YASID: A human on an alien planet is trying to navigate a deadly maze-like structure

[Dudley Brooks]

A short story.

The origin, and even the purpose, of the structure are unknown -- it
might be intended to be deadly, or it might have no deadly intent at all
and merely happen to be deadly to humans.

I know the rest of the plot, but telling it would be a spoiler. Are
spoilers forbidden in YASIDs? It they're OK, I'll post it ... unless
someone else already knows the story and author, based on this little bit.

[Ted Nolan <tednolan>]

Post by Dudley Brooks
A short story.
The origin, and even the purpose, of the structure are unknown -- it
might be intended to be deadly, or it might have no deadly intent at all
and merely happen to be deadly to humans.
I know the rest of the plot, but telling it would be a spoiler. Are
spoilers forbidden in YASIDs? It they're OK, I'll post it ... unless
someone else already knows the story and author, based on this little bit.

Sounds like _Rogue Moon_ by Algis Budrys

[Scott Dorsey]

Post by Dudley Brooks
A short story.
The origin, and even the purpose, of the structure are unknown -- it
might be intended to be deadly, or it might have no deadly intent at all
and merely happen to be deadly to humans.
I know the rest of the plot, but telling it would be a spoiler. Are
spoilers forbidden in YASIDs? It they're OK, I'll post it ... unless
someone else already knows the story and author, based on this little bit.

I can think of a lot of stories that meet that description, from Gateway
and 2001 to several Haldeman stories, but they are none of them short.
--scott

[David Duffy]

Post by Dudley Brooks
A short story.
The origin, and even the purpose, of the structure are unknown -- it
might be intended to be deadly, or it might have no deadly intent at all
and merely happen to be deadly to humans.
I know the rest of the plot, but telling it would be a spoiler. Are
spoilers forbidden in YASIDs? It they're OK, I'll post it ... unless
someone else already knows the story and author, based on this little bit.

I was going to suggest Silverberg's _The Man in the Maze_ which starts at
https://archive.org/details/1968-04_IF/page/n3/mode/2up
but it is a novel serialized in two parts...

Cheers, David Duffy.

[Cryptoengineer]

Post by David Duffy

Post by Dudley Brooks
A short story.
The origin, and even the purpose, of the structure are unknown -- it
might be intended to be deadly, or it might have no deadly intent at all
and merely happen to be deadly to humans.
I know the rest of the plot, but telling it would be a spoiler. Are
spoilers forbidden in YASIDs? It they're OK, I'll post it ... unless
someone else already knows the story and author, based on this little bit.

I was going to suggest Silverberg's _The Man in the Maze_ which starts at
https://archive.org/details/1968-04_IF/page/n3/mode/2up
but it is a novel serialized in two parts...

That was definitely my guess. The Budrys is set on the Moon, not
an alien planet.

pt

[Jaimie Vandenbergh]

On 9 Apr 2024 at 23:18:33 BST, "Dudley Brooks"

Post by Dudley Brooks
A short story.
The origin, and even the purpose, of the structure are unknown -- it
might be intended to be deadly, or it might have no deadly intent at all
and merely happen to be deadly to humans.
I know the rest of the plot, but telling it would be a spoiler. Are
spoilers forbidden in YASIDs? It they're OK, I'll post it ... unless
someone else already knows the story and author, based on this little bit.

Spoilers are generally fine - you're looking for people who have read
it, of course :D

Rough date you read it might help too.

I'll throw in _Diamond Dogs_ by Al Reynolds although it's not a super
close match as deadliness does seem pretty intended.

Cheers - Jaimie

[John Savard]

On Tue, 9 Apr 2024 15:18:33 -0700, Dudley Brooks

Post by Dudley Brooks
I know the rest of the plot, but telling it would be a spoiler. Are
spoilers forbidden in YASIDs?

Spoilers are pretty much _essential_ to YASIDs, and they're not
spoilers if you can't name the story, after all.

I was just reading one story about a deadly maze which doesn't quite
fit what you've already described... "In the Walls of Eryx", one of H.
P. Lovecraft's collaborations.

John Savard

[Dudley Brooks]

Post by John Savard
On Tue, 9 Apr 2024 15:18:33 -0700, Dudley Brooks

Post by Dudley Brooks
I know the rest of the plot, but telling it would be a spoiler. Are
spoilers forbidden in YASIDs?

Spoilers are pretty much _essential_ to YASIDs, and they're not
spoilers if you can't name the story, after all.

Yes, I should have realized that my lead-in was far to generic to really
pin it down.

So:

He gets partway through, using knowledge he has already learned somehow
about the deadly devices in the early parts of the maze, but is killed
by the very next thing he tries. (I think "maze" was possibly not the
best description -- it's some sort of traversable device.)

Back on Earth, his real persona and his handlers reflect on the fact
that he has been cloned repeatedly, each clone having the successful or
unsuccessful knowledge of the previous clone. (I don't remember how
that knowledge is transported back to him or to Earth.)

They also reflect on the fact that they still don't know whether the
device was intended to be deadly, or it's deadliness is purely
accidental, like a human electronic device might be to an insect which
got inside it.

It was a short story in one of the magazines or collections, and I'm
sure I'm a little foggy on the precise details.

Post by John Savard
I was just reading one story about a deadly maze which doesn't quite
fit what you've already described... "In the Walls of Eryx", one of H.
P. Lovecraft's collaborations.

Thanks. And thanks to everyone else who gave suggestions.

--
Dudley Brooks, Artistic Director
Run For Your Life! ... it's a dance company!
San Francisco

Post by John Savard
John Savard

[Ted Nolan <tednolan>]

Post by Dudley Brooks

Post by John Savard
On Tue, 9 Apr 2024 15:18:33 -0700, Dudley Brooks

Post by Dudley Brooks
I know the rest of the plot, but telling it would be a spoiler. Are
spoilers forbidden in YASIDs?

Spoilers are pretty much _essential_ to YASIDs, and they're not
spoilers if you can't name the story, after all.

Yes, I should have realized that my lead-in was far to generic to really
pin it down.
He gets partway through, using knowledge he has already learned somehow
about the deadly devices in the early parts of the maze, but is killed
by the very next thing he tries. (I think "maze" was possibly not the
best description -- it's some sort of traversable device.)
Back on Earth, his real persona and his handlers reflect on the fact
that he has been cloned repeatedly, each clone having the successful or
unsuccessful knowledge of the previous clone. (I don't remember how
that knowledge is transported back to him or to Earth.)
They also reflect on the fact that they still don't know whether the
device was intended to be deadly, or it's deadliness is purely
accidental, like a human electronic device might be to an insect which
got inside it.
It was a short story in one of the magazines or collections, and I'm
sure I'm a little foggy on the precise details.

Post by John Savard
I was just reading one story about a deadly maze which doesn't quite
fit what you've already described... "In the Walls of Eryx", one of H.
P. Lovecraft's collaborations.

Thanks. And thanks to everyone else who gave suggestions.

Still sounds like "Rogue Moon" to me.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rogue_Moon

[Gary R. Schmidt]

[SNIP]

Post by Ted Nolan <tednolan>

Post by Dudley Brooks
Thanks. And thanks to everyone else who gave suggestions.

Still sounds like "Rogue Moon" to me.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rogue_Moon

And another second, third, ..., nth, that's Rogue Moon, to a T!

Cheers,
Gary B-)

[Dudley Brooks]

Post by Gary R. Schmidt
[SNIP]

Post by Ted Nolan <tednolan>

Thanks.  And thanks to everyone else who gave suggestions.

Still sounds like "Rogue Moon" to me.
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rogue_Moon

And another second, third, ..., nth, that's Rogue Moon, to a T!
    Cheers,
        Gary    B-)

Yes, that's definitely it! Thanks!

But what I read was the earlier shorter version. However, I didn't
remember the earlier version as "novella-length" -- in my obviously
faulty memory it was a short story.

Does the novel resolve the question of what the object is? From the
Wikipedia synopsis, it sounds like it does not.

I'm happy that the Wikipedia article introduced me to the term BDO (Big
Dumb Object). I knew the maze was not a MacGuffin, since we do see it
in great detail.

And, as with an earlier YASID I posted, I'm surprised that it was by
someone so well known. As with the story in that earlier posting, it
must be because it was an early science fiction experience for me,
before I knew who anyone was.

[Gary R. Schmidt]

On 18/04/2024 03:01, Dudley Brooks wrote:
[SNIP]

Does the novel resolve the question of what the object is?  From the
Wikipedia synopsis, it sounds like it does not.

I have no memory of the ending, something wants to say he gets the girl,
but I don't trust it. :-)

And my copy is in a box, somewhere...

Maybe someone else who remembers will chime in.

Cheers,
Gary B-)

[Titus G]

Post by Gary R. Schmidt
[SNIP]

Post by Ted Nolan <tednolan>

Thanks.  And thanks to everyone else who gave suggestions.

Still sounds like "Rogue Moon" to me.
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rogue_Moon

And another second, third, ..., nth, that's Rogue Moon, to a T!
     Cheers,
         Gary    B-)

Yes, that's definitely it!  Thanks!
But what I read was the earlier shorter version.  However, I didn't
remember the earlier version as "novella-length" -- in my obviously
faulty memory it was a short story.
Does the novel resolve the question of what the object is?  From the
Wikipedia synopsis, it sounds like it does not.
I'm happy that the Wikipedia article introduced me to the term BDO (Big
Dumb Object).  I knew the maze was not a MacGuffin, since we do see it
in great detail.
And, as with an earlier YASID I posted, I'm surprised that it was by
someone so well known.  As with the story in that earlier posting, it
must be because it was an early science fiction experience for me,
before I knew who anyone was.

I was familiar with the name Algis Budrys believing I had read some of
his books decades ago but recognised no titles so began what I suspected
would be a reread of Rogue Moon. What rubbish! By the time I had to
suffer the amateur psychological character analysis, I began to speed
read eventually lucky to read two or three sentences every second page
and even that was too much. The eventual punchline would have better
suited a short story. The writing was just terrible and the world view
was just childish. For example, if the fearless descendant of some
infamous North American Indian hadn't been signed up, he had just built
his own car and was going to enter GPs. Yeah, right. That is less
believable than sending a copy of your brain to a receiver on the moon.
If you are going to tell a really big lie, shouldn't the reader be
lulled into a false sense of security with a few undisputably possible
truths first rather than such nonsense?

[Dudley Brooks]

Post by Titus G

Post by Gary R. Schmidt
[SNIP]

Post by Ted Nolan <tednolan>

Thanks.  And thanks to everyone else who gave suggestions.

Still sounds like "Rogue Moon" to me.
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rogue_Moon

And another second, third, ..., nth, that's Rogue Moon, to a T!
     Cheers,
         Gary    B-)

Yes, that's definitely it!  Thanks!
But what I read was the earlier shorter version.  However, I didn't
remember the earlier version as "novella-length" -- in my obviously
faulty memory it was a short story.
Does the novel resolve the question of what the object is?  From the
Wikipedia synopsis, it sounds like it does not.
I'm happy that the Wikipedia article introduced me to the term BDO (Big
Dumb Object).  I knew the maze was not a MacGuffin, since we do see it
in great detail.
And, as with an earlier YASID I posted, I'm surprised that it was by
someone so well known.  As with the story in that earlier posting, it
must be because it was an early science fiction experience for me,
before I knew who anyone was.

I was familiar with the name Algis Budrys believing I had read some of
his books decades ago but recognised no titles so began what I suspected
would be a reread of Rogue Moon. What rubbish! By the time I had to
suffer the amateur psychological character analysis, I began to speed
read eventually lucky to read two or three sentences every second page
and even that was too much. The eventual punchline would have better
suited a short story. The writing was just terrible and the world view
was just childish. For example, if the fearless descendant of some
infamous North American Indian hadn't been signed up, he had just built
his own car and was going to enter GPs. Yeah, right. That is less
believable than sending a copy of your brain to a receiver on the moon.
If you are going to tell a really big lie, shouldn't the reader be
lulled into a false sense of security with a few undisputably possible
truths first rather than such nonsense?

Sounds like a review I might have given if I had not been so much
younger when I read it! ;^)

To give Budrys (and myself) the benefit of the doubt -- I only read the
novella. Perhaps it was better?