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February 14, 2006

A question for Sci-fi fans

I remember this short story I read a long time ago, about the effect of the sudden withdrawal of electricity on world culture and society. Earth was "infected" for want of a better word, with a microscopic thing called "waverlies" that lived on free electricity. No more electric motors, no telephones, no radios, no lightening.

Ring any bells with any one?

Posted by Darleen at February 14, 2006 08:14 PM

Comments

No. But there is a current series by SM stirling with a similar premise. The first book is Dies the Fire. It supposes no electricity, gasoline, gunpowder etc.

Posted by: Gahrie at February 14, 2006 08:22 PM

Doesn't sound famiiar to me.

Posted by: Carl W. Goss at February 15, 2006 06:37 AM

It sounds vaguely familiar, but I can't place it definitely---it sounds to me like an older story, the kind of thing Henry Kutner might write (could be a Henry Kutner story.)

Posted by: TalkinKamel at February 15, 2006 08:17 AM

It's called "The Waveries" (no L) by Fredric Brown, which first appeared in Astounding SF Stories in January 1945. Hope that helps as a start to re-finding it. :)

Posted by: Yax K'uk Mo' at February 16, 2006 09:57 AM

I have that short story in Word. Somebody had posted it on some far-out website I found.

Posted by: Carl W. Goss at February 16, 2006 03:17 PM

Thank you, Yax!

This comes from voracious reading, especially of short stories in old collections, over the years -- I can remember the stories, scenes, dialogues, but the authors and places I read 'em I have a hard time recalling.

Carl? If you wouldn't mind, email it to me?

Posted by: Darleen at February 16, 2006 03:47 PM

You got it Mz Darleen! Sent it today.

Posted by: Carl W. Goss at February 16, 2006 05:47 PM