Alt-BEAM Archive
Message #02439
To: Wilf Rigter Wilf.Rigter@powertech.bc.ca
From: Bruce Robinson Bruce_Robinson@bc.sympatico.ca
Date: Sat, 17 Apr 1999 15:56:24 -0700
Subject: [alt-beam] Re: Beam & Science fiction
Wilf Rigter wrote:
> ... where they had these self-assembling bug bots ...
OK, Wilf, you forced me to do it. As soon as I got into Beam I
remembered a story in a science fiction anthology my father left to me.
Didn't want to say anything until I found the book. So I finally hunted
it down.
The book is called Famous Science-Fiction Stories, published by Random
House in 1946 and 1957, editors: Raymond J. Healy and J. Francis
McComas. The stories were written between 1936 and 1945. Most of the
stories originally appeared in Astounding Stories magazine. The
anthology includes some real classics -- Asimov's original "Nightfall",
Del Rey's "Nerves" (nuclear power plant disaster -- 50 years ahead of
Three Mile Island).
Anyway, for the enjoyment of beamers (if you can dredge up a copy),
"Mechanical Mice", by Maurice A. Hugi, originally published sometime
between 1937 and 1945 in Astounding Stories. Scientist builds "mother"
robot (not knowing exactly what he's doing); mother produces a flock of
tiny, specialist devices (workers, soldiers, drones); workers steal
various devices (e.g. watches) and take them to mother; soldiers defend
said workers; and so on. Really well written, not too many archaic
references, and has a nice sense of humour.
Don't know if this is the one you were thinking of or not, Wilf. There's
more than a couple of stories by different authors that start off with a
similar premise and then develop it along entirely different lines.
Other robot stories in the same book: "The Proud Robot", "The Twonky"
(definitely "beamish"), and "Farewell to the Master" (a must).
Anyway, beamers, see if your library has a copy buried away, poke around
in used book stores, or perhaps check out an on-line used book dealer.
If you can't find the book, perhaps you can find old copies of
Astounding Stories. Anyway, definitely a good read.
Regards,
Bruce
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