Title: Disappearing Act

Title: Disappearing Act Title Record # 40430
Author: Alfred Bester
Date: 1953-00-00
Type: SHORTFICTION
Length: short story
Language: English

Note: There were two stories called "Disappearing Act" published in 1953. One by Alfred Bester and the other by Richard Matheson. Unfortunately, this created considerable confusion and many sources report this as a single story written by both authors.

Synopsis: During the War for the American Dream in the near future, a group of hospitalized veterans exhibit a novel way to escape from their traumatic reality.

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Current Tags: time travel (1), near future (1), social commentary (1), satire (1), war (1), only humans (1), only Earth (1), fantasy (1), alternate universes (1) Add Tags

Other Titles

Translations

Year	Language	Title
1961^ⓘTranslated by P. J. Izabelle	French	On demande poète...
1966	Italian	La scomparsa
1967^ⓘTranslated by Ю. Абызов (Yu. Abyzov)	Russian	Феномен исчезновения^?Fenomen ischeznoveniya [as by Альфред Бестер^?Al'fred Bester ]
1973^ⓘTranslated by Warner Flamen	Dutch	De verdwijntruc
1975^ⓘTranslated by P. J. Izabelle	French	Un numéro d'escamotage^?Un numero d'escamotage
1976^ⓘTranslated by Walter Brumm	German	Die Nummer mit dem Verschwinden
1978^ⓘTranslated by Uwe Anton	German	Verschwindibus
1984	Spanish	Numero de desaparición
2000^ⓘTranslated by 伊藤典夫(Itō Norio)	Japanese	消失トリック^?しょうしつトリック Shōshitsu Torikku Shoushitsu Torikku [as by アルフレッド・ベスター^?Arufureddo Busutā Arufureddo Busutaa ]
2002^ⓘTranslated by Fabio Feminò	Italian	Diserzione Finale

Publications

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Title	Date	Author/Editor	Publisher/Pub. Series	ISBN/Catalog ID	Price	Pages	Format	Type	Cover Artist
Star Science Fiction Stories No. 2	1953-12-00	ed. Frederik Pohl	Ballantine Books	H-55	$2.00^?$: US dollar	[4]+ 195+ [2]	hc^?Hardcover. Used for all hardbacks of any size.	anth	Richard Powers
Star Science Fiction Stories No. 2	1953-12-00	ed. Frederik Pohl	Ballantine Books	55	$0.35^?$: US dollar	[8]+ 195	pb^?Paperback. Typically 7" by 4.25" (18 cm by 11 cm) or smaller, though trimming errors can cause them to sometimes be slightly (less than 1/4 extra inch) taller or wider/deeper.	anth	Richard Powers
New Worlds Science Fiction, #29 November 1954	1954-11-00	ed. John Carnell	Nova Publications Ltd.		1/6^?Prior to decimilisation (1968-1971), UK books were priced in shillings, or shillings and pence, where 20 shillings equals one pound and 12 old pence equals one shilling. Shillings were indicated with a variety of suffixes, e.g. 3s, 3', 3", 3/ all mean 3 shillings. Any number after that is additional pence, usually 6 (half a shilling) but sometimes 3 or 9 (a quarter of a shilling or three-quarters of a shilling).	128	digest^?Digest-size magazine, including both standard digest size, at about 7" by 4.5", and also large digest, such as recent issues of Asimov's, which are about 8.25" by 5.125".	mag	Gerard Quinn
Starburst	1958-05-00	Alfred Bester	Signet / New American Library	S1524	$0.35^?$: US dollar	160	pb^?Paperback. Typically 7" by 4.25" (18 cm by 11 cm) or smaller, though trimming errors can cause them to sometimes be slightly (less than 1/4 extra inch) taller or wider/deeper.	coll	Richard Powers
Star of Stars	1960-10-00	ed. Frederik Pohl	Doubleday		$3.50^?$: US dollar	240	hc^?Hardcover. Used for all hardbacks of any size.	anth	Eric Carle
Star of Stars	1961-01-00	ed. Frederik Pohl	Doubleday / SFBC		$1.20^?$: US dollar	240	hc^?Hardcover. Used for all hardbacks of any size.	anth	Eric Carle
Star Science Fiction Stories No. 2	1962-00-00	ed. Frederik Pohl	Ballantine Books	612	$0.35^?$: US dollar	196	pb^?Paperback. Typically 7" by 4.25" (18 cm by 11 cm) or smaller, though trimming errors can cause them to sometimes be slightly (less than 1/4 extra inch) taller or wider/deeper.	anth	Richard Powers
Star of Stars	1964-00-00	ed. Frederik Pohl	Ballantine Books	U2171	$0.50^?$: US dollar	224	pb^?Paperback. Typically 7" by 4.25" (18 cm by 11 cm) or smaller, though trimming errors can cause them to sometimes be slightly (less than 1/4 extra inch) taller or wider/deeper.	anth	Richard Powers
Star of Stars	1964-00-00	ed. Frederik Pohl	Ballantine Books	U2171	C$0.50^?C$: Canadian dollar	224	pb^?Paperback. Typically 7" by 4.25" (18 cm by 11 cm) or smaller, though trimming errors can cause them to sometimes be slightly (less than 1/4 extra inch) taller or wider/deeper.	anth	Richard Powers
Connoisseur's Science Fiction	1964-00-00	ed. Tom Boardman	Penguin Books	2223	3/6^?Prior to decimilisation (1968-1971), UK books were priced in shillings, or shillings and pence, where 20 shillings equals one pound and 12 old pence equals one shilling. Shillings were indicated with a variety of suffixes, e.g. 3s, 3', 3", 3/ all mean 3 shillings. Any number after that is additional pence, usually 6 (half a shilling) but sometimes 3 or 9 (a quarter of a shilling or three-quarters of a shilling).	234	pb^?Paperback. Typically 7" by 4.25" (18 cm by 11 cm) or smaller, though trimming errors can cause them to sometimes be slightly (less than 1/4 extra inch) taller or wider/deeper.	anth
Starburst	1965-04-00	Alfred Bester	Signet / New American Library of Canada	D2672	C$0.50^?C$: Canadian dollar	160	pb^?Paperback. Typically 7" by 4.25" (18 cm by 11 cm) or smaller, though trimming errors can cause them to sometimes be slightly (less than 1/4 extra inch) taller or wider/deeper.	coll	Richard Powers
Starburst	1965-04-00	Alfred Bester	Signet / New American Library	D2672	$0.50^?$: US dollar	160	pb^?Paperback. Typically 7" by 4.25" (18 cm by 11 cm) or smaller, though trimming errors can cause them to sometimes be slightly (less than 1/4 extra inch) taller or wider/deeper.	coll	Richard Powers
Connoisseur's Science Fiction	1966-00-00	ed. Tom Boardman	Penguin Books (US)	2223	$0.95^?$: US dollar	234	pb^?Paperback. Typically 7" by 4.25" (18 cm by 11 cm) or smaller, though trimming errors can cause them to sometimes be slightly (less than 1/4 extra inch) taller or wider/deeper.	anth
Star Fourteen	1966-00-00	ed. Frederik Pohl	Whiting & Wheaton		21/-^?Prior to decimilisation (1968-1971), UK books were priced in shillings, or shillings and pence, where 20 shillings equals one pound and 12 old pence equals one shilling. Shillings were indicated with a variety of suffixes, e.g. 3s, 3', 3", 3/ all mean 3 shillings. Any number after that is additional pence, usually 6 (half a shilling) but sometimes 3 or 9 (a quarter of a shilling or three-quarters of a shilling).	240	hc^?Hardcover. Used for all hardbacks of any size.	anth
Connoisseur's Science Fiction	1966-00-00	ed. Tom Boardman	Penguin Books	2223	3/6^?Prior to decimilisation (1968-1971), UK books were priced in shillings, or shillings and pence, where 20 shillings equals one pound and 12 old pence equals one shilling. Shillings were indicated with a variety of suffixes, e.g. 3s, 3', 3", 3/ all mean 3 shillings. Any number after that is additional pence, usually 6 (half a shilling) but sometimes 3 or 9 (a quarter of a shilling or three-quarters of a shilling).	234	pb^?Paperback. Typically 7" by 4.25" (18 cm by 11 cm) or smaller, though trimming errors can cause them to sometimes be slightly (less than 1/4 extra inch) taller or wider/deeper.	anth
The Starlit Corridor	1967-00-00	ed. Roger Mansfield	Pergamon Press Ltd.		21/-^?Prior to decimilisation (1968-1971), UK books were priced in shillings, or shillings and pence, where 20 shillings equals one pound and 12 old pence equals one shilling. Shillings were indicated with a variety of suffixes, e.g. 3s, 3', 3", 3/ all mean 3 shillings. Any number after that is additional pence, usually 6 (half a shilling) but sometimes 3 or 9 (a quarter of a shilling or three-quarters of a shilling).	xi+ 145	hc^?Hardcover. Used for all hardbacks of any size.	anth
The Starlit Corridor	1967-00-00	ed. Roger Mansfield	Pergamon Press Ltd.		$2.00^?$: US dollar	145	tp^?Trade paperback. Any softcover book which is at least 7.25" (or 19 cm) tall, or at least 4.5" (11.5 cm) wide/deep.	anth
The Starlit Corridor	1967-00-00	ed. Roger Mansfield	Pergamon Press Ltd.	0-08-303370-X		xii+ 145	tp^?Trade paperback. Any softcover book which is at least 7.25" (or 19 cm) tall, or at least 4.5" (11.5 cm) wide/deep.	anth
The Starlit Corridor	1967-00-00	ed. Roger Mansfield	Pergamon Press Ltd.		$4.00^?$: US dollar	xi+ 145	hc^?Hardcover. Used for all hardbacks of any size.	anth
Star Fourteen	1968-00-00	ed. Frederik Pohl	Pan Books	0-330-02043-9	5/-^?Prior to decimilisation (1968-1971), UK books were priced in shillings, or shillings and pence, where 20 shillings equals one pound and 12 old pence equals one shilling. Shillings were indicated with a variety of suffixes, e.g. 3s, 3', 3", 3/ all mean 3 shillings. Any number after that is additional pence, usually 6 (half a shilling) but sometimes 3 or 9 (a quarter of a shilling or three-quarters of a shilling).	236	pb^?Paperback. Typically 7" by 4.25" (18 cm by 11 cm) or smaller, though trimming errors can cause them to sometimes be slightly (less than 1/4 extra inch) taller or wider/deeper.	anth
Starburst	1968-10-00	Alfred Bester	Sphere Books	16071	5/-^?Prior to decimilisation (1968-1971), UK books were priced in shillings, or shillings and pence, where 20 shillings equals one pound and 12 old pence equals one shilling. Shillings were indicated with a variety of suffixes, e.g. 3s, 3', 3", 3/ all mean 3 shillings. Any number after that is additional pence, usually 6 (half a shilling) but sometimes 3 or 9 (a quarter of a shilling or three-quarters of a shilling).	158	pb^?Paperback. Typically 7" by 4.25" (18 cm by 11 cm) or smaller, though trimming errors can cause them to sometimes be slightly (less than 1/4 extra inch) taller or wider/deeper.	coll
Starburst	1970-12-00	Alfred Bester	Signet / New American Library of Canada	T4460	C$0.75^?C$: Canadian dollar	160	pb^?Paperback. Typically 7" by 4.25" (18 cm by 11 cm) or smaller, though trimming errors can cause them to sometimes be slightly (less than 1/4 extra inch) taller or wider/deeper.	coll	Bob Pepper
Star Science Fiction Stories No. 2	1972-11-00	ed. Frederik Pohl	Ballantine Books	0-345-02718-3	C$0.95^?C$: Canadian dollar	195	pb^?Paperback. Typically 7" by 4.25" (18 cm by 11 cm) or smaller, though trimming errors can cause them to sometimes be slightly (less than 1/4 extra inch) taller or wider/deeper.	anth	John Berkey
Star Science Fiction Stories No. 2	1972-11-00	ed. Frederik Pohl	Ballantine Books	0-345-02718-3	$0.95^?$: US dollar	195	pb^?Paperback. Typically 7" by 4.25" (18 cm by 11 cm) or smaller, though trimming errors can cause them to sometimes be slightly (less than 1/4 extra inch) taller or wider/deeper.	anth	John Berkey
Other Dimensions: Ten Stories of Science Fiction	1973-00-00	ed. Robert Silverberg	Hawthorn Books		$5.95^?$: US dollar	ix+ 178	hc^?Hardcover. Used for all hardbacks of any size.	anth	Tetsu Constructions
Starburst	1973-03-00	Alfred Bester	Sphere Books	0-7221-1610-1	£0.30^?£: UK pound	158	pb^?Paperback. Typically 7" by 4.25" (18 cm by 11 cm) or smaller, though trimming errors can cause them to sometimes be slightly (less than 1/4 extra inch) taller or wider/deeper.	coll	Colin Hay
Political Science Fiction: An Introductory Reader	1974-00-00	ed. Martin Harry Greenberg, Patricia S. Warrick	Prentice-Hall	0-13-685396-X	$5.95^?$: US dollar	x+ 415	tp^?Trade paperback. Any softcover book which is at least 7.25" (or 19 cm) tall, or at least 4.5" (11.5 cm) wide/deep.	anth
Science Fact/Fiction	1974-00-00	ed. Edmund J. Farrell, Thomas E. Gage, John Pfordresher, Raymond J. Rodrigues	Scott, Foresman and Company (The Man in Literature Program)	0-673-03407-0		xv+ 394	tp^?Trade paperback. Any softcover book which is at least 7.25" (or 19 cm) tall, or at least 4.5" (11.5 cm) wide/deep.	anth	Jack Youngerman
Political Science Fiction: An Introductory Reader	1974-01-00	ed. Martin Harry Greenberg, Patricia S. Warrick	Prentice-Hall	0-13-685404-4	$9.95^?$: US dollar	x+ 415	hc^?Hardcover. Used for all hardbacks of any size.	anth
Other Dimensions	1974-09-00	ed. Robert Silverberg	Pinnacle Books	0-523-00422-2	$0.95^?$: US dollar	ix+ 178	pb^?Paperback. Typically 7" by 4.25" (18 cm by 11 cm) or smaller, though trimming errors can cause them to sometimes be slightly (less than 1/4 extra inch) taller or wider/deeper.	anth	Colin Hay
Connoisseur's Science Fiction	1976-02-00	ed. Tom Boardman	Penguin Books	0-14-002223-6	£0.60^?£: UK pound	233+ [1]	pb^?Paperback. Typically 7" by 4.25" (18 cm by 11 cm) or smaller, though trimming errors can cause them to sometimes be slightly (less than 1/4 extra inch) taller or wider/deeper.	anth	Bob Fowke
The Light Fantastic: The Great Short Fiction of Alfred Best Volume I	1976-04-00	Alfred Bester	Berkley/Putnam	0-399-11614-1	$7.95^?$: US dollar	254	hc^?Hardcover. Used for all hardbacks of any size.	coll	Richard Powers
Starlight: The Great Short Fiction of Alfred Bester	1976-12-00	Alfred Bester	Nelson Doubleday / SFBC	3140	$3.98^?$: US dollar	409	hc^?Hardcover. Used for all hardbacks of any size.	omni	Jack Woolhiser
The Light Fantastic	1977-05-00	Alfred Bester	Gollancz	0-575-02294-9	£4.30^?£: UK pound	254	hc^?Hardcover. Used for all hardbacks of any size.	coll
Starburst	1977-06-00	Alfred Bester	Pan Books	0-330-25111-2	£0.60^?£: UK pound	155	pb^?Paperback. Typically 7" by 4.25" (18 cm by 11 cm) or smaller, though trimming errors can cause them to sometimes be slightly (less than 1/4 extra inch) taller or wider/deeper.	coll	Gino D'Achille
Starlight: The Great Short Fiction of Alfred Bester	1977-07-00	Alfred Bester	Berkley Medallion	0-425-03451-8	$1.95^?$: US dollar	452	pb^?Paperback. Typically 7" by 4.25" (18 cm by 11 cm) or smaller, though trimming errors can cause them to sometimes be slightly (less than 1/4 extra inch) taller or wider/deeper.	omni	Richard Powers
The End of Summer: Science Fiction of the Fifties	1979-06-00	ed. Barry N. Malzberg, Bill Pronzini	Ace Books (An Analog Book)	0-441-20657-3	$1.95^?$: US dollar	[8]+ 311	pb^?Paperback. Typically 7" by 4.25" (18 cm by 11 cm) or smaller, though trimming errors can cause them to sometimes be slightly (less than 1/4 extra inch) taller or wider/deeper.	anth	David Egge
The Light Fantastic: The Great Short Fiction of Alfred Bester Volume 1	1979-07-00	Alfred Bester	Fontana	0-00-615281-3	£0.95^?£: UK pound	223	pb^?Paperback. Typically 7" by 4.25" (18 cm by 11 cm) or smaller, though trimming errors can cause them to sometimes be slightly (less than 1/4 extra inch) taller or wider/deeper.	coll	Tim White
The Fifties: The End of Summer	1979-12-00	ed. Barry N. Malzberg, Bill Pronzini	Baronet Publishing Co. (A Baronet/Analog Book)	0-89437-073-1	$5.95^?$: US dollar	311	tp^?Trade paperback. Any softcover book which is at least 7.25" (or 19 cm) tall, or at least 4.5" (11.5 cm) wide/deep.	anth	Segrelles
Starburst	1980-03-00	Alfred Bester	Signet / New American Library	0-451-09132-9	$1.75^?$: US dollar	160	pb^?Paperback. Typically 7" by 4.25" (18 cm by 11 cm) or smaller, though trimming errors can cause them to sometimes be slightly (less than 1/4 extra inch) taller or wider/deeper.	coll	Bob Pepper
Starburst	1980-03-00	Alfred Bester	Signet / New American Library of Canada	0-451-09132-9	C$1.95^?C$: Canadian dollar	160	pb^?Paperback. Typically 7" by 4.25" (18 cm by 11 cm) or smaller, though trimming errors can cause them to sometimes be slightly (less than 1/4 extra inch) taller or wider/deeper.	coll	Bob Pepper
Virtual Unrealities: The Short Fiction of Alfred Bester	1997-11-00	Alfred Bester	Topeka Bindery	1-4177-1932-X	$17.92^?$: US dollar		hc^?Hardcover. Used for all hardbacks of any size.	coll
Virtual Unrealities: The Short Fiction of Alfred Bester	1997-11-00	Alfred Bester	Vintage Books	0-679-76783-5	$14.00^?$: US dollar	xiii+ 366	tp^?Trade paperback. Any softcover book which is at least 7.25" (or 19 cm) tall, or at least 4.5" (11.5 cm) wide/deep.	coll	Evan Gaffney
Virtual Unrealities: The Short Fiction of Alfred Bester	1998-08-00	Alfred Bester	Vintage Books / SFBC	1-56865-805-2 / 17770	$10.98^?$: US dollar	366	hc^?Hardcover. Used for all hardbacks of any size.	coll
The SFWA Grand Masters, Volume Two	2000-04-00	ed. Frederik Pohl	Tor	0-312-86879-0	$25.95^?$: US dollar	432	hc^?Hardcover. Used for all hardbacks of any size.	anth
The SFWA Grand Masters, Volume 2	2001-04-00	ed. Frederik Pohl	Tor	0-312-86878-2	$15.95^?$: US dollar	432	tp^?Trade paperback. Any softcover book which is at least 7.25" (or 19 cm) tall, or at least 4.5" (11.5 cm) wide/deep.	anth
Virtual Unrealities: The Short Fiction of Alfred Bester	2013-05-30	Alfred Bester	Byron Preiss Visual Publications	0-679-76783-5	$16.95^?$: US dollar		ebook^?Used for all electronic formats, including but not limited to EPUB, eReader, HTML, iBook, Mobipocket, and PDF.	coll	Evan Gaffney
Virtual Unrealities: The Short Fiction of Alfred Bester	date unknown	Alfred Bester	Vintage Books	978-0-679-76783-1	$16.95^?$: US dollar	xiii+ 366	tp^?Trade paperback. Any softcover book which is at least 7.25" (or 19 cm) tall, or at least 4.5" (11.5 cm) wide/deep.	coll	Evan Gaffney
Virtual Unrealities: The Short Fiction of Alfred Bester	date unknown	Alfred Bester	Vintage Books	0-679-76783-5	$14.00^?$: US dollar	xiii + 366	tp^?Trade paperback. Any softcover book which is at least 7.25" (or 19 cm) tall, or at least 4.5" (11.5 cm) wide/deep.	coll	Evan Gaffney
Starlight: The Great Short Fiction of Alfred Bester	date unknown	Alfred Bester	Berkley Medallion	0-425-03451-8	$1.95^?$: US dollar	452	pb^?Paperback. Typically 7" by 4.25" (18 cm by 11 cm) or smaller, though trimming errors can cause them to sometimes be slightly (less than 1/4 extra inch) taller or wider/deeper.	omni	Richard Powers
Starburst	date unknown	Alfred Bester	Signet / New American Library	T4460	$0.75^?$: US dollar	160	pb^?Paperback. Typically 7" by 4.25" (18 cm by 11 cm) or smaller, though trimming errors can cause them to sometimes be slightly (less than 1/4 extra inch) taller or wider/deeper.	coll	Bob Pepper

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