The identify that story/book thread: Home of the gas pump boy

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fritz: Jul 26, 2003

mcustic posted:

Not really. The one I read was a short story. It's about this weird afterlife in which everybody that ever lived appears in flesh, sort of like the Riverworld saga. The great military leaders of their age such as Queen Elizabeth, Genghis Khan and others organize vast armies. HP and Howard serve as courtiers to the Queen Elizabeth. Another character that appears is the Swiss humanitarian Dr. Schweitzer. There are all kinds of humans inhabit that strange world, thought to be Hell. Neanderthals are mentioned, as well as Celts, victims of the Black Plague and others. Oh, and Lovecraft and Howard are a gay couple.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heroes_in_Hell ?

# ¿ Dec 17, 2007 04:28

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# ¿ Apr 20, 2024 05:33

fritz: Jul 26, 2003

XenoWolf posted:

Ok, here's an oddball one. When I was in Middle School (around 1991-1992) I remember reading a sci-fi trilogy that revolved around a dying out group of "blood knights" or something, and the things I remember from the book series was about a sword that was enabled by blood - it ran off of the wielder's blood. If you were one of the ones able to wield it, things worked fine. If you weren't it would kill you instead of operating properly.

Star of the Guardians by Margaret Weis?

# ¿ Jan 5, 2008 02:46

fritz: Jul 26, 2003

Influenza posted:

The story was collected in an anthology I'm almost certain was called "Sideways in Time," but I can't find any info on that title anywhere. Anyone recognize it?

Larry Niven, "For a Foggy Night"

# ¿ Mar 18, 2008 12:44

fritz: Jul 26, 2003

Poopsichord posted:

Ok there's a story from my literature textbook from about 5th grade or so. It would have been about 1988 or 89 in North Texas if that helps anything.

The story: An astronaut, possibly from Earth, were either broken down or traveling through space. One astronaut had to pee, but they used the term "evacuating," and there was a lot of drama about him peeing in the spacecraft and how it would kill everybody inside. So, anyway, it has a huge buildup to them jettisoning him from the ship into space where he dies.

I'm pretty sure it's a short story.

That's all I remember.

Long shot: The Cold Equations?

# ¿ May 19, 2008 03:44

fritz: Jul 26, 2003

DoctorScurvy posted:

1. There is a small village wherein lives a child with demonic powers.

"It's a Good Life", Jerome Bixby.

# ¿ Jun 8, 2008 15:59

fritz: Jul 26, 2003

Rodney the Piper posted:

I read this book, which I think is pretty recent, about two years ago about a man who raised a single daughter in a lighthouse he was caring for. It turns out that she's actually the daughter of God, and she ends up dealing with Satan and a religious nut who wants to turn (I think it was) New Jersey into a center for his cult against the United States. Her best friend's a lesbian, and the main character goes to hell with the devil, meets Jesus, comes back to the surface, is murdered by the cult (which has taken over New Jersey/whatever other state), rises again and escapes without her God powers. I can't remember the title or author.

Sounds like Only Begotten Daughter, by James Morrow

# ¿ Jul 13, 2008 19:45

fritz: Jul 26, 2003

jeaves posted:

Maybe? There was certainly a distinction made between the "real world" and the "magic is real LOL" world that the characters lived in. Like, a barrier that you had to cross or something.
I could be pulling the name "Old Town" out of my rear end.

Wild guess: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Borderland_Series

# ¿ Aug 2, 2008 06:26

fritz: Jul 26, 2003

Quad posted:

Here's a wierd one.
Short story. Teenage boy, works on a farm, but modern day setting.
His clone comes up and tries to kill him, they wrassle, start talking, and it's actually him from a different dimension, using a little "dimension-shifting" belt. He steals the belt, uses it, decides to try and find something that hasn't been patented yet like the Rubik's Cube or whatever, make some money off it; eventually wants to go back and realizes that the belt-thing only goes one way, so he can't ever return to the same dimension again. I think he ends up killing his other self in dimension #12376 and replacing him so that he can "be with his parents again" or something kinda creepy.

The Man who Folded Himself by Gerrold?

# ¿ Aug 24, 2008 20:25

fritz: Jul 26, 2003

We Are Citizen posted:

The Tupac Shakur Commonplace Book thread led me to H.P. Lovecraft's Commonplace Book which is really interesting, but raises a question:

The editor nots that this idea was "used by FBL, Jr." So my question is: who is FBL Jr and what is the name of the book/story that he used this idea in?

I'm guessing it's Lovecraft's friend Frank Belknap Long.

# ¿ Sep 11, 2008 15:51

fritz: Jul 26, 2003

Putin It In Mah rear end posted:

I've been trying to find a book for my wife that she's been trying to find forever. (If I can find the book, it means major points for me )

She has explained that she read a book when she was a teen (late 90s) and it was about a teenage girl and her friend who was a boy and they discover that they can do magic. Then something about her parents and them not liking her time with the boy or there's something wrong with the mom, and the girl has to become a fish and get some whales to come to a certain point in the ocean to be a part of a song at some time to save everything. It may or may not be a series.

I know it's vague and young adult fiction, but my wife keeps looking for this book at shops hoping she'll come across it, and it's nagging her. Plus, what better gift for my wife. Thanks for the help.

EDIT: So I told her about this thread and she says that it was definitely a series and the girl's mom has cancer and dies, or is dying. Apparently my wife is on a "I'm saving books that I liked for our future children" phase.

Sounds like Deep Wizardry, the second book in the So You Want to be a Wizard series by Diane Duane: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Young_Wizards

# ¿ Sep 28, 2008 10:07

fritz: Jul 26, 2003

PrBacterio posted:

The first one was a novel about this excessively decadent spacefaring far-future human culture. It was mostly about the fact that, for the operation of the FTL drives they used on their spaceships, it was necessary to stimulate the pleasure centers of the pilots or navigators for some reason, and so the only qualification to be a pilot was a willingness to have that done to you.

The Void-Captain's Tale by Norman Spinrad?

# ¿ Oct 17, 2008 03:57

fritz: Jul 26, 2003

LoosingStreek posted:

The second book was about a man who reached enlightenment and ascended from our physical world into a dimension beyond our own. In this enlightened state, his consciousness was an entity swimming through a stream of time. As he began to understand and control this new dimension, he realizes that every ripple he makes in the stream forever changes the historical/physical makeup of the world he ascended from. He becomes really powerful for a time and shapes the history of the world to his liking. Eventually more entities escape into the time stream and begin waging a war over our reality (with each battle they end up decimating the entire course of human history more and more). Entire sects of these time stream travelers end up losing their human identity. I remember the ending of this book was so epic I read the last chapter twice over.

This is another Garfinkle, All of an Instant

# ¿ Dec 10, 2008 22:07

fritz: Jul 26, 2003

anabatica posted:

If no one knows the story, suggesting anthologies that fit the criteria would probably help. To add, the anthology was science fiction specific.

I think that's by Ted Chiang?

# ¿ Dec 16, 2008 03:31

fritz: Jul 26, 2003

Vilipede posted:

This is a book I read as an adolescent, so my memory is vague. Forgive me

It's a fanasy novel involving a band of mercenaries. Part of what struck me so much about it was how adult themed it was- there were rapes (male and female) vicious murders, plenty of foul language and few, if any archetypical heroes. The novel featured a variation on a Candiru, or a parasitic catfish that swam up a character's urniary tract and had to be surgically removed. But what I really remember most was the bottle. There was a magic bottle that contained a series of rooms inside it; one could enter it somehow and remain inside for weeks thanks to the well stocked larder. Part of the plot involved a shred character who stole it and then barricaded himself inside.

I must have read this book between the years of 1985 and 1990.

Thanks!

Wizard War, a.k.a. The Wizards and the Warriors, by Hugh Cook.

# ¿ Jan 22, 2009 07:01

fritz: Jul 26, 2003

Vilipede posted:

A tip of my hat to you sir. Amazon even has used copies for a penny.

That's one of my favorite books of all time :3:

Amazon also has one of the sequels for a cent: http://www.amazon.com/Oracle-Wizard-War-Chronicles-IV/dp/0445209143/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1232607529&sr=1-9

# ¿ Jan 22, 2009 08:01

fritz: Jul 26, 2003

Hello Pity posted:

I thought it rang a bell. I used to love Hugh Cook stuff, but it's been a long, long time since I read any (like 15 years or so) and have no idea if I'd still like it now. The Walrus and the Warwolf was my favourite, I recall that it was pretty funny in a comedy of errors kind of way as well.

Three of the first four (Wizard War, Oracle (Women and the Warlords), Walrus and the Warwolf) do (I haven't read the other in years, I'd probably better fix that soon). I don't really have any desire to re-read the others in the series (although maybe I'll try #5 again someday).

# ¿ Jan 23, 2009 01:29

fritz: Jul 26, 2003

Prolonged Priapism posted:

Mine is one I read six or eight years back... it's about a girl living in a fantasy sort of world (magic in gifted individuals, some higher technology that's been mostly forgotten).
[...]

Illusion, by Paula Volsky.

# ¿ Jan 23, 2009 13:58

fritz: Jul 26, 2003

Prolonged Priapism posted:

Holy poo poo, you're right. Well done. Thanks a bundle.

It's one of those books that sticks in my head v :unsmith:

# ¿ Jan 24, 2009 02:25

fritz: Jul 26, 2003

ModernDayDiogenes posted:

Second series was definitely written for kids, and I think it was probably written in the 60s. ...

Those were by Beverly Cleary: http://www.beverlycleary.com/books/henry_books.html

# ¿ Jan 26, 2009 03:16

fritz: Jul 26, 2003

BattyKiara posted:

#2. Fantasy novel I left behind at an airport sometime in the 1990s. Don't really remember much, except it was typical sword and sorcery fantasy. The hero is at some point captured by some evil woman, and badly tortured with an electric whip.

Wizard's First Rule?

# ¿ Apr 18, 2009 16:35

fritz: Jul 26, 2003

MacDougall posted:

Not sure when this one came out but I read a book in 2006 that from memory was about a technological god being that floated in outer space. I remember a scene where (i think) the main character ends up inside the computer simulated reality the god being created that is some sort of aesthetically pleasing paradise. There were scenes of spaceship battles as well I think. I think it was called 'The ____ God' but I could be way wrong on that.

Edit: I seem to recall there being the ability for humans to retain their personality in a computer in this as well. Either that or a God put itself in a computer to survive or something? And there was a God eater going across the universe or something. Heck this is a hard one to google.

The Broken God by David Zindell?

# ¿ May 30, 2009 03:15

fritz: Jul 26, 2003

Zamboni Jesus posted:

People keep saying it sounds vaguely familiar but no one knows the actual story. A friend thought it sounded like a Heinlein story. It was a short story, I remember reading it as part of a collection of stories by the same author but I can't remember any of the other stories.

That's a Piers Anthony story, but I forget the title.

# ¿ Jan 19, 2010 03:28

fritz: Jul 26, 2003

Che Delilas posted:

It actually all sounds kind of silly the way I've presented it, but I enjoyed it all the same when I was younger. I think the whole story took up two books (one for the main character, one for his kid), but I can't for the life of me remember what they were called or who wrote them. Any bells ringing for anybody?

maybe Far-Seer by Robert Sawyer?

# ¿ Jan 30, 2010 01:25

fritz: Jul 26, 2003

Biplane posted:

I read a short story a few years ago, it was about people on earth or maybe the moon, when a dead sun came into the solar system and its gravity field pulled earth (or the moon) with it, away from our sun. Anyone know what I'm talking about?

'A Pail of Air'

# ¿ Mar 2, 2010 14:03

fritz: Jul 26, 2003

kapalama posted:

Two science fiction questions:

1. About the world that is very cold where they have to scoop out air and bring it inside to breathe.

fritz posted:

'A Pail of Air'

# ¿ Mar 9, 2010 05:52

fritz: Jul 26, 2003

my1999gsr posted:

I've got 2 short stories that I've been trying to remember the names of for quiet a while now.

1. Scientists identify the gene or something that makes alligators (or maybe crocodiles) lethargic. When they remove the gene, the crocs/gators grow into dragons and start hunting humans. In the end, the animals drive the humans underground.

'Day of the Dragon', Guy Endore.

# ¿ Mar 27, 2010 21:53

fritz: Jul 26, 2003

my1999gsr posted:

2. Scientists dig deep into the earth where they find a race of small, humanoid people that can move through the layers of rock without digging holes. In the end, the rock people abduct a scientist leaving one scientist left to tell the tale.

Probably 'The Microscopic Giants', Paul Ernst

# ¿ Mar 27, 2010 21:59

fritz: Jul 26, 2003

Kid Fenris posted:

Here's one I recently though of; not because it's good, but because it was the first generic-fantasy novel I ever read. I only remember weirdly specific details.

google got it: http://www.hoh.se/fantasyfinder/wylie1.html

# ¿ Apr 16, 2010 05:52

fritz: Jul 26, 2003

Nesetril posted:

...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Swords_Trilogy

# ¿ Jul 6, 2010 05:33

fritz: Jul 26, 2003

Detective Thompson posted:

Need help remembering a short story set in the future.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Jaunt

# ¿ Jul 10, 2010 21:18

fritz: Jul 26, 2003

Lord Krangdar posted:

I'm trying to track down a short story. Not sure but it might be by Ray Bradbury, and it involves rain on mars and a young girl (also on mars) getting locked in a closet by bullies.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_Summer_in_a_Day

# ¿ Jul 19, 2010 04:13

fritz: Jul 26, 2003

Doctor Zero posted:

That is the most depressing loving story ever.

I'm not responsible for depressions.

# ¿ Jul 20, 2010 00:42

fritz: Jul 26, 2003

Four Seat posted:

The transmission is something along the lines of "If you are still white, we can cure that."

Google suggests Clarke's "Reunion".

# ¿ Sep 1, 2010 01:06

fritz: Jul 26, 2003

icantfindaname posted:

When I was in elementary school, 5th grade probably, we read a book, possibly originally written in french, set in pre revolution france, about this kid who learns fencing from this old guy and it isn't allowed because only the aristocracy can fence. Or something. It was at a 5th grade reading level also, obviously

Some sort of easy-read version of Scaramouche?

# ¿ Dec 10, 2010 01:58

fritz: Jul 26, 2003

DEVILDOGOOORAH posted:

I'm trying to remember a short story I read in a "year's best science fiction" anthology sort of thing from probably the 70s or 80s. It was about a guy hanging out in maybe NYC and the moon starts getting bigger in the sky, as it is crashing towards earth. Pretty sure the guy goes wild and starts trying to gently caress this chick he wanted to bang before it all ended. Anyhow, I don't know why this is bothering me but I'd like to find it.

Inconstant Moon, Larry Niven.

# ¿ Jan 24, 2011 02:00

fritz: Jul 26, 2003

The Groper posted:

I'm looking for a book written most likely for young adults, was about one or more teens who could enter a 4th dimension and see our world from that perspective, "much like a 3d person can interact with a 2d world! This man in a box here cannot see beyond the walls of his box, but I can see him from above, here in the third dimension!" Then after some fuckery they start to encounter 4th dimensional beings and all loving hell breaks loose, and that's the only details I've got. Anyone know what I'm talking about?

"The Universe Between" by Alan Nourse?

# ¿ Mar 14, 2011 06:07

fritz: Jul 26, 2003

nucleicmaxid posted:

2. The second has been bugging me forever.

It's by Larry Niven and maybe someone else, but I'm not able to look up the title right now. That should be enough for you though.

# ¿ Apr 26, 2011 02:05

fritz: Jul 26, 2003

Tagichatn posted:

2 books for the price of one! Ok, the first one I read maybe 10 years ago and from what I remember it was set in the near future. Someone created a plague that killed off non-whites or maybe just blacks? He set a failsafe that didn't kill people with green eyes. There was also a computer that changed numbers randomly on the side of a building that people thought was advertising. Also this one wealthy guy kept bragging how he could build up his fortune from selling pencils (libertarians yay) so someone dressed him like a hobo, hosed up his vocal cords and glued a cup full of pencils to his hand. If he fed a certain amount of money into his collar, then he would be free. Otherwise it would explode. Unfortunately I don't even remember the general plot.

Sewer, Gas, Electric

# ¿ May 18, 2011 04:50

fritz: Jul 26, 2003

Hieronymous Alloy posted:

Holy poo poo, the guy who wrote "The Trouble with Tribbles" did his own SF series? Is it any good?

No. (It's also unfinished and will likely never be finished).

# ¿ Jun 12, 2011 04:16

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# ¿ Apr 20, 2024 05:33

fritz: Jul 26, 2003

Synnr posted:

. The guys name is on the tip of my tongue, and I know he does a lot of stuff with weird body changing situations.

I don't know the book, but how can this not be Jack Chalker?

# ¿ Jun 24, 2011 16:47

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