Short Story Notes

“The Disintegration Machine” (1926) by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Characters: Malone Theodore Nemor Professor G.E. Challenger McArdle Time: Modern day, maybe 1920’s Place: London, England Circumstances: Editor of the Gazette asks Malone & Challenger to investigate Nemor's Disintegator. Malone & Challenger each have the machine demonstrated on themselves. Nemor has sold his idea to the Communists! Challenger tricks Nemor into being disintegrated by his own machine & saves the day! Sci Fi Categories & themes: Soft & Hard Sci Fi Man vs. man/Machine Technology (Steampunk?) “The Metal Man” (1928) by Jack Williamson Characters: Russell, Professor Thomas Kelvin, Captain McAndrews Time: Modern day, 1920’s? Place: Mexico Circumstances: Professor Kelvin’s monoplane is pulled into a crater as he explores for radium. Colorful gases and strange machines surround him. Kelvin observes lighted “creatures” who capture him. During the many hours Kelvin is there, he begins to turn slowly to metal. He finds many birds and animals already turned to metal. A violet berry’s juice slows the effects. He wakes suspended in the air with a strange blot on his chest and a scar on his side. He escapes with difficulty and writes his story down before turning fully to metal. Sci Fi Categories & themes: Medical Sci Fi Unexplained Phenomenon Mutation Fantastic Voyage Man vs. Aliens? or Machines? Hard Sci Fi? “Misfit” (1939) by Robert Heinlein Characters: Andrew Jackson “Pinky” Libby Captain Doyle McCoy – Gunner’s Mate Johnson – metalsmith Larsen – Marine Gunner Commander “Blackie” Rhodes – navigator Time: future Place: space (briefly on Earth in New Jersey, aboard a ship, on an asteroid) Circumstances: Cosmic Construction Corps take young men from Earth to complete work in space. Libby is on a ship assigned to transform an asteroid into a space station. Libby is a mathematical genius; his quick calculations help save the project from a disaster. The mission is a success! Sci Fi Categories & Themes: Space Exploration Military Sci Fi Future Sociological Sci Fi Hard Sci Fi? “Robbie” (1940) by Isaac Asimov Characters: Robbie Grace Weston Gloria Weston Mr. Struthers George Weston Time: 1998 (but a futuristic 1998) Place: New York City (mostly) Circumstances: Little girl named Gloria- her best friend is her babysitter robot Robbie. But Gloria's mom doesn't like the robot & gets rid of him. Gloria is depressed- doesn't like the dog they got to replace Robbie- The Westons will go to NYC to get Gloria’s mind off Robbie. George arranges a tour of a Robot Factory, and Robbie is there! Gloria is almost crushed running to Robbie-he saves her life! Sci Fi Categories & Themes: Future Sociological Sci Fi Robots Hard Sci Fi Artificial Intelligence Soft Sci Fi “Desertion” (1944) by Clifford Simak Characters: Kent Fowler, Towser, Miss Stanley, Harold Allen Time: future Place: Jupiter Circumstances: Man struggles to conquer Jupiter & must convert to a Jovian life form, the Loper, to exist in Jupiter’s atmosphere. Fowler tires of sending volunteers out to never return. He and his dog, Towser, are converted & discover life as a Loper is amazing, superior, full and exhilarating. They realize the others didn’t come back as a choice, and they too decide to keep this new, wonderful form. Sci Fi Categories & Themes: Future Self-Awareness Space Exploration Medical Sci Fi “That Only a Mother” (1948) by Judith Merril Characters: Margaret “Maggie” Marvell Hank Marvell – Tech Lieutenant Henrietta Time: 1953 Place: New York City Circumstances: Maggie is pregnant in a world where WW2 did not end in 1945. She has the baby while her husband is away on military assignment. The baby, Henrietta, can talk and sing at just a few months old, but she can’t crawl or roll over. When Hank finally gets home on leave, he discovers that his daughter has no arms or legs! His wife seems to not know this. Sci Fi Categories & Themes: Alternate History Sociological Sci Fi Mutation Hard Sci Fi Medical Sci Fi “The Exiles” (1950) by Ray Bradbury (1950) by Ray Bradbury Characters: Edgar Allan Poe Mr. Machen Mr. Marley Shakespeare & his characters Mr. Coppard Charles Dickens Captain of Rocket Santa Smith Ambrose Bierce Perse Blackwood Time: 2120 Place: Mars & aboard the rocketship Circumstances: In the year 2020, Earth banned and outlawed all imaginary stories and ideas. They only allow scientific facts. Somehow, imaginary creations and their authors exist on another plane; they have fled to Mars. Now, a rocket of Earthmen threatens to destroy them by burning the last copies of their books. Categories & Themes of Sci Fi: Sociological Sci Fi Future Alternate Dimensions/Planes Space Exploration “Death between the Stars” (1956) by Marion Zimmer Bradley Characters: Hallvamphrenan Helen Vargas Captain of Vesta Haalvordhen Crewman of Vesta Time: Future Place: aboard starship Vesta, on planet Samarra Circumstances: War is about to break out, and Helen needs to return to Terra. She shares a cabin aboard a starship with a nonhuman telepath. He is Haalvordhen, a Theradin from Samarra. This arrangement breaks galactic taboos; humans and nonhumans do not comingle, but there are also laws against discrimination. The Theradin is neglected and injured during the tip. Helen tries to help him, but he dies. Theradins enter the nearest living being upon their deaths. Helen-Haalvordhen now exists. Categories & Themes of Sci Fi: Sociological Sci Fi Space Exploration Future Aliens “The Ship Who Sang” (1961) by Anne McCaffrey Characters: Helva (834) Jennan Sylvia (422) Time: Future Place: Space, Central Worlds Circumstances: Helva was born deformed, but her mind was strong. She grew up as a “shell person” and became a ship (XH834) when she was 16. She and her 1st partner, Jennan, were an awesome team- Brain and Brawn, but Helva was devastated when Jennan was killed in an accident on a rescue mission. Categories & Themes of Sci Fi: Space Exploration Sociological Sci Fi Future Coming of Age Medical Sci Fi Soft Sci Fi “Repent, Harlequin!” Said the Ticktockman (1966) by Harlan Ellison Characters: The Harlequin- Everett C. Marm The TickTockman- Master Timekeeper Pretty Alice Time: 2389+ Place: North America? Circumstances: The society is dedicated to schedule and timeless; being late results in time revoked from your life. The Harlequin delights in disrupting the schedules, but he is caught. The Ticktockman, however, is late at the end of the story! Categories and Themes: Future Man vs. Society Sociological Sci Fi “The Electric Ant” (1969) by Philip K. Dick Characters: Time: 1992 (but with AI and flying cars!) Garson Poole Place: NYC Danceman Sarah Beaton Circumstances- Garson Poole wakes after a squib accident to discover he is an organic robot. He manipulates his reality tape to regain control of himself and experiences some fascinating “realities.” Categories and Themes of Sci Fi: Reality Sociological Sci Fi Artificial Intelligence Self-Awareness “The Sliced-Crosswise Only-on-Tuesday World” (1971) by Philip Jose Farmer Characters: Time: 2190? 2212? Tom Pym Jennie Marlowe Place: California Marble Curta Dr. Sigmund Traurig Circumstances: Society allows people to live only one day a week; Tom lives on Tuesday, but sees a woman in her ‘stoner’ from Wednesday. He becomes obsessed & gets transferred finally to Wed. Only to discover he has been tricked! Sci Fi Themes & Categories: Overpopulation Man vs. Self Future Medical Sci Fi Sociological Sci Fi Cryogenics Man vs. Society “Cloak of Anarchy” (1972) by Larry Niven Characters: Russel Ronald Cole Jill Hayes “Blank Sign” Glenda Hawthorne Bugeyes Time: Future Place: San Diego Circumstances: The free parks allow anything except violence. Ron Cole disables the only protection, the “copseyes.” He inadvertently disables the exits to the free park as well. The rule against violence is forgotten, and the situation becomes very dangerous very quickly. After many hours, new copseyes appear & order is restored. Sci Fi Themes & Categories: Future, Sociological Sci Fi, Technology “The Hunting” (1976) by Doris Beetem Characters: Dr. “Bones” McCoy, Spock, Captain Kirk Time: future (Star Trek time, about 2200?) Place: Enterprise, Rhinegelt Circumstances: Spock mind-melds with an owltiger on Rhinegelt in order to perform the mok farr. He becomes lost in the animal’s thoughts and roams wild for several days before Dr. McCoy can bring him back safely. Sci Fi Themes & Categories: Future, Space Opera, Space Exploration, Aliens, Sociological Sci Fi, Technology, Coming of Age “The Thaw” (1979) by Tanith Lee Characters: Tacey Brice, Carla Brice Time: 2193 Place: Somewhere on Earth Circumstances: Over 4,000 people placed into cryogenic suspension between 1993 to 2193 are scheduled to be “thawed.” Carla Brice is the first. She moves in with her great-great-granddaughter. Carla is intimidating and acts strangely- turning on all appliances and standing naked among them- eating a house plant- eating her date! Turns out- she’s not Carla- during cryogenic suspension, aliens inhabited the bodies and are taking over the planet! Categories & Themes of Sci Fi: Future Cryogenics Aliens Alien Invasion “Valhalla” (1986) by Gregory Benford Characters: Hitler, Eva Braun Time/Dimension Traveler/Narrator Time: 1945 (+1000 years in an alternate future) Place: Berlin Circumstances: From 1000 years in a future alternate timeline, a traveler goes to stop Hitler’s suicide & bring Hitler to the future alternate world for punishment. Sci Fi Categories & Themes: Time/dimension travel Medical sci fi Future Justice Alternate history “Skin Deep” (1987) by Kristine Kathryn Rusch Characters: Cullaene (Colin) Time: Future The Fieldings: Jared, Elsie, Lucy Place: Colonized Planet Marlene Circumstances: Humans have colonized this planet and see the native Riiame as a threat. Riiame are shape-shifters; to protect their children, they choose a human form. Lucy is a Riiame, but her adoptive parents don’t know and neither does she until she begins The Change. Cullaene helps her through it. Sci Fi Categories & Themes: Aliens Space Exploration Sociological Sci Fi Coming of Age Future Change “Steelcollar Worker” (1992) by Vonda McIntyre Characters: Jannine, Neko Place: a city Time: Future Circumstances: Jannine works in VR building medicines or vaccines or crop fortifiers or toxins? She and Neko work together. Neko worries that what they are making is dangerous. Jannine is a bit paranoid and seems to move around a lot. When she is asked to take a test at work, she acts very strangely and quits. Sci Fi Categories & Themes: Future Virtual Reality Sociological Sci Fi Psychological Sci Fi “The Hammer of God” (1992) by Arthur C. Clarke Characters: Captain Robert Singh, David, Senator George Ledstone, Professor Carlos Mendoza Time: Future- 2212+ Place: Earth and aboard Goliath Circumstances: The Asteroid Kali is on a collision-course with Earth. Spaceguard is a program to survey all asteroids and protect the Earth with ships Goliath and Titan. Atlas was a set of rockets to change Kali’s course, but was sabotaged by Chrislamists. Now, David sees one way to still save the Earth, but the Goliath’s crew does not survive. Sci Fi: Future, Space Exploration, Sociological Sci Fi, Man vs. Space, Apocalypse (almost) “Clean Up Your Room!” (1996) by Laura Anne Gilman Characters: Jessy Elizander Dr. Sue Stefel MUM Norm “Jackal” Jacali Dr. Don Dietrich Nicola Time: future (polluted) Place: city, east coast? Circumstances: Jessy, a successful and talented programmer, runs the new Maternal Uplink and Monitor on her own house. She is surprised at the quickness of her new adaptive network. Themes & Categories: Future, A.I., soft sci fi, technology…