Posted on 04/12/2007 10:53:09 AM PDT by pjd
The following is an old story (1974) but probably not very well-known. I came upon it recently, by chance, because of the upcoming release of the new movie 'Next' which is based on a Philip K. Dick short story called 'The Golden Man'.
Although I'm a big fan of PKD, I had not read The Golden Man and wanted to check it out before the movie opened. The few collections of PKD short stories I have did not contain The Golden Man, so I found a collection entitled The Golden Man that was published in 1980. This collection, of course, contained The Golden Man Shortstory.
Ok. where am I going with this?
At the end of the book, there are 'Story Notes' by Dick. One of the stories in the collection is called 'The Pre-Persons' and Dick presented this note in regard to that story:
"The Pre-Persons"
In this, the most recent of the stories in this collection, I incurred the absolute hate of Joanna Russ who wrote me the nastiest letter I've ever received; at one point she said she usually offered to beat up people (she didn't use the word "people") who expressed opinions such as this. I admit that this story amounts to special pleading, and I am sorry to offend those who disagree with me about abortion on demand. I also got some unsigned hate mail, some of it not from individuals but from organizations promoting abortion on demand. Well, I have always managed to offend people by what I write. Drugs, communism, and now an anti-abortion stand; I really know how to get myself into hot water. Sorry, people. But for the pre-persons' sake I am not sorry. I stand where I stand: "Hier steh' Ich; Ich kann nicht anders," as martin Luther is supposed to have said.
Of course, I can't reprint the story for you here, but I can tell you a little bit about the plot. The main foundation of the story is based on the arbitrariness of when a person becomes a person. Failing to see the difference between a person being inside the womb or outside opens up an unavoidable question. Since that choice is arbitrary, why not make it earlier or why not make it later. In this story, Congress decided that personhood should be a function of cognitive ability. They decided that the ability to do algebra was a reasonable test for cognitive ability and eventually set the age limit for postpartum abortion at 13 years.
Abortion trucks would be seen crusing through the neighborhoods, looking for strays (children under 13 without the proper 'We want our child' papers, or making special pick-ups to households where parent's decided they didn't want their children anymore.
I won't tell you any more, so as not to spoil the story, but it is a rather incredible story by one of my favorite sci-fi authors.
I did not know Kurt Vonnegut died.
More than forty million alive preborn are aborted world-wide each year. Usually they are buried or cremated while people starve to death. What a waste of protein don’tchaknow. But our American Democrat legislators are trying to fix this as they push legislation to utilize the youngest of these endangered humans, at embryo age, to use them for medical research. Embryo farming is already a reality in that most enlightened of Eastern states, Massatwosh!ts.
A few decades ago, I spent an hour a week walking around the local abortion clinic (at night, after hours) and praying about the situation. A few months into this project, I realized what I was praying for -- the proliferation of artists who could celebrate life so convincingly that the merchants of death would be shamed off the public stage, exposed for the vile and venal folks they are.
It is the same thing with "Stir of Echoes" by Matheson. I love the author but I couldn't watch the movie before I read the book.
"I am Legend" by Matheson has not been made into a movie but it is the base for so many Hollywood horror flicks that it is laughable. This story is so damned good. It is true literature to me. The protaginst Robert descends into despair wallowing in Alcoholism because of impossible goals. It is a heroes saga with a tragic ending.
Mr. Dick's Valis trilogy was interesting to me in one way. I got to read a great writers description of what schizophrenia is like. After the second half of the second book, I started to grow horrified. The third book was a chaotic jumble.
I am deep in my cups (Read: Drunk.) but reading the Timothy book probably scarred my mind, LOL!
One book I like which is about gods and such is Roger Zelazny's "Lord Of Light". People say it is too complex but I don't think it is.
Since I am babbling on about all things SF, let me throw out one of my favorites. This would be "The Mote In God's Eye". F'ing classic.
Arioch7
What an interesting character.
Arioch7
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