Arthur K Barnes & Henry Kuttner's "The Energy Eaters" (novelette, monster, free): When a human city was overrun with electricity eaters!

This is another "Hollywood on the Moon" story. Set mostly in the lunar city of Hollywood on the Moon, but no movie shooting here.

Image on the right is a picture of Henry Kuttner included with the original magazine publication of the story.

Story summary.

Gerry Carlyle, the interplanetary adventurer, is a headache for Nine Planet Films, Inc: whenever they release a movie featuring exotic life forms of other worlds, she goes there & brings back live animals to earth - so people prefer going to zoo rather than movie theater!

Anthony Quade of Nine Planet has an idea: to bribe her with an exotic alien animal no one has seen, in return for promise to not spoil the company's movie releases. To this end, he's captured some "Promethians", little furry-looking creatures from the "day side" of Mercury. Creatures that feed on electricity & radiation.

Before anyone can do anything, the cute little creatures overrun the city of Hollywood on the Moon, threatening the lives of everyone...

See also.

1. Fredric Brown's "The Waveries": Electricity eating alien invaders make use of electricity impossible on earth.

Fact sheet.

First published: Thrilling Wonder Stories, October 1939.
Read online at UNZ.
Rating: B.
Related: Stories of Henry Kuttner.