# Help ID a Sci-fi Short Story

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-id-a-sci-fi-short-story/594814>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [September 1, 2011, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-id-a-sci-fi-short-story/594814 "2011-09-01T01:54:25Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Not\_Mitch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Not\_Mitch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Not_Mitch)\
**Post date:** [September 1, 2011, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-id-a-sci-fi-short-story/594814/1 "2011-09-01T01:54:25Z")

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I am very light on details, it featured some sort of end of the world scenario where you could no longer drink water and had to drink gasoline, and there was a married couple with the woman rapidly aging and the man de-aging and becoming a baby. Any ideas?

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**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\
**Post date:** [September 1, 2011, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-id-a-sci-fi-short-story/594814/2 "2011-09-01T02:02:36Z")

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> [@Not\_Mitch](#):
>
> I am very light on details, it featured some sort of end of the world scenario where you could no longer drink water and had to drink gasoline, and there was a married couple with the woman rapidly aging and the man de-aging and becoming a baby. Any ideas?

Not off the top of my head unfortunately. Any idea of when you read it? Any names of characters? (the strangest little detail sometimes is an important clue in identifying a story)

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**Author:** ![tripthicket](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripthicket/32/297_2.png) [@tripthicket](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tripthicket)\
**Post date:** [September 1, 2011, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-id-a-sci-fi-short-story/594814/3 "2011-09-01T03:13:53Z")

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The story is _Something Passed BY_, by Robert R. McCammon. I even found it online, at the author’s website:

[http://www.robertmccammon.com/fiction/something.html](http://www.robertmccammon.com/fiction/something.html)

I’m fairly certain this is what you’re thinking of/looking for. Enjoy! 🙂

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**Author:** ![Not\_Mitch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Not\_Mitch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Not_Mitch)\
**Post date:** [September 1, 2011, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-id-a-sci-fi-short-story/594814/4 "2011-09-01T03:42:46Z")

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> [@tripthicket](#):
>
> The story is _Something Passed BY_, by Robert R. McCammon. I even found it online, at the author’s website:
> 
> [Robert McCammon » Robert R. McCammon's "Something Passed By"](http://www.robertmccammon.com/fiction/something.html)
> 
> I’m fairly certain this is what you’re thinking of/looking for. Enjoy! 🙂

That is it, thank you.