# Could someone identify this short story? (sci-fi) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 30, 2001, 9:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-someone-identify-this-short-story-sci-fi/90489 "2001-10-30T09:02:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![RocknRoll\_Killing\_Machine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/5daacb/32.png) [@RocknRoll\_Killing\_Machine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RocknRoll_Killing_Machine)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2001, 9:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-someone-identify-this-short-story-sci-fi/90489/1 "2001-10-30T09:02:31Z")
It start with this guy on his porch at night, looking out at the city. He realizes that the moon’s bright tonight, real bright. He then figures that since the moon’s brightness is only a reflection of the sun’s light, if the moon’s **that** bright, the earth is being incinerated as it rotates, and he has a couple hours to live. That’s generally the plot, does anyone recognize it? ---
**Author:** ![Badtz\_Maru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e36b37/32.png) [@Badtz\_Maru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Badtz_Maru)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2001, 9:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-someone-identify-this-short-story-sci-fi/90489/2 "2001-10-30T09:07:50Z")
Inconstant Moon by Larry Niven. ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2001, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-someone-identify-this-short-story-sci-fi/90489/3 "2001-10-30T12:08:19Z")
And it’s one of Niven’s best! Fenris ---
**Author:** ![WPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d26b3c/32.png) [@WPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WPL)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2001, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-someone-identify-this-short-story-sci-fi/90489/4 "2001-10-30T18:38:31Z")
And it was adapted (badly) on the new Outer Limits show. ---
**Author:** ![DarkWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee59a6/32.png) [@DarkWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DarkWriter)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2001, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-someone-identify-this-short-story-sci-fi/90489/5 "2001-10-30T19:21:04Z")
Where can I find that story? It sounds great! Sheri ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2001, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-someone-identify-this-short-story-sci-fi/90489/6 "2001-10-30T19:27:37Z")
It’s in his anthology **All the Myriad Ways** , which was first published in 1970. It has since been republished once that I know of, circa 1976. The story might be in one of his other, newer anthologies. ---
**Author:** ![RocknRoll\_Killing\_Machine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/5daacb/32.png) [@RocknRoll\_Killing\_Machine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RocknRoll_Killing_Machine)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2001, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-someone-identify-this-short-story-sci-fi/90489/7 "2001-10-30T21:24:24Z")
Thanks guys. As an additional bonus, _All The Myriad Ways_ has his classic essay on Superman. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2001, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-someone-identify-this-short-story-sci-fi/90489/8 "2001-10-31T05:13:53Z")
It’s also in one of the volumes of _The Hugo Winners_, a good anthology to pick up. I’ve found that the Hugos seem to be more reliable than the Nebulas at identifying good SF. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2001, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-someone-identify-this-short-story-sci-fi/90489/9 "2001-10-31T05:36:46Z")
It was also published in _The Best of All Possible Worlds_ an anthology edited by Spider Robinson. Robinson’s goal was to publish a number of his favorite stories that weren’t available in other in-print anthologies and then ask each story’s author to pick another out-of-print story that they liked which was the also included in the collection. Unfortunately, in keeping with the theme of the collection, this book itself is now out-of-print. ---
**Author:** ![tanstaafl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba8739/32.png) [@tanstaafl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tanstaafl)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2001, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-someone-identify-this-short-story-sci-fi/90489/10 "2001-10-31T19:53:41Z")
> [@](#): > > I’ve found that the Hugos seem to be more reliable than the Nebulas at identifying good SF. The Hugos are voted on by fans. The Nebulas are voted on by writers. Tell you something? ---
**Author:** ![Hamadryad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6de8d8/32.png) [@Hamadryad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamadryad)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2001, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-someone-identify-this-short-story-sci-fi/90489/11 "2001-10-31T21:16:03Z")
It’s also in the book of Larry Niven short stories called N-Space. Yummily fantastic, aw yeah. ---
**Author:** ![Politzania](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3ab097/32.png) [@Politzania](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Politzania)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2001, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-someone-identify-this-short-story-sci-fi/90489/12 "2001-11-01T15:09:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by DarkWriter \* > \*\*Where can I find that story? It sounds great! > Sheri \*\* Fictionwise has it in several downloadable forms for $1.29 [http://www.fictionwise.com/ebooks/eBook444.htm](http://www.fictionwise.com/ebooks/eBook444.htm) (Fictionwise is way cool!)