I dabble with writing, mostly just plain fiction. A science fiction-oriented idea popped into my head though, and I was curious about whether or not something like this has been done:
Basically you have a race of people who are sort of intergalactic doctors because they seem to be immune to almost everything. They can catch diseases and suffer from them, but their immune systems will eventually triumph. Their hardiness has made them develop a philosophy that the only way to truly be a doctor is to suffer from whatever disease their patient currently has–in short, to understand the nature of the patient’s needs, they put themselves as much as possible into that person’s place.
There’s much more to the narrative but has this premise been covered before? I do read quite a bit of science fiction, and I watch Star Trek in most of its incarnations, so I’m weary that my subconscious is just regurgitating something I read or saw but don’t fully remember. I recall an original Star Trek episode involving a woman who had to be able to literally take on the pains of other people, for instance; I just don’t want to pursue something that’s been done to death.
Thanks,
Montag01
The episode in question was “The Empath”, where aliens tortured Kirk, Spock, and McCoy in hopes of determining if a member of the empathic race would sacrifice herself to save them. Not one of the best episodes.
You’re looking for To Die in Italbar by Roger Zelazny. One of the characters gets everything but then can cure, sometimes with just a touch, any disease related problem.
I don’t remember any story about a race of doctors with a “suffer like the patient” philosophy.
Then give up writing, because everything has been done to death, it’s not the story, not the characters and most certainly not the setting that makes a good book. It’s the author and it’s ability to tell a good story.
PS But don’t worry if the premise has been used before. It’s what you do with the story that matters, unless it’s so close that there might be a copyright violation.
I agree with the above. It isn’t that the premise has been done before when you write a story. All you have to do it do it better than it has been done before. At the very least, you should be able to deal with the issue for the doctors in a different and dramatic way.
I’ve had three vampire stories published. Only one of them was particularly original. And I’m writing another.
Shakesphere said; “There are only seven plots.”
Thanks for the replies.
I realize after reading the responses that I phrased some aspects rather poorly. I’m not concerned about similar ideas and am well aware that premises are used countless times. I was concerned that I had come across but no longer quite remembered a story or tv show that had exactly the same idea to the detail. The “nothing’s original” argument is valid and decidedly not a factor for me as a writer.
Thanks again!
Montag01
I recently read a short story where in the future - you can have your child inoculated against all diseases at a special hospital - it takes about a year and they go thru terrible pain.
The story deals with a family making the decision whether or not to send their son to the Hospital.
I think the author was Theodore Sturgeon - tho it seems awfully dark for him. Maybe Philip K. Dick?
Murray’s Medical Ship stories has been recently re-printed and were all about an interstellar organization of doctors. Their pets got sick and then immediatly got better and provided anti-bodies to cure the disease.