YASID short story with overly adapted alien daughter
William December Starr
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.
-- wds
Nicholas Waller
> 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.
--
Nick
Michael Stemper
>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!
David DeLaney
>Nicholas Waller <test...@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
--
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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>
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Joyce Haslam
> 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
Michael Stemper
>Michael Stemper <mste...@walkabout.empros.com> wrote:
>>Nicholas Waller <test...@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.
David DeLaney
>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...
Elaine Thompson
DeLaney) wrote:
>Michael Stemper <mste...@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" ?
--
Elaine Thompson <Ela...@KEThompson.org>
Dan Goodman
> On Thu, 24 Jul 2008 09:19:14 -0400, d...@gatekeeper.vic.com (David
> DeLaney) wrote:
>
> >Michael Stemper <mste...@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?"
--
--
Dan Goodman
"I have always depended on the kindness of stranglers."
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Elaine Thompson
>Elaine Thompson wrote:
>
>> On Thu, 24 Jul 2008 09:19:14 -0400, d...@gatekeeper.vic.com (David
>> DeLaney) wrote:
>>
>> >Michael Stemper <mste...@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>
David DeLaney
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?
Dan Goodman
She's having a nightmare -- and we're part of it, and if she ever
manages to wake up....
That's not creepy?
> It's the one that ends (approx) 'and a quiet quiet house on a quiet
> side street."
Doesn't ring any bells for me.
Elaine Thompson
I just reread it. No, I don't think it's creepy. I don't think we
disappear if she wakes up, if that's what you're getting at. I've
always thought she's not really dreaming, she's doing some kind of
'travel'. For one thing, she does wake up, because she talks about
what she's been told in her other existence.
I wonder why she only walks with men?
>
>> It's the one that ends (approx) 'and a quiet quiet house on a quiet
>> side street."
>
>Doesn't ring any bells for me.
It's Hush.
It just gets my imagination going.
Of course once the book is off the shelf, I couldn't reread just Aunt
Daid. I'd forgotten the one about the Liesel and the beasts, and
Stevie and the Dark. (and that last is a dark story, too.)
--
Elaine Thompson <Ela...@KEThompson.org>
Elaine Thompson
DeLaney) wrote:
>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.
It's in _Anything Box_ and is the one called Hush.
Thanks for posting the contents.
> Without actually getting up to go find the
>book, the wonders of teh Internetz tell me that Holding Wonder contained
>
>The Indelible Type,
That's the People story, IIRC.
>J-Line to Nowhere, You Know What Teacher?, The Effectives,
>Loo Ree, The Closest School, Three Cornered and Secure, The Taste of Aunt
>Sophronia,
something about the Aunt Sophronia story really tickles my fancy.
>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!]
Yes, that's it. Great story.
>
>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?
>
The Last Step is the one with the a-typical Henderson teacher
character.
--
Elaine Thompson <Ela...@KEThompson.org>
Dan Goodman
My interpretation: She partially wakes up in the real world; steps are
taken to keep her from completely waking up from her nightmare.
>
> I wonder why she only walks with men?
>
>
>
> >
> >> It's the one that ends (approx) 'and a quiet quiet house on a quiet
> >> side street."
> >
> > Doesn't ring any bells for me.
>
> It's Hush.
>
> It just gets my imagination going.
>
>
> Of course once the book is off the shelf, I couldn't reread just Aunt
> Daid. I'd forgotten the one about the Liesel and the beasts, and
> Stevie and the Dark. (and that last is a dark story, too.)
--