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"Letter to Ellen" is a 5000-word short story by Chan Davis, about a man who works on advanced biological research. The story was first published in the June, 1947 issue of Astounding Science Fiction.

Spoiler Warning: Plot details and/or information about the ending follow. If you wish to enjoy the work first, stop reading here and return at another time.

Plot

Dick is writing a long letter to his girlfriend Ellen, telling a story about he and his friend Ray, who got jobs working in a biological research laboratory. Their work entails developing animal cells, but Ray does some snooping around and finds out that in fact these are human cells, which are then being used to make whole people. Ray is shocked by this; but later the boss calls him in and explains that he, Ray, is himself a synthetic man. Ray cannot handle this news, and kills himself. Dick ends the letter by telling Ellen that he, Dick, is also synthetic, but he hopes she will be willing to marry him anyway.

Additional Notes

This story has been reprinted in, among other places, Isaac Asimov Presents The Great SF Stories 9 (1947).