James Tiptree Jr., Raccoona Sheldon, & Alex are alternate personalities of Alice B. Sheldon (post 5), who dies in murder-suicide: But who is the killer?

Alternate personalities—e.g., James Tiptree Jr. and Raccoona Sheldon—are not puppets. Alternate personalities, by definition, and in practice, have minds of their own.

Another male alternate personality, Alex, is mentioned in Allie’s journal (1, p. 344), but since most people with multiple personality have more than three alters, there were, almost certainly, more alters behind the scenes.

For example, “Part of her whispered that suicide was the only logical response to her condition. Another part shouted, ‘Something inside me is trying to kill me. Help!’ ” (1, p. 342).

These “parts” were two additional alternate personalities, and one of them may have committed the double murder, the apparent murder-suicide, of Allie and her husband.

Whether such parts are seen as metaphors or alternate personalities may be a matter of life and death.

1. Julie Phillips. James Tiptree, Jr.: The Double Life of Alice B. Sheldon. New York, St. Martin’s Press, 2006.