| "The Adaptive Ultimate" | |
|---|---|
| Short story by Stanley G. Weinbaum | |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Science fiction |
| Publication | |
| Published in | Astounding Magazine |
| Publication date | November 1935 |
"The Adaptive Ultimate" is a science fiction short story by American writer Stanley G. Weinbaum, about an experimental medical treatment gone awry. It was first published in the November 1935 issue of Astounding magazine under the pen name "John Jessel". It was collected in various editions of A Martian Odyssey, as well as the 1979 The Best Of Stanley G. Weinbaum.[1]
The story was dramatized on the radio program Escape March 26, 1949 and later that year on the television program Studio One episode called "Kyra Zelas" (the name of the title character) aired on September 12, 1949. It was dramatized on June 20, 1952 on the television show Tales of Tomorrow under the title "The Miraculous Serum" (Season 1, Episode 38), and again on December 3, 1955 on the television show Science Fiction Theatre under the title "Beyond Return", starring Zachary Scott and Joan Vohs, with the story credited to John Jessel. A film version was released in 1957 as She Devil, starring Mari Blanchard, Jack Kelly, and Albert Dekker.
In the 1971 Astounding/Analog All-Time Poll, the story tied for 16th in the Pre-1940 Short Fiction classification.[2]