red@ukma.UUCP (Red Varth) (02/13/85)
This book starts out about a professor whose wife has left him. He gets
depressed one night, and tries to commit suicide. He's saved by his hat.
His wife is a nurse, I think.
Anyway, his sister comes to visit him (she's had a falling-out with her boss),
and ends up living with him for a while. Then she gets kidnapped. The prof just
about bankrupts himself trying to track her down, and finally pinpoints her
location. Then he gets caught by the same guy who kidnapped her.
At this point, the story shift to another person. This guy officially doesn't
exist -- he doesn't have the equivalent of a SS number. He's a burglar by
profession (and a good one, too). Then he breaks into this apartment, and
discovers that the tenant (a woman about 24-26) is trying to commit suicide.
[Note: This society has something very similar to the "tasp" from Ringworld,
except that anyone can buy one. They call it "wire-heading" in this book]
The woman had plugged herself into the wire, and was starving herself to
death. The guy unplugs her, and saves her life (she breaks his nose in the
process). He performs a little rough psychology on her, and gets her unaddicted
to wire-heading. Then she decides that she wants to "get back" at the
companies that make the wires. She wants him to help her, and he declines.
His reasoning is that a man who doesn't officially exist would be worth a lot
of money to those companies. He could do dirty work for them, and no one would
every know. Or words to that effect.
To make a long story short, he discovers a good bit of his past, and yes, he's
the professor. Then he goes on a rampage to rescue his sister. End of story.
I don't remember anything about how he did (or didn't) succeed.
***** Any ideas? It's annoying to recall so much of the plot, but not
the title or author. Someone suggested "The Steel Rat" (or something
like that). I haven't read that, but it doesn't sound familiar.
Thanx,
Redlindley@ut-ngp.UUCP (John L. Templer) (02/14/85)
I don't know how much this helps, but the part about the burglar and the woman sounds very much like a story that appeared in _OMNI_ a few years back. I know, it's a pretty thin lead, but you might be able to check at a library, or maybe a subscriber to _OMNI_ could help you. (I let my subscription lapse, too many dumb articles on pseudo-science.) > . . . . . . Then he breaks into this apartment, and > discovers that the tenant (a woman about 24-26) is trying to commit suicide. > > The woman had plugged herself into the wire, and was starving herself to > death. The guy unplugs her, and saves her life (she breaks his nose in the > process). -- John L. Templer University of Texas at Austin {allegra,gatech,seismo!ut-sally,vortex}!ut-ngp!lindley "Gongo Bunnies movin' in,
jcp@osiris.UUCP (Jody Patilla) (02/14/85)
The book you want to know about is by Spider Robinson. I don't remember the title, but it comes from a short story which originally appeared in OMNI, called "God is an Iron". * * If a person who commits a felony is a felon, then God is an iron. jcpatilla
wjr@utcs.UUCP (William Rucklidge) (02/14/85)
> This book starts out about a professor whose wife has left him. He gets > depressed one night, and tries to commit suicide. He's saved by his hat. > His wife is a nurse, I think. > > Anyway, his sister comes to visit him (she's had a falling-out with her boss), > and ends up living with him for a while. Then she gets kidnapped. The prof just > about bankrupts himself trying to track her down, and finally pinpoints her > location. Then he gets caught by the same guy who kidnapped her. > > At this point, the story shift to another person. This guy officially doesn't > exist -- he doesn't have the equivalent of a SS number. He's a burglar by > profession (and a good one, too). Then he breaks into this apartment, and > discovers that the tenant (a woman about 24-26) is trying to commit suicide. > > [more plot summary] > > ***** Any ideas? It's annoying to recall so much of the plot, but not > the title or author. Someone suggested "The Steel Rat" (or something > like that). I haven't read that, but it doesn't sound familiar. > > Thanx, > Red This book is called _Mindkiller_, by Spider Robinson. -- William Rucklidge University of Toronto Computing Services {decvax,ihnp4,utcsrgv,{allegra,linus}!utzoo}!utcs!wjr GISO - Garbage In, Serendipity Out. This message brought to you with the aid of the Poslfit Committee.
cjh@petsd.UUCP (Chris Henrich) (02/15/85)
[] > This book starts out about a professor whose wife has left him. He gets > depressed one night, and tries to commit suicide. He's saved by his hat. > His wife is a nurse, I think. ... > ***** Any ideas? It's annoying to recall so much of the plot, but not > the title or author. Someone suggested "The Steel Rat" (or something > like that). I haven't read that, but it doesn't sound familiar. This is "Mindkiller", by Spider Robinson. The paperback edition is just out; I think I bought the hardback in 1982. It is damn good. Re "The Steel Rat" -- somebody's memory was jiving around. The burglar (who officially doesn't exist) calls himself Templeton, after a rat in a children's book by E. B. White. Your friend took this recollection and spliced it with the title "The Stainless Steel Rat" by Henry Harrison. Regards, Chris -- Full-Name: Christopher J. Henrich UUCP: ..!(cornell | ariel | ukc | houxz)!vax135!petsd!cjh US Mail: MS 313; Perkin-Elmer; 106 Apple St; Tinton Falls, NJ 07724 Phone: (201) 870-5853
student@nmtvax.UUCP (02/15/85)
>I don't know how much this helps, but the part about the burglar and >the woman sounds very much like a story that appeared in _OMNI_ a few >years back. > >> . . . . . . Then he breaks into this apartment, and >> discovers that the tenant (a woman about 24-26) is trying to commit suicide. >> >> The woman had plugged herself into the wire, and was starving herself to >> death. The guy unplugs her, and saves her life (she breaks his nose in the >> process). The story is one by Spider Robinson entitled "Mindkiller." The second chapter ran in "Omni" as "God is an Iron." Good book. Sincerely; Greg Hennessy ..ucbvax!unmvax!nmtvax!student
berry@zinfandel.UUCP (Berry Kercheval) (02/15/85)
In article <776@ukma.UUCP> red@ukma.UUCP (Red Varth) writes: >This book starts out about a professor whose wife has left him. He gets >depressed one night, and tries to commit suicide. He's saved by his hat. >His wife is a nurse, I think. etc. etc. This book is "Mindkiller" by Spider Robinson. It's much better than the plot 'synopsis' makes it sound. (Nothing personal, I don't think I could do much better if I hadn't read it just 6 weeks ago...) Part of the novel (where the 'other fellow' breaks into the apartment where the woman is commiting suicide by droud) was published in Omni and anthologized as 'God is an Iron'. See, if a felon commits felony, an iron commits irony... Anyone know the etymologies of 'droud' and 'tasp'?? -- La musique est une science qui veut qu`on rit et chante et dance. -- Guillaume de Machaut Berry Kercheval Zehntel Inc. (ihnp4!zehntel!zinfandel!berry) (415)932-6900 (kerch@lll-tis.ARPA)
@RUTGERS.ARPA:milazzo@rice.ARPA (02/16/85)
From: Paul Milazzo <milazzo@rice.ARPA> "This book starts out about a professor whose wife has left him..." The story is of course Spider Robinson's MINDKILLER, and an excerpt called "God is an Iron" appeared in OMNI Magazine. I haven't read this book in a while, but your description matches what I remember. Most readers also seem to remember either the infamous bondage scene or the continual references to Jazz performances (both have merit). Say, what ever happened to Phyllis, anyway? She just vanished, and I was sort of sorry to see her go... My copy of MINDKILLER was published in 1983 by Berkley, ISBN 0-425-06288-0, from a 1982 hardback edition by Holt, Rinehart. Paul G. Milazzo <milazzo@rice.ARPA> Dept. of Computer Science Rice University, Houston, TX
@RUTGERS.ARPA:jsweet@uci-750a (02/16/85)
From: Jerry Sweet <jsweet@uci-750a> The short story to which you refer is "God is an Iron" by Spider Robinson, which the author later expanded into a novel called "Mindkiller." -jns
ken@ncrcae.UUCP (Ken Fineberg) (02/16/85)
In article <1319@ut-ngp.UUCP> lindley@ut-ngp.UUCP (John L. Templer) writes: >I don't know how much this helps, but the part about the burglar and >the woman sounds very much like a story that appeared in _OMNI_ a few >years back. > >> . . . . . . Then he breaks into this apartment, and >> discovers that the tenant (a woman about 24-26) is trying to commit suicide. >> > > John L. Templer > University of Texas at Austin > {allegra,gatech,seismo!ut-sally,vortex}!ut-ngp!lindley > First published as a short story by Spider Robinson and then expanded into an excellent novel. The short story- *God is an Iron* and the novel -*Mindkiller*. Ken Fineberg, NCR Columbia. Light fuse, get away quickly. Use under adult supervision.
@RUTGERS.ARPA:RAM@CMU-CS-C.ARPA (02/16/85)
From: Rob MacLachlan <RAM@CMU-CS-C.ARPA>
The story is "Mindkiller" by Spider Robinson. Part of the book
did in fact appear elsewhere as a short story. I'm not quite sure
what to think of his trick of taking a powerful short story and making
it into a so-so novel. It's annoying to start reading a novel, and
then discover that you already read a few chapters in the middle.
He didn't and did succeed in rescuing his sister. Typically, for
a Robinson story, the bad guy turned out to be a good guy after all.
In general, I like Robinson's stuff, but there is an all-pervasive air
of sickening optimism.
Rob@RUTGERS.ARPA:mike@rice.ARPA (02/17/85)
From: Mike Caplinger <mike@rice.ARPA> This one's MINDKILLER, by Spider Robinson. The Omni story was called "God is an Iron". - Mike
wbpesch@ihuxp.UUCP (Walt Pesch) (02/18/85)
> This book starts out about a professor whose wife has left him. He gets > depressed one night, and tries to commit suicide. He's saved by his hat. > His wife is a nurse, I think. > > Anyway, his sister comes to visit him (she's had a falling-out with her boss), > and ends up living with him for a while. Then she gets kidnapped. The prof just > about bankrupts himself trying to track her down, and finally pinpoints her > location. Then he gets caught by the same guy who kidnapped her. > > At this point, the story shift to another person. This guy officially doesn't > exist -- he doesn't have the equivalent of a SS number. He's a burglar by > profession (and a good one, too). Then he breaks into this apartment, and > discovers that the tenant (a woman about 24-26) is trying to commit suicide. > > [Note: This society has something very similar to the "tasp" from Ringworld, > except that anyone can buy one. They call it "wire-heading" in this book] > > The woman had plugged herself into the wire, and was starving herself to > death. The guy unplugs her, and saves her life (she breaks his nose in the > process). He performs a little rough psychology on her, and gets her unaddicted > to wire-heading. Then she decides that she wants to "get back" at the > companies that make the wires. She wants him to help her, and he declines. > His reasoning is that a man who doesn't officially exist would be worth a lot > of money to those companies. He could do dirty work for them, and no one would > every know. Or words to that effect. > > To make a long story short, he discovers a good bit of his past, and yes, he's > the professor. Then he goes on a rampage to rescue his sister. End of story. > I don't remember anything about how he did (or didn't) succeed. Yes, I know this one well. It is Mindkiller, by Spider Robinson (also of Stardance and Calahan's Crosstime Saloon). DEFINATELY one of my top ten favorite books (I can't decide past that point) and highly recommended, as is anything that he has done. And he also gives a history of "wireheading" in the Author's Preface. -- Walt Pesch AT&T Technologies ihnp4!ihuxp!wbpesch
cooley@nmtvax.UUCP (02/18/85)
/*********************************************************************/ The book in question (where a burglar saves a wirehead) is called "Mindkiller" and is by Norman Spinrad or Spider Robinson. Very good book; for those who liked this I recommend "Neuromancer". - No Flames about Names Thaedeus Zefuldar
frdish@aecom.UUCP (Larry Freund) (02/20/85)
> This book starts out about a professor whose wife has left him. He gets > depressed one night, and tries to commit suicide. He's saved by his hat. > His wife is a nurse, I think. > > At this point, the story shift to another person. This guy officially doesn't > exist -- he doesn't have the equivalent of a SS number. He's a burglar by > profession (and a good one, too). Then he breaks into this apartment, and > discovers that the tenant (a woman about 24-26) is trying to commit suicide. > > [Note: This society has something very similar to the "tasp" from Ringworld, > except that anyone can buy one. They call it "wire-heading" in this book] > > The woman had plugged herself into the wire, and was starving herself to > death. The guy unplugs her, and saves her life (she breaks his nose in the > process). He performs a little rough psychology on her, and gets her unaddicted > to wire-heading. Then she decides that she wants to "get back" at the > companies that make the wires. She wants him to help her, and he declines. > His reasoning is that a man who doesn't officially exist would be worth a lot > of money to those companies. He could do dirty work for them, and no one would > every know. Or words to that effect. > > To make a long story short, he discovers a good bit of his past, and yes, he's > the professor. Then he goes on a rampage to rescue his sister. End of story. > I don't remember anything about how he did (or didn't) succeed. > > > ***** Any ideas? It's annoying to recall so much of the plot, but not > the title or author. Someone suggested "The Steel Rat" (or something > like that). I haven't read that, but it doesn't sound familiar. > > Thanx, > Red *** REPLACE THIS LINE WITH YOUR MESSAGE *** The story is "Mindkiller" by Spider Robinson. I seem to remember that the chapter where the burglar finds the girl in the chair with the wire on, the chapter that ends with his saying "I came to rob your house." was originally a short story by Larry Niven which Robinson decided to build into a novel -- "It's either believe that, or else believe we're only characters in a series of stories being written by a couple of hacks who need the money." Larry Freund UUCP: {cucard,philabs,pegasus,esquire,rocky2,ihnp4}!aecom!frdish
bsa@ncoast.UUCP (Brandon Allbery) (03/01/85)
> Article <776@ukma.UUCP>, from red@ukma.UUCP (Red Varth) +---------------- | This book starts out about a professor whose wife has left him. He gets | depressed one night, and tries to commit suicide. He's saved by his hat. | His wife is a nurse, I think. | | Anyway, his sister comes to visit him (she's had a falling-out with her boss), | and ends up living with him for a while. Then she gets kidnapped. The prof just | about bankrupts himself trying to track her down, and finally pinpoints her | location. Then he gets caught by the same guy who kidnapped her. | | At this point, the story shift to another person. This guy officially doesn't | exist -- he doesn't have the equivalent of a SS number. He's a burglar by | profession (and a good one, too). Then he breaks into this apartment, and | discovers that the tenant (a woman about 24-26) is trying to commit suicide. | | [Note: This society has something very similar to the "tasp" from Ringworld, | except that anyone can buy one. They call it "wire-heading" in this book] AARGGGH! Niven INVENTED wireheading! It's mentioned in PROTECTOR, is a major part of one of his ARM stories (THE LONG ARM OF GIL HAMILTON), and in RINGWORLD he says that the tasp is a remote wirehead thingie, not in those words... also, in THE RINGWORLD ENGINEERS, Louis Wu is a wireheader, thanks to Nessus and Halrloprillalar having fiddled with his karma in RINGWORLD followed by her disappearance when he took her back to Earth... The story is MINDKILLER, by Spider Robinson. The story shift was in OMNI under the title, "GOD IS AN IRON". --bsa -- Brandon Allbery, decvax!cwruecmp!ncoast!bsa, ncoast!bsa@case.csnet (etc.) 6504 Chestnut Road Independence, Ohio 44131 +1 216 524 1416 -- CIS 74106,1032 -=> Does the Doctor make house calls? <=-