BS: Story Lost - Sci-Fi?

Subject: BS: Story Lost - Sci-Fi?
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 29 Jun 12 - 07:45 AM

Something(?) reminded me recently of a Sci-Fi story that I remember reading, but can't identify. As I was never much more than a "nominal fan" of such things, I don't have all that much of a library to consult; but maybe someone can produce a title/author or other identifying info. …(?)

1. When: Most of my reading in the genre was ca. 1950 – 1956, but since I've not completely ignored the subject since then it could have been almost anytime. No idea if it was in a "new" publication at the time, so the story could be "very old," or might have been in a" new" collection. It could have been a "full length novel" or possibly a short story in a "collection." Since it may have been a half century ago when I read it, my recollection may be imperfect.(although that surely seems impossible?)

2. Situation: Society (in a future time of course) had developed the ability to "program" people so that a brief "mind transfer" eliminated the need to send them to years of study to "get a job." Most people were programmed.

3. Hero: The principal character (the hero?) was a young/mid-aged person who had "flunked the test" and had been denied programming, hence "never had a real job." (And suffered from "not belonging," permitting more character development than really necessary in most Sci-Fi(?))

4. Conflict: A "friend" had been programmed, but his "skill" had become obsolete, so he was being consigned to "whatever they did with obsolete people."

5.a. Resolution – Part 1: In the course of the story, the hero learns that the reason he wasn't programmed was that he might have been smart enough to be creative if he was left to learn things "the hard way." (More character development while he wrestles with why he was treated so unfairly?)

5.b. Resolution – Other Part: Hero comes up with the idea of reprogramming for obsolete persons, but it's apparently a hard sell to those in charge.

For no known reason, the name of Fredrich Pohl intrudes when I recall this story, but he might have been just one of the authors that impressed me for other reasons at around the same time. Not necessarily a significant clue.

Anybody remember anything remotely similar, or that might seem similar to young impressionable minds suffering from the right kinds of delusions/hallucinations? (Limiting the mental deviances considered to those appropriate to normal(?) young(?) minds, of course.)

John

Subject: RE: BS: Story Lost - Sci-Fi?
From: Manitas_at_home
Date: 29 Jun 12 - 07:49 AM

I remember this story but not the author although Fredrich Pohl sounds about right.

Subject: RE: BS: Story Lost - Sci-Fi?
From: clueless don
Date: 29 Jun 12 - 08:20 AM

You might try asking on the BookSleuth Forum at ABEbooks. This link may, or may not, work. If it doesn't work, go to www.abebooks.com, click on "Community", and search from there.

Don

Subject: RE: BS: Story Lost - Sci-Fi?
From: EBarnacle
Date: 29 Jun 12 - 09:19 AM

John, I just went through the Wiki biography and listing of all Pohl's major works. While I was surprised by how many of the works I had read, I did not recognize the story you mentioned. By the same token, I vaguely remember it myself.

Subject: RE: BS: Story Lost - Sci-Fi?
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 29 Jun 12 - 10:09 AM

Maybe it was Poul Anderson instead of Fredrich Pohl. Similar names, easily confused, especially after 50 years.

Subject: RE: BS: Story Lost - Sci-Fi?
From: Newport Boy
Date: 29 Jun 12 - 11:11 AM

Here you are, John:

Profession - Isaac Asimov

Phil

Subject: RE: BS: Story Lost - Sci-Fi?
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 29 Jun 12 - 11:41 AM

NB - I think you've got it.

I'm pretty sure I didn't read it from either of the two publishings listed, but it must have been in some other collection of short stories.

I haven't generally had any trouble remembering Asimov's larger works (the ones I've read) but this one must have slipped into a crack in my brainworks somehow. Maybe it's one I read before I knew him as well as later.

Now I guess I'll have to pretend I need to try to find a full copy so I can see if it really fits the place where I had the urge to refer to it (but even by now the comment would be just "tired" and more honestly I'd be just wanting to enjoy it again). ?

Unfortunately I think I recall something about Asimov having some sort of objection to "ebooks" so I may have to consort with dusty ol' dealers to have any luck with finding it - although I do still have a few hundred books I'm trying to get "off the shelves" so I might still find it in my own stuff now that I know a title and author.

Thanks all.

Anybody got any other (similar?) "almost forgottens" to carry on with?

John

Subject: RE: BS: Story Lost - Sci-Fi?
From: GUEST,999
Date: 29 Jun 12 - 01:21 PM

This may be it, John.

Subject: RE: BS: Story Lost - Sci-Fi?
From: Charley Noble
Date: 29 Jun 12 - 05:38 PM

Another winner! So both you guys are owed a round of drinks from John at his favorite watering hole in Kansas.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Story Lost - Sci-Fi?
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 29 Jun 12 - 05:42 PM

k-1 - -

That's it. I printed to pdf and then copied/pasted into Word and took the extraneous (site related) stuff out (for a reasonable extract within © restrictions, of course) and it still didn't look as familiar as I expected. Once I put it on A5 pages (the closest standard sheet to common (US) paperback book page size for the appropriate time) it looked more like an old friend. (And a lot better than most of my old friends from the same era who showed up at the last HS reunion.)

I'm quite sure that the third source so far identified (as given at abelard) still isn't where I read it, but I'd expect it was slipped into quite a few "collected short stories" mixes within a short time of the first release. The source isn't too important, as long as the story is remembered.

The "conversation" that triggered my recollection of the story was a fairly typical rant by a rep from a "big name employer" complaining that the schools "don't teach everything a new-hire needs to know," as if he expected "taped experts," although he obviously had no idea how "wrong" he was and wouldn't have had the foggiest idea what I was talking about if I'd made the comparison of his attitude to the Professions idea. I'll probably just skip making the comment I (almost) had in mind, since on reflection I doubt if he's "tapeable" and probably isn't one of the "one in xxxxnd." (Some people just can't be eddicated and have to settle for just being people - ho hum again.)

John

Subject: RE: BS: Story Lost - Sci-Fi?
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 29 Jun 12 - 05:51 PM

And Charley -

I'm not sure there's any water left in Kansas. You don't suppose they'd settle for that pale tasteless stuff we euphemistically call "beer" here, do you? I usually go with Budweiser because "it's no worse than any of the rest."

John

Subject: RE: BS: Story Lost - Sci-Fi?
From: Jeri
Date: 29 Jun 12 - 06:10 PM

Bud?
I feel SO disillusioned...

Subject: RE: BS: Story Lost - Sci-Fi?
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 29 Jun 12 - 07:31 PM

Can you please stop being disparaging about Budweiser.
There is no reason to ever be disapointed on opening a bottle of 'Bud'.


...


...


Unless you'd been hoping for a beer!

Subject: RE: BS: Story Lost - Sci-Fi?
From: GUEST,999
Date: 29 Jun 12 - 07:35 PM

I cannot believe I was able to help JiK with anything. He has been such a help to all of us. This just made my month.

Subject: RE: BS: Story Lost - Sci-Fi?
From: Joe_F
Date: 29 Jun 12 - 09:35 PM

Last time I was in San Francisco, Sam Adams had already made it there. Did it leap over Kansas?

Subject: RE: BS: Story Lost - Sci-Fi?
From: GUEST,999
Date: 29 Jun 12 - 10:56 PM

Best beer I ever had near SF was Coors. Of course, it was 114 degrees at the time. My best friend--to this day--insists it was 117. It could have been, but I was ingesting about five beers an hour--to keep up with the heat I'll have you understand, and there seemed to be no thought of the three degrees difference.

Subject: RE: BS: Story Lost - Sci-Fi?
From: EBarnacle
Date: 29 Jun 12 - 11:18 PM

If you must have a beer in that part of the world, go craft brewed or Anchor Steam. Coors is cow piss.

Subject: RE: BS: Story Lost - Sci-Fi?
From: GUEST,999
Date: 29 Jun 12 - 11:24 PM

You may understand beer, EB, but that was not the issue. The issue was thirst.