I'm trying to identify a science fiction short story I read in the late 60s or early 70s (it could have been published earlier). It's about a woman who realizes, too late, that her father was an alien. She's been different her whole life but has changed herself to fit in -- stooping to disguise her height, changing her hair, etc. She realizes she's made a mistake when she sees someone she thinks was her father, but he doesn't recognize her as anything but a normal human because her adaptation has been so effective. As a sign to him, probably too late, she follows her instincts and decorates her front porch with something strange and significant -- I remember something like "corn cob doilies" even though I don't know what that would have been (I read the story AGES ago and my memory is fuzzy...) It would be geat if you could identify the story, as I'd love to read it again.
In article <c25d0359-093b-490a-9e64-bcd905ffc...@x36g2000prg.googlegroups.com>, Nicholas Waller <testo...@aol.com> writes:
>On 20 Jul, 12:38, wdst...@panix.com (William December Starr) wrote: >> Forwarding a request that was emailed to MITSFS: >> about a woman who realizes, too late, that her father was an alien. >> She's been different her whole life but has changed herself to fit in
>It could be something by Zenna Henderson.
If so, it's not one of her "People" stories. I haven't read her other work.
-- Michael F. Stemper #include <Standard_Disclaimer> Visualize whirled peas!
Michael Stemper <mstem...@walkabout.empros.com> wrote: >Nicholas Waller <testo...@aol.com> writes: >>On 20 Jul, 12:38, wdst...@panix.com (William December Starr) wrote: >>> Forwarding a request that was emailed to MITSFS:
>>> about a woman who realizes, too late, that her father was an alien. >>> She's been different her whole life but has changed herself to fit in
>>It could be something by Zenna Henderson.
>If so, it's not one of her "People" stories. I haven't read her other work.
I have read her stories in The Anything Box and Holding Wonder, though not recently, and it's not ringing a bell with me either.
Dave -- \/David DeLaney posting from d...@vic.com "It's not the pot that grows the flower It's not the clock that slows the hour The definition's plain for anyone to see Love is all it takes to make a family" - R&P. VISUALIZE HAPPYNET VRbeable<BLINK> http://www.vic.com/~dbd/ - net.legends FAQ & Magic / I WUV you in all CAPS! --K.
Michael Stemper wrote: > Nicholas Waller writes: > > William December Starr wrote: > >> Forwarding a request that was emailed to MITSFS: > >> about a woman who realizes, too late, that her father was an > >> alien. She's been different her whole life but has changed > >> herself to fit in
> >It could be something by Zenna Henderson. > If so, it's not one of her "People" stories. I haven't read her > other work.
It isn't ZH: in her stories it never seems to be too late to rejoin the "People". (I have all her published stories.)
I have read a story that answer's the op's description (but didn't notice main characters gender), not more than a year ago. The race had some ability like telepathy, which had to be trained from early childhood. She had not just missed out, she had trained herself to ignore the noise from us earthlings. She did find her own people, but I think they sent her back with memories blurred. Not much help:(
Joyce.
Joyce Haslam.
--
"The spear in the Other's heart is in your own: you are he." -- Surak
In article <slrng8f007.t6c....@gatekeeper.vic.com>, d...@gatekeeper.vic.com (David DeLaney) writes: >Michael Stemper <mstem...@walkabout.empros.com> wrote: >>Nicholas Waller <testo...@aol.com> writes: >>>It could be something by Zenna Henderson.
>>If so, it's not one of her "People" stories. I haven't read her other work.
>I have read her stories in The Anything Box and Holding Wonder, though not >recently, and it's not ringing a bell with me either.
How are they? I've had those books sitting on my shelves for at least a decade, but somehow have never gotten around to reading them. Honestly, I'm a little apprehensive, although I'm not sure if I'm afraid that they'll be just like the People stories, or if I'm afraid that they'll be nothing like them.
-- Michael F. Stemper #include <Standard_Disclaimer> A preposition is something that you should never end a sentence with.
Michael Stemper <mstem...@walkabout.empros.com> wrote: >d...@gatekeeper.vic.com (David DeLaney) writes: >>I have read her stories in The Anything Box and Holding Wonder, though not >>recently, and it's not ringing a bell with me either.
>How are they? I've had those books sitting on my shelves for at least a >decade, but somehow have never gotten around to reading them. Honestly, >I'm a little apprehensive, although I'm not sure if I'm afraid that they'll >be just like the People stories, or if I'm afraid that they'll be nothing >like them.
They are not People stories, but as I remember they have the same sort of sense of wonder to them. (No crossover-with-title pun intended.) I liked them - but this time around I read the two People books first, then was Hendersoned out and didn't read those two collections. So it may be a while before I reread them.
A lot of them are about interactions with various sorts of children, if I recall right, and the interesting things that can happen when these are SF or fantasy type children...
Dave -- \/David DeLaney posting from d...@vic.com "It's not the pot that grows the flower It's not the clock that slows the hour The definition's plain for anyone to see Love is all it takes to make a family" - R&P. VISUALIZE HAPPYNET VRbeable<BLINK> http://www.vic.com/~dbd/ - net.legends FAQ & Magic / I WUV you in all CAPS! --K.
On Thu, 24 Jul 2008 09:19:14 -0400, d...@gatekeeper.vic.com (David
DeLaney) wrote: >Michael Stemper <mstem...@walkabout.empros.com> wrote: >>d...@gatekeeper.vic.com (David DeLaney) writes: >>>I have read her stories in The Anything Box and Holding Wonder, though not >>>recently, and it's not ringing a bell with me either.
>>How are they? I've had those books sitting on my shelves for at least a >>decade, but somehow have never gotten around to reading them. Honestly, >>I'm a little apprehensive, although I'm not sure if I'm afraid that they'll >>be just like the People stories, or if I'm afraid that they'll be nothing >>like them.
>They are not People stories, but as I remember they have the same sort of >sense of wonder to them.
Yes. Although _Holding Wonder_ had at least one People story in it.
>A lot of them are about interactions with various sorts of children, if I >recall right, and the interesting things that can happen when these are SF or >fantasy type children...
They aren't all ... nice... stories either. One gives me the creeps every time I think of it. And then there's the one where the teacher (for once in a Henderson story) isn't paying enough attention to the kids and may have destroyed everything. I don't remember which collection that was in - it was the story where the kids are 'fairing the coorse" ?
> >Michael Stemper <mstem...@walkabout.empros.com> wrote: > > > d...@gatekeeper.vic.com (David DeLaney) writes: > > > > I have read her stories in The Anything Box and Holding Wonder, > > > > though not recently, and it's not ringing a bell with me either.
> > > How are they? I've had those books sitting on my shelves for at > > > least a decade, but somehow have never gotten around to reading > > > them. Honestly, I'm a little apprehensive, although I'm not sure > > > if I'm afraid that they'll be just like the People stories, or if > > > I'm afraid that they'll be nothing like them.
> > They are not People stories, but as I remember they have the same > > sort of sense of wonder to them.
> Yes. Although _Holding Wonder_ had at least one People story in it.
> > A lot of them are about interactions with various sorts of > > children, if I recall right, and the interesting things that can > > happen when these are SF or fantasy type children...
> They aren't all ... nice... stories either. One gives me the creeps > every time I think of it.
>> >Michael Stemper <mstem...@walkabout.empros.com> wrote: >> > > d...@gatekeeper.vic.com (David DeLaney) writes: >> > > > I have read her stories in The Anything Box and Holding Wonder, >> > > > though not recently, and it's not ringing a bell with me either.
>> > > How are they? I've had those books sitting on my shelves for at >> > > least a decade, but somehow have never gotten around to reading >> > > them. Honestly, I'm a little apprehensive, although I'm not sure >> > > if I'm afraid that they'll be just like the People stories, or if >> > > I'm afraid that they'll be nothing like them.
>> > They are not People stories, but as I remember they have the same >> > sort of sense of wonder to them.
>> Yes. Although _Holding Wonder_ had at least one People story in it.
>> > A lot of them are about interactions with various sorts of >> > children, if I recall right, and the interesting things that can >> > happen when these are SF or fantasy type children...
>> They aren't all ... nice... stories either. One gives me the creeps >> every time I think of it. >Would that be "Walking Aunt Daid?"
No. Huh. I remember Aunt Daid, but I can't remember how the story went. Just that she'd been in the family a very long time. But she's not creepy.
It's the one that ends (approx) 'and a quiet quiet house on a quiet side street."
Elaine Thompson <Ela...@KEThompson.org> wrote: >"Dan Goodman" <dsg...@iphouse.com> wrote: >>Elaine Thompson wrote: >>> They aren't all ... nice... stories either. One gives me the creeps >>> every time I think of it. >>Would that be "Walking Aunt Daid?"
>No. Huh. I remember Aunt Daid, but I can't remember how the story >went. Just that she'd been in the family a very long time. But she's >not creepy.
>It's the one that ends (approx) 'and a quiet quiet house on a quiet >side street."
That's not ringing a bell for me. Without actually getting up to go find the book, the wonders of teh Internetz tell me that Holding Wonder contained
The Indelible Type, J-Line to Nowhere, You Know What Teacher?, The Effectives, Loo Ree, The Closest School, Three Cornered and Secure, The Taste of Aunt Sophronia, The Believing Child, Through a Glass Darkly, As Simple As That, Swept and Garnished, One of Them, Sharing time, Ad Astra, Incident After, The Walls, Crowing Glory, Boona on Scancia, Love Every Third Stir
[and THAT'S where I know Love Every Third Stir from!] and The Anything Box contained (from a different website; the Internet is wonderful, but its indexing leaves a great deal to be desired, still)
The Anything Box; Subcommittee; Something Bright; Hush; Food to All Flesh; Come on Wagon; Walking Aunt Daid; Substitute; Grunder; Things; Turn the Page; Stevie & the Dark; And a Little Child; The Last Step
Do any of those sound like the story you're thinking of?
Dave -- \/David DeLaney posting from d...@vic.com "It's not the pot that grows the flower It's not the clock that slows the hour The definition's plain for anyone to see Love is all it takes to make a family" - R&P. VISUALIZE HAPPYNET VRbeable<BLINK> http://www.vic.com/~dbd/ - net.legends FAQ & Magic / I WUV you in all CAPS! --K.
