SOLVED. Science Fiction - Starving Alien Monsters story mentioned by C.S. Lewis. [s]

[Curtis]

C. S. Lewis summarized the story in "Of Other Worlds: Essays and Stories'...

"[Science Fiction] really does deal with issues far more serious than those realistic fiction deals with; real problems about human destiny and so on. Do you remember that story about the man who meets a female monster landed from another planet with all its cubs hanging round it? It’s obviously starving, and he offers them thing after thing to eat; they immediately vomit it up, until one of the young fastens on him, begins sucking his blood, and immediately begins to revive. This female creature is utterly unhuman, horrible in form; there’s a long moment when it looks at the man – they’re in a lonely place – and then very sadly it packs up its young, and goes back into its space-ship and goes away. Well now, you could not have a more serious theme than that. What is a footling story about some pair of human lovers compared with that?"

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

I wonder if this was something actually published, that exists. It sounds like something along the lines of "you know that story about the guy who...." and it turns out to be an urban legend.

[Sue]

This story definitely exists. I have read it in an anthology, possibly one of those Year’s Best ones, but I can’t remember when, it could be thirty or forty years ago. In fact I have actually been thinking of posting a query about it myself as I cannot remember either the title or author despite searching for it. I was not aware of the C. S. Lewis connection however. I hope someone out there has a better memory than me!

[Kris]

For others, the context of that quote seems to be a conversation between C.S. Lewis and Kingsley Amis and Brian Aldiss.

Here's the Google Books preview of C. S. Lewis Remembered: Collected Reflections of Students, Friends and Colleagues by Harry Lee Poe:
- https://books.google.com/books?id=Qsr... - Search for "monster"

[Genesistrine]

Food to All Flesh by Zenna Henderson - it's in the collection The Anything Box.

[Curtis]

Beautiful, Thanks!!!

[Sue]

And thank you from me too. I never thought of Zenna Henderson and I do have a copy of The Anything Box which I will now unearth.