# Science Fiction story identification question **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 15, 2017, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/science-fiction-story-identification-question/796407 "2017-09-15T16:15:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**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 15, 2017, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/science-fiction-story-identification-question/796407/1 "2017-09-15T16:15:06Z")
Back in the 1980s I read a lot of SF anthologies in the college library (“Year’s Best SF” “Orbit” “Best of F&SF” “Universe” etc.). In one of them, there was a weird little story about a kid with reality warping powers menacing a town (I know what you’re thinking - this isn’t “It’s A Good Life” no matter how much you want it to be) who demands to meet Robert Heinlein. Fortunately, there’s someone in town who knows who that is, and a balding fellow in town is selected to impersonate Bob, and briefed on how to make the impersonation work - though, as I recall, the kid isn’t impressed when Fake-Bob offers to share water, since the kid wasn’t a fan of “Stranger”. Anyone remember this one - it seems very 1970s-ish to me. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2017, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/science-fiction-story-identification-question/796407/2 "2017-09-15T17:34:28Z")
Dude, if _you_ don’t know, nobody does. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2017, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/science-fiction-story-identification-question/796407/3 "2017-09-15T20:41:00Z")
My Google-fu has detected a likely candidate: [This fragment](https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=ehorAQAAIAAJ&dq=impersonate+robert+heinlein+subject%3A%22science+fiction%22&focus=searchwithinvolume&q=freak)of text looks like what you read. From the page number (69) and [ISFDB](http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/pl.cgi?25111), I think it must be: 57 • Toto, I Have a Feeling We’re Not in Kansas Anymore • (1975) • short story by Jeff Millar ---
**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 15, 2017, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/science-fiction-story-identification-question/796407/4 "2017-09-15T20:56:16Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > My Google-fu has detected a likely candidate: [This fragment](https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=ehorAQAAIAAJ&dq=impersonate+robert+heinlein+subject%3A%22science+fiction%22&focus=searchwithinvolume&q=freak)of text looks like what you read. > > From the page number (69) and [ISFDB](http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/pl.cgi?25111), I think it must be: > 57 • Toto, I Have a Feeling We’re Not in Kansas Anymore • (1975) • short story by Jeff Millar That’s definitely it - and what do you know: Jeff Millar also wrote the “Tank McNamara” cartoon [Flogging Babel: Jeff Millar in Alternate Reality](http://floggingbabel.blogspot.com/2012/12/jeff-millar-in-alternate-reality.html) . Thanks for finding it.