Sci-Fi readers, need your help...

CNCRaymond · #1 December 14th, 2003, 05:24 PM

As a kid I once read a short story about a robot who's human had a heart attack and it used a screw driver behind the ear to shut down the human then dissassembled it, repaired the damage and then reassembled it. But when it attempted to turn on the human, it did not function.

I think it might have been in one of those Azimov sci-fi book things.

Geckomlis · #2 December 14th, 2003, 08:10 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by SamuraiProgrammer:
Good work guys!

How about this...

A novel by John Brunner about a talaented computer programmer gone anti-establishment. I read part of it as a teen & have never been able to remember the title or recognize the book when looking at John Brunner titles.

Thanks In Advance

The novel you are looking for is Shockwave Rider. It has been out of print for a long time (1976?). Many credit it as a precursor to cyberpunk.

SamuraiProgrammer · #3 December 15th, 2003, 12:04 AM

Thanks Geckomlis,

I will try to track it down.

I got a copy of stand on zanzibar recently and could not 'get into it'. I don't think that is what I am looking for. But thanks anyway. I will check to be sure.

Geckomlis · #4 December 15th, 2003, 12:09 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by SamuraiProgrammer:
Thanks Geckomlis,

I will try to track it down.

I got a copy of stand on zanzibar recently and could not 'get into it'. I don't think that is what I am looking for. But thanks anyway. I will check to be sure.

Happy to help. Try your local public library first. Even if they do not have it, they can get it via inter-library loan.

Deathstalker · #5 December 15th, 2003, 03:03 AM

If your looking for some great time travel stories look for Weber/Flints 1632/1633 or Stirlings 'Island' books where Americans go back in time to fight the Trojan war with flintlocks etc (great stuff!!).

gregebowman · #6 December 16th, 2003, 02:04 AM

Another great time travel book I enjoyed reading is called The Prometheus Operation, about a squad sent back in time to alter the effects of WWII. Don't remember the author, however. Anyway, they go back to pre-WWII days in America, find out their time machine doesn't work, and get, among others, Albert Einstein to help repair it, and ultimately change their past, in which Japan had won. It's really a great read.

Another time travel book I enjoyed was Lightning, by Dean Koontz.

SamuraiProgrammer · #7 December 20th, 2003, 04:03 AM

Thanks again Geckomlis!

I have found a copy of Shockwave Rider on Ebay. It should be here in a week! It was part of a batch of 9 John Brunner paperbacks.

My favorite time travel stories are "The End Of Eternity" by Asimove and "Millenium" by Varley.

"The End Of Eternity" is about an 'agent' whose job is to go back in time and 'adjust' the timeline in order to preserve their way of life. He becomes unhappy and stages a bit of a revolt. IMHO, this is one of Asimov's best.

"Millenium" is about a group of humans from the distant future who are snatching people from airplanes just before crashes. Their goal is to repopulate the planet with better, unmutated stock. It is very interesting in that the story is told in first person singular from two character's point of view. Their timelines are not in synch so the sequence of events is different for each of them. This was made into a movie with Kris Kristoferson. The movie had its good points, but the book was much better.