# Help me Identify this Sci-Fi story

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-this-sci-fi-story/449346>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [May 14, 2008, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-this-sci-fi-story/449346 "2008-05-14T21:48:22Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\
**Post date:** [May 14, 2008, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-this-sci-fi-story/449346/1 "2008-05-14T21:48:22Z")

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I’m pretty sure this was a short story…it might have even been a short-short story. A criminal is sentenced to be frozen cryogenically until science has discovered some way to cure his criminal tendencies. He then, in the future, is thawed out, and told by the person who thaws him out that their society has found a way to cure criminals. The thawer then steps out of the way and the criminal sees a gallows. The story then ends.

Is this story familiar to anyone?

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**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\
**Post date:** [May 14, 2008, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-this-sci-fi-story/449346/2 "2008-05-14T21:51:32Z")

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Oh, that does sound familiar. Now just to recall from where…

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**Author:** ![Baraqiyal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecccb3/32.png) [@Baraqiyal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baraqiyal)\
**Post date:** [May 14, 2008, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-this-sci-fi-story/449346/3 "2008-05-14T22:07:27Z")

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I think it was a Night Gallery episode.

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**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\
**Post date:** [May 14, 2008, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-this-sci-fi-story/449346/4 "2008-05-14T22:24:15Z")

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I thought you were talking about the movie “Demolition Man” until you got to the gallows part.

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**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\
**Post date:** [May 14, 2008, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-this-sci-fi-story/449346/5 "2008-05-14T22:24:27Z")

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I have also read it, but I don’t remember the title. The boy being frozen was from a wealthy family that was pulling strings to keep him from being executed in the present. He had always relied on their clout and was a smug little git.

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**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\
**Post date:** [May 14, 2008, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-this-sci-fi-story/449346/6 "2008-05-14T22:30:11Z")

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I don’t know the story, but the OP’s summary made me laugh out loud.

Gallows humour, indeed.