The novel “The Beast”, also known as “Moonbeast”, by A.E. van Vogt was published for the first time in 1963, fixing up stories published in previous years.

Jim Pendrake lives a secluded life after fighting in the war and losing an arm in the crash of his airplane. When he finds a strange engine that seems much more efficient than the ones he knows very well, he can’t help but wonder who could have designed it. His investigations are discreet, but not sufficiently so.

In addition to its extraordinary performance, the engine seems to have strange effects on Jim Pendrake. His physical strength seems to increase, and he notices that his missing arm has started growing back. However, someone seems determined to get their hands on it at all costs. Jim and his wife are separated, but when she gets threatened to force him to hand over the engine, Jim realizes he’s crossed paths with a powerful organization.