Larry Niven’s Gil Hamilton and Long ARM of the Law is Here

A 64-year-old woman has reported to doctors at Geneva University Hospital the presence of a pale, milky-white and translucent third arm.

After examining the case, the woman’s neurologist, Asaid Khateb of the hospital’s experimental neurophysiology laboratory, called the rare phenomenon credible.

The arm appeared to the woman a few days after suffering a stroke, doctors said. But this case of what is known as a supernumerary phantom limb (SPL) is a genuine head-scratcher

The upshot is that the woman can use the apparitional extremity to relieve very real itches on the cheek. It cannot penetrate solid objects. She does not always perceive the arm but “retrieves” it when needed, doctors told the Swiss news agency.

It is nevertheless the first case known to doctors of a person being able to feel, see and deliberately move a limb that doesn’t exist. The findings are published in the Annals of Neurology.

Of course the third arm still can’t penetrate solid objects and the UN hasn’t taken over the government and isn’t sentencing tax cheats and jaywalkers to the organ banks.

Yet.

I actually have that cover which always makes me wince at just how low the standards for cover art were at Del Rey then. When your cover can be duplicated by a six year old with too much sugar, it’s time to rethink your cover art.