Family Tree

In Short

This science fiction story follows Masefield Truggles, a man driven by a compulsive need to expose and drive out those he deems morally "different." When he targets Blan Forsythe, a local resident rumored to keep a harem, he uncovers a shocking biological reality: Forsythe is a tetraploid, a "superman" whose existence challenges the very definition of humanity. The narrative explores the collision between rigid social conformity and the unstoppable, alien nature of progress. It endures as a sharp, unsettling character study on the fragility of human ego when faced with true superiority.

The Story

Masefield Truggles, a man defined by his obsessive need to "reform" or remove those who deviate from his narrow moral code, arrives in the quiet town of Marston Hill. He quickly sets his sights on Blan Forsythe, a local man surrounded by rumors of polygamy. Truggles views Forsythe as a target for his "Social Standards Protective League," intending to dismantle the man’s reputation by leveraging the town's prejudices.

As Truggles investigates, he encounters Forsythe’s former wife, Phyllis Allison, and her son, Donald. He dismisses their claims that the boy possesses an extraordinary "Power," viewing it as the delusion of a neglected woman. However, as Truggles digs deeper, he learns from the local mayor and Dr. Alex Allison that Forsythe is no ordinary criminal. Forsythe is a tetraploid—a biological mutation with double the standard number of chromosomes—whom his associate, Dr. Allison, identifies as a superior species.

Forsythe, possessing a distinctive, liver-colored appearance, admits to his unconventional lifestyle, justifying it as a desperate search for a fertile mate to propagate his unique genetic line. While Truggles prepares to incite the town against him, a complex web of deception is revealed. Dr. Allison, who has been quietly sabotaging Forsythe’s reproductive efforts to keep Phyllis for himself, eventually confesses the truth during a climactic confrontation on Forsythe’s lawn. The boy, Donald, is revealed to be Forsythe's son—a second-generation hybrid and a true "superman."

When an angry mob arrives at the mansion to destroy the "monster," the young boy taps into a latent, transformative ability. He exerts a psychic "Power" that momentarily halts the violence, forcing the townspeople—including the fanatical Truggles—to experience a profound, transcendent sense of empathy and cosmic interconnectedness. The mob’s rage evaporates, replaced by an overwhelming, humbling beauty. Forsythe, realizing his purpose is fulfilled, decides to leave Marston Hill with his family. As they depart, Truggles is left behind, shattered and alone. He realizes that his lifelong quest to purge the world of "sin" was merely a mask for his own deep-seated feelings of inferiority. He finally understands that the evolutionary path has bypassed him entirely, leaving him to face the bitter, echoing silence of his own obsolescence.

How It Unfolds

The crusade begins Masefield Truggles arrives in Marston Hill with a history of destroying the lives of people he deems deviant. He immediately identifies the reclusive Blan Forsythe as his next target, fueled by local whispers of polygamy and moral depravity.

The biological secret Truggles learns from town officials that Forsythe is not merely a social rebel but a genetic anomaly. Scientists in the town reveal that Forsythe is a tetraploid, a species mutation that Forsythe believes represents the future of life on Earth.

The web of betrayal Truggles attempts to leverage Forsythe’s personal life against him, but he discovers that the town’s doctor has been manipulating Forsythe’s life for years. This internal sabotage prevented the "superman" from finding a compatible mate, all while the doctor hid the existence of Forsythe’s secret progeny.

The confrontation The townspeople, whipped into a frenzy by Truggles’ rhetoric, march on Forsythe’s mansion to demand retribution for his perceived sins. The tension peaks when the young boy, Donald, manifests a psychic force that forcibly shifts the consciousness of the entire crowd.

The aftermath of transcendence The mob’s violence is neutralized by a vision of universal beauty and unity that transcends human ego. Forsythe and his family depart to find their own kind, leaving Truggles to grapple with the realization that he is a relic of an inferior past.

The People

Masefield Truggles is the story’s antagonist, a man whose "righteous" exterior masks a pathetic, desperate core. He wants to be a moral arbiter to soothe his own sense of inadequacy, which stems from a past romantic rejection. He ends up hollow, broken by the knowledge that the world he tried to control has rendered him irrelevant.

Blan Forsythe is the "tetraploid" man, a figure of stoic, alien grace. He wants only to reproduce his superior kind to ensure the survival of his species. He is indifferent to the town’s morality but deeply lonely, and he eventually finds peace by reuniting with the family he thought he had lost.

Dr. Alex Allison is the pragmatic, opportunistic physician who knows Forsythe’s true nature. He wants to possess Phyllis Allison for himself, which drives him to sabotage Forsythe’s reproductive success. He ends up defeated by his own jealousy, forced to yield his wife and stepson to their true father.

Phyllis Allison is a woman caught between two worlds. She wants to be with the man she recognizes as extraordinary, but she is constrained by the manipulations of her second husband. By the end, she embraces her role as the mother of the new, superior generation.

Donald is the son of Forsythe and Phyllis. He is the "superman" whose potential is realized when he uses his "Power" to stop the mob. He represents the future, appearing as a bridge between the biological reality of his father and the humanity of his mother.

In Its Own Voice

"You mean man tampers with the basic laws of nature?"

Truggles asks this of the mayor, revealing his deep, instinctual fear of the scientific progress Forsythe embodies.

"Do you think a mouse could understand a man's ability to reason, to talk, to build machines?"

Dr. Allison uses this analogy to explain to Truggles the insurmountable gap between normal humans and the mutated Forsythe.

"Does a mouse have the right to question the motives of a man?"

One of Forsythe’s wives challenges Truggles, turning his own logic regarding human superiority back upon him.

What It's Really About

The book is a dark exploration of human mediocrity and the fear of the unknown. It argues that morality is often just a weapon used by the inferior to strike at the superior. Through the lens of "cataclysmic evolution," the narrative questions whether human history is simply a series of stepping stones toward something better, and how those left behind react to their own obsolescence. It specifically tackles the conflict between the "good" as defined by social convention and the "good" defined by biological progress, suggesting that the former is a fragile, petty illusion in the face of true, cosmic advancement.

Why Read It Today

This story is a haunting, compact piece of mid-century science fiction that reads like a psychological thriller. Readers who enjoy character-driven speculative fiction—where the "alien" is not a visitor from space, but a mutation born from within—will find it deeply compelling. The writing is precise and carries a cold, analytical tone that mirrors Truggles’ own clinical obsession with "fixing" others.

It is worth noting that the text reflects the period's specific, mid-1950s social attitudes, particularly in its portrayals of marriage, domesticity, and the gender dynamics of the era. These elements are not incidental; they serve as the very bedrock of Truggles’ worldview, which makes his eventual collapse feel all the more earned. The book does not shy away from the ugliness of its protagonist, and there is a distinct, sharp satisfaction in watching his moral certainty crumble. If you are interested in the thin line between moral crusading and simple, human spite, this story offers a stark, memorable look at that boundary. It stays with you because it forces you to consider the uncomfortable possibility that we are all, in some way, the "mice" staring up at a future we cannot possibly hope to comprehend.