"He" is a Science Fiction Adventure Thriller short story by Alan Dean Foster, first published in The Magazine Of Fantasy And Science Fiction in 1976 and then re-published in Foster's 1977 anthology With Friends Like These…
The story tells of how oceanographer Dr. Woodruth Poplar ends up encountering in an atoll in American Samoa a creature thought to have been extinct for millions of years, a Megalodon.
Tropes
- The Ageless: The stories opening explains that He has survived for millions of years.
- An Arm and a Leg: Dr. Poplar ends up surviving his encounter with the Megalodon, at the cost of his right foot.
- Artistic License – Biology: The Megalodon has somehow been alive for millions of years. Even the oldest organisms on earth (some species of trees) are are only in the thousands, and the oldest known shark is less than 400 years old.
- God Guise: The Polynesian people fear and revere the Megalodon as something akin to a god.
- Graceful Until She Speaks: A downplayed example. Elaine is described as being an extremely beautiful woman, with blue eyes, auburn hair, and delicate facial features described as "elfin" — and a "pure Brooklyn" accent which tends to somewhat blur the "elfin illusion". Poplar, however, is only disconcerted by this the first time he hears her.
- Last of His Kind: He (the Megalodon) is the last of his kind, having outlived the rest for millions of years.
- One-Word Title: Secondary Character Title referencing He, the name of the Megalodon that the protagonist finds.
- Sea Monster: He is a Megalodon, a gigantic prehistoric shark.
- Satellite Love Interest: Elaine, Poplar’s receptionist who accompanies him on his dives at the atoll.
- Secondary Character Title: He is the name of the Megalodon.
- Threatening Shark: He is feared by all other creatures and the sight of him installs a primal terror in humans.