Trying to ID an older SF short story... Help? - Science Fiction Fantasy Chronicles: forums

Old Timer · 13th June 2007, 08:51 AM

My first post here, so apologies if I missed a better way to do this. I'm trying to find the title and author of an SF short I read when I was a kid in the 1960's. My Dad had SF anthologies, which is probably where I found this one. I'd love to reread it if I could just find it! I can only recall a few features accurately:

A guy makes his living on the fringes of legit society, at a semi-shady activity called "playing the stats" (something like a modern day currency trader, watching computer displays and making quick decisions.) The society is run by an elite who keep themselves in top physical shape by stimulating their muscles with electric currents. Our hero decides to mix it up with one of these super-guys, for reasons I don't recall, subjects himself to an agonizing electro-shock body-builder program, and ends up competing with him at his old cyber-game, playing the stats.

That's it. Don't recall how the story ends exactly, but it was cool. To me, the story anticipated at least one aspect of cyberspace long before "Neuromancer" came on the scene. If one of you folks with encyclopedic memories can ID this tale, I'd be blown away! Maybe Amazon or eBay has a book that contains the story. Thanks to all in advance for your expertise!

HardScienceFan · 13th June 2007, 10:53 AM

Something by Raymond F Jones?
Any Idea how old this story is?

Old Timer · 13th June 2007, 02:58 PM

Pretty sure I read it between 1965 and 1970. The story was a few years old. Best estimate would be it was published 1955-1963. My Dad was a fan of harder SF like "Foundation", but the anthology was probably a "Third Best Of" collection. We both liked to read Hugo and Nebula winner books, but I don't remember if winning shorts were collected into anthologies. Hope this helps.

Happy Joe · 13th June 2007, 07:29 PM

Sounds like a Kieth Laumer story... I'll try to find it. Many are being republished by Baen.

"Of Death What Dreams" a short included currently in Baen's publication of "A Plague of Demons" by Kieth Laumer
Availiable here (free).
Baen Free Library
(Thanks Baen!)
Enjoy!

13th June 2007, 08:51 AM	#1 (permalink)
Old Timer Registered User Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: New Hampshire Posts: 2	Trying to ID an older SF short story... Help? My first post here, so apologies if I missed a better way to do this. I'm trying to find the title and author of an SF short I read when I was a kid in the 1960's. My Dad had SF anthologies, which is probably where I found this one. I'd love to reread it if I could just find it! I can only recall a few features accurately: A guy makes his living on the fringes of legit society, at a semi-shady activity called "playing the stats" (something like a modern day currency trader, watching computer displays and making quick decisions.) The society is run by an elite who keep themselves in top physical shape by stimulating their muscles with electric currents. Our hero decides to mix it up with one of these super-guys, for reasons I don't recall, subjects himself to an agonizing electro-shock body-builder program, and ends up competing with him at his old cyber-game, playing the stats. That's it. Don't recall how the story ends exactly, but it was cool. To me, the story anticipated at least one aspect of cyberspace long before "Neuromancer" came on the scene. If one of you folks with encyclopedic memories can ID this tale, I'd be blown away! Maybe Amazon or eBay has a book that contains the story. Thanks to all in advance for your expertise!

13th June 2007, 10:53 AM	#2 (permalink)
HardScienceFan stubborn,yet flexible Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Netherlands Posts: 1,869	Re: Trying to ID an older SF short story... Help? Something by Raymond F Jones? Any Idea how old this story is?

13th June 2007, 02:58 PM	#3 (permalink)
Old Timer Registered User Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: New Hampshire Posts: 2	Re: Trying to ID an older SF short story... Help? Pretty sure I read it between 1965 and 1970. The story was a few years old. Best estimate would be it was published 1955-1963. My Dad was a fan of harder SF like "Foundation", but the anthology was probably a "Third Best Of" collection. We both liked to read Hugo and Nebula winner books, but I don't remember if winning shorts were collected into anthologies. Hope this helps.

13th June 2007, 07:29 PM	#4 (permalink)
Happy Joe Registered User Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Colorado Posts: 206	Re: Trying to ID an older SF short story... Help? Sounds like a Kieth Laumer story... I'll try to find it. Many are being republished by Baen. "Of Death What Dreams" a short included currently in Baen's publication of "A Plague of Demons" by Kieth Laumer Availiable here (free). Baen Free Library (Thanks Baen!) Enjoy! Last edited by Happy Joe; 13th June 2007 at 07:40 PM.

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