YASID Re: What was that third one?

[Dan Goodman]

On Mon, 15 Oct 2012 21:08:45 -0700 (PDT), Sean Cleary

On Mon, 15 Oct 2012 15:12:02 -0700 (PDT), Sean Cleary

I was reading a Liaden novel, and noted that the tree was old,

and >> >described as a biochemist in at least one sense, and had
been >> >'adjusting' the main line for a long time.

So it is raising humanoids.
So was Lummox.
And I came up with a third, but now I forgot that.
Any other canidates? Old, longer lived than humans, interacting

with >> >them.

Sean

I remember reading a short story some years ago where a human

wondered >> if there really was a way to become immortal. He
searches for decades, >> takes starships that go just under the
speed of light so he can live >> longer and search more worlds. He
encounters a being who 1) lives >> thousands of years and has been
going after many of the same rumors of >> immotality, and 2)
belonged to a race that decided early Earth >> hominids were going
to be a menace some day and they had created a >> virus to kill
humanity before they became a problem. The human says >> they have
had a number of plagues, they go over some details... not >> it.
Then the human sneezes. Turns out the common cold we go through is

what they came up with. The Earth human decides to stop looking

and go >> back to earth, if he can live that long, and be satisfied
with the >> life span he has.

I think this is a conflation of two Larry Niven short stories. The
second one is in the Draco Tavern series. Unfortunately, I don't
recall the title of either one.

[Robert A. Woodward]

On Mon, 15 Oct 2012 21:08:45 -0700 (PDT), Sean Cleary

<snip>

I remember reading a short story some years ago where a human

wondered >> if there really was a way to become immortal. He
searches for decades, >> takes starships that go just under the
speed of light so he can live >> longer and search more worlds. He
encounters a being who 1) lives >> thousands of years and has been
going after many of the same rumors of >> immotality, and 2)
belonged to a race that decided early Earth >> hominids were going
to be a menace some day and they had created a >> virus to kill
humanity before they became a problem. The human says >> they have
had a number of plagues, they go over some details... not >> it.
Then the human sneezes. Turns out the common cold we go through is

what they came up with. The Earth human decides to stop looking

and go >> back to earth, if he can live that long, and be satisfied
with the >> life span he has.

I think this is a conflation of two Larry Niven short stories. The
second one is in the Draco Tavern series. Unfortunately, I don't
recall the title of either one.

I agree that a this is a conflation of 2 stories. The one that had
aliens decide that early Earth hominids were a future menace (and
the sure killer virus turned out to be the common cold) sounds like
a Harry Turtledove short story that is set in the same universe as
_Earthgrip_ ... checks ISFDB ... "Nasty, Brutish, and..." Found in
Analog, April 1989 issue and it is also in _Departures_.

[Don Kuenz]

Post by Robert A. Woodward
I agree that a this is a conflation of 2 stories. The one that had
aliens decide that early Earth hominids were a future menace (and
the sure killer virus turned out to be the common cold) sounds like
a Harry Turtledove short story that is set in the same universe as
_Earthgrip_ ... checks ISFDB ... "Nasty, Brutish, and..." Found in
Analog, April 1989 issue and it is also in _Departures_.

_Nasty, Brutish, and..._ takes place in a couple of thousand light
years away from earth in a Star Wars Cantina sort of bar named Hobbes.
Patrons earn a free drink by knowing enough to order something nasty,
brutish, and short. LOL.

--
Don Kuenz

[Dan Goodman]

Post by Robert A. Woodward

On Mon, 15 Oct 2012 21:08:45 -0700 (PDT), Sean Cleary

<snip>

I remember reading a short story some years ago where a human

wondered >> if there really was a way to become immortal. He
searches for decades, >> takes starships that go just under the
speed of light so he can live >> longer and search more worlds.
He encounters a being who 1) lives >> thousands of years and
has been going after many of the same rumors of >> immotality,
and 2) belonged to a race that decided early Earth >> hominids
were going to be a menace some day and they had created a >>
virus to kill humanity before they became a problem. The human
says >> they have had a number of plagues, they go over some
details... not >> it. Then the human sneezes. Turns out the
common cold we go through is >> what they came up with. The
Earth human decides to stop looking and go >> back to earth, if
he can live that long, and be satisfied with the >> life span
he has.

I think this is a conflation of two Larry Niven short stories.
The second one is in the Draco Tavern series. Unfortunately, I
don't recall the title of either one.

I agree that a this is a conflation of 2 stories. The one that had
aliens decide that early Earth hominids were a future menace (and
the sure killer virus turned out to be the common cold) sounds like
a Harry Turtledove short story that is set in the same universe as
Earthgrip ... checks ISFDB ... "Nasty, Brutish, and..." Found in
Analog, April 1989 issue and it is also in Departures.

Much thanks!

[Louann Miller]

Post by Dan Goodman
--
Dan Goodman
Whatever you wish for me, may you have twice as much.

The traditional answer is "may you have half as much oxygen as you need to
survive."

[Sean Cleary]

Post by Louann Miller

Post by Dan Goodman
--
Dan Goodman
Whatever you wish for me, may you have twice as much.

The traditional answer is "may you have half as much oxygen as you need to
survive."

No, either the first person is wishing well, so dont repay harm for
good, or anyway it is mixed up.
I think the trad is genie, person worst enemy. Genie says that
whatever person wishes enemy gets double.
Now a wish of air containing 28% oxigen would work well there. 58%
even O2 would likely spontainously combust
Thread drift of my own thread. I know. My bad.
Sean

[David Goldfarb]

Post by Sean Cleary
I think the trad is genie, person worst enemy. Genie says that
whatever person wishes enemy gets double.
Now a wish of air containing 28% oxigen would work well there. 58%
even O2 would likely spontainously combust

I seem to recall Dave Allen tell this one, with three wishes. First wish:
lots of money. Second wish: several lovely concubines. Third wish: for
a ghost to come and scare him half to death.

[Sean Cleary]

Post by Sean Cleary
I think the trad is genie, person worst enemy. Genie says that
whatever person wishes enemy gets double.
Now a wish of air containing 28% oxigen would work well there. 58%
even O2 would likely spontainously combust

lots of money.  Second wish:  several lovely concubines.  Third wish:  for
a ghost to come and scare him half to death.
--
   David Goldfarb          | "And it came to pass by the way in the inn,

Ok, thanks for your help and your jokes.
Sean

[Dan Goodman]

In article

Post by Sean Cleary
I think the trad is genie, person worst enemy. Genie says that
whatever person wishes enemy gets double.
Now a wish of air containing 28% oxigen would work well there. 58%
even O2 would likely spontainously combust

I seem to recall Dave Allen tell this one, with three wishes. First
wish: lots of money. Second wish: several lovely concubines.
Third wish: for a ghost to come and scare him half to death.

My tagline is (according to a reporter) a traditional Kurdish greeting
-- to someone who might be either a friend or an enemy.

[D.F. Manno]

I remember reading a short story some years ago where a human wondered
if there really was a way to become immortal. He searches for decades,
takes starships that go just under the speed of light so he can live
longer and search more worlds. He encounters a being who 1) lives
thousands of years and has been going after many of the same rumors of
immotality, and 2) belonged to a race that decided early Earth
hominids were going to be a menace some day and they had created a
virus to kill humanity before they became a problem. The human says
they have had a number of plagues, they go over some details... not
it. Then the human sneezes. Turns out the common cold we go through is
what they came up with. The Earth human decides to stop looking and go
back to earth, if he can live that long, and be satisfied with the
life span he has.

I think this is a conflation of two Larry Niven short stories. The
second one is in the Draco Tavern series. Unfortunately, I don't
recall the title of either one.

Part of the description sounds like Niven's "Cautionary Tales."

[Dan Goodman]

Post by D.F. Manno

I remember reading a short story some years ago where a
human wondered if there really was a way to become
immortal. He searches for decades, takes starships that go
just under the speed of light so he can live longer and
search more worlds. He encounters a being who 1) lives
thousands of years and has been going after many of the
same rumors of immotality, and 2) belonged to a race that
decided early Earth hominids were going to be a menace some
day and they had created a virus to kill humanity before
they became a problem. The human says they have had a
number of plagues, they go over some details... not it.
Then the human sneezes. Turns out the common cold we go
through is what they came up with. The Earth human decides
to stop looking and go back to earth, if he can live that
long, and be satisfied with the life span he has.

I think this is a conflation of two Larry Niven short stories.
The second one is in the Draco Tavern series. Unfortunately, I
don't recall the title of either one.

Part of the description sounds like Niven's "Cautionary Tales."

[Dan Goodman]

Post by D.F. Manno

I remember reading a short story some years ago where a
human wondered if there really was a way to become
immortal. He searches for decades, takes starships that go
just under the speed of light so he can live longer and
search more worlds. He encounters a being who 1) lives
thousands of years and has been going after many of the
same rumors of immotality, and 2) belonged to a race that
decided early Earth hominids were going to be a menace some
day and they had created a virus to kill humanity before
they became a problem. The human says they have had a
number of plagues, they go over some details... not it.
Then the human sneezes. Turns out the common cold we go
through is what they came up with. The Earth human decides
to stop looking and go back to earth, if he can live that
long, and be satisfied with the life span he has.

I think this is a conflation of two Larry Niven short stories.
The second one is in the Draco Tavern series. Unfortunately, I
don't recall the title of either one.

Part of the description sounds like Niven's "Cautionary Tales."

Thanks!