared around 2022 on sweltering summer days and quickly worsened. By 2028, it had become a permanent fixture of the skyline. Indeed, New Yorkers aptly called it The Soup.

Jonathan compared the phenomenon to his own life during the past decade. His personal world had also changed from clear to murky in ten years. Now it, too, was filled with dark, green clouds of uncertainty and insecurity.

His nerves silently screamed as he sat waiting in the Paul Sheffield Literary Agency reception area. Jonathan hated to wait. The one good thing about visiting his agent, however, was that the building had a God-sent air conditioning system. The cool air blowing from the vent above his head felt good, but the delay was getting to him. Jonathan impatiently looked at his watch. He was shocked to see that he had been there only ten minutes—it had seemed more like thirty.

Damn that George Sheffield! thought Jonathan. The man always kept him waiting. Sheffield probably had more important clients to talk to. He was probably on the phone with his darling author Stanley Howard. Well, one day the top of the best seller list would feature a book by Jonathan Baker! One day he would be as important as Stanley Howard!

Jonathan allowed his daydreams to transport him back to the first day of junior high school English class, when his teacher had asked each student to stand and say a little about what they wanted to accomplish in life. Jonathan had made the class snicker when he