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Scifi and Fantasy Forum: Sci-Fi and Fantasy General Discussions: What is the title?
What is the title?
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Posted By:  AmyLee Dec 12, 1999 - 12:56 am |       | Can anyone tell me the title and/or author of a short story about a man who somehow (don't remember) goes back in time to find Jesus? Throughout the story he is questioning people and talking about who he is looking for. By the end of the story, the searcher is still back in time and the people he visits, by now, have anticipated his arrival through word of mouth, about a man named Jesus. It was one hell of a story - you should excuse the expression. I think it would make a great movie. Please! Does anyone remember it?
| Posted By: Signaler Jan 20, 2000 - 02:14 pm | | The time travel novel The Dancer From Atlantis included Bull Dancing, but I don't think it is the book Leah is interested in.
| Posted By: Signaler Jan 20, 2000 - 02:41 pm | | Three fantasy stories I read at least fifteen years ago have been plaguing me for about five years.
A man goes ito a second hand shop to buy a cap (his hat was taken off his head by a gust of wind.) He ends up buying a book as well. It is bound in what appears to be human skin, dyed purple. It appears to be a witches recipe book. A note written into the front of the book warns not to open the book from midnight to dawn. In the middle of the book is a realistic drawing of a skinny dragon, with the bones of several human skeletons skattered around him. He does not get around to opening the book until after midnight. The next night he disappears. Someone who is looking for him opens the book and sees a picture of a fat dragon. The building where the man lived burns down, and the police are surprised to find the bones of several people, and the bones of a large animal.
Another story is more whimsical. A young boy is given a piece of horn. He is told that it is from a Unicorn, and that it will grant one wish. But it must be an unselfish wish, it cannot benefit the person making the wish. And what is wished for can only last one day. The boy secretly listens to his parents and friends talking about the people of the town. One lady has two tongues. She says one thing to one person, and then gossips about that person to someone else. One man is always making useless wishes. If wishes were horses, he would have a herd of horses. One man is so stingy, his money sticks to his fingers. The boy wishes that all these things would come true. They literally come true, for one day. It was a fun story to read.
The last story is about a doctor and his wife, who buy a bell from an antique store. The store owner tells them that the bell is dangerous. It was used by an ancient people to restore the health of a wounded or sick emperor. The store owner sells the bell only because it no longer has the clapper. The wife digs through a drawer at home and finds the clapper. She it bought from the father of the antique store owner many years before. The bell is accidentally rung at the hospital where the doctor is working. One patient who was almost ready to go home dies, another makes a sudden recovery. Eventually the doctor breaks the bell, to keep it from killing someone. He accidentally falls and one long shard of the bell goes through his heart.
If anybody can help me on these I would really appreciate it.
Signaler,
I've read the second story you mentioned but I can't remember the name or author. It was within the last couple of years, I think it may have been in a children's book. Sorry i can't help more.
G’day, I am searching for a short story read some 45 years ago. The theme:
Man today dies. Woman some centuries hence manufactures ‘Playmen’ from recycled organs. Man’s mind transfers to the latest playman of a woman in the future. He finds he is an effeminate, hairless body and all men there appear identical to him. He finds the woman devilishly attractive and that he has to please her in ‘lovemake’ (no explicit description, just imagination inspired by pencil sketches, and the, then, mind of a 16-yo) and by making food at a factory. He gets to the factory on a ‘rolling road’. He never comes to terms with the fact that if he doesn’t please the woman he will be recycled. Ending was nebulous but most suited to a 16 year old’s imagination!
Don’t think it’s early Playboy. The reason I search is because the thing stuck with me through all these years and I have written a script based on the theme not understanding copyright. I need to find the author / title to explore whether I can market the script.
It’s a bit ancient but perhaps may ring a bell somewhere. Many thanks.
| Posted By: Bmat Jul 28, 2001 - 08:17 am | | Do you remember where you read it? If it was a magazine that might give you a lead for a search engine.
I searched under playmen and only got references to ....other magazines.
Thought it was F&SF and searched through archive. Title not remebered but thought it was by Alice Eleanor Jones. Some chap had copies and told me theme was not the one I searched for. Possibly Astounding or Amazing also, I was a profound SF addict in youth. An interesting 'needle' but 'the answer is out there, somewhere,' (What a good title for a story?)
| Posted By: Bmat Jul 28, 2001 - 07:56 pm | | How about this: The Female Man by Joanna Russ.
That probably is not even close, but I put the name you mentioned in some search engines and came up with a award for female authors. That one caught my eye.
Thanks for the link Bmat. Looked it up and it's about 4 women who are the same but live in different 'times' apparently at the same time. It discusses differences from women's view. Circa 1975.
| Posted By: Bmat Jul 29, 2001 - 06:15 pm | | You're welcome. I am sorry it didn't help.
Short story. 60',70's. Fritz Leiber comes to mind
He has "The Big Engine", but I can't find content.
Man dies, is sentenced to Hell, picked up by the Hellbound train, asks questions, is a nuisance, etc. Doesn't make it off the train, but the ending line is "meet Frank [or Jeff or..], the new brakeman on the Hellbound train.". I may be on that train, but managed to set the brakes long enough to get a good friend off it. Sometimes you
gotta lose to win. Finding this story would mean
alot to me. TNX
In answer to the original query from AmyLee, (4 years ago!! wonder if shes still waiting?)
I think that book has to be "Behold the Man" which I think is by Micheal Moorcock, hardly a short story.
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