# Story with the same plot as the movie "Yesterday" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 18, 2019, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/story-with-the-same-plot-as-the-movie-yesterday/835697 "2019-06-18T17:54:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Galwegian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/galwegian/32/3426_2.png) [@Galwegian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Galwegian)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2019, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/story-with-the-same-plot-as-the-movie-yesterday/835697/1 "2019-06-18T17:54:26Z")
I remember reading a short story quite a few years ago, involving a time traveler who published Beatles songs to make a living. I seem to remember that the actual Beatles featured in it, and were utterly confused about how this guy seemed to be plucking ideas from their brains before they ever recorded the songs. With the film “Yesterday” about to come out, I was sure that this story would be credited, but it seems it isn’t. Now I can’t google the plot without references to either the movie, or the story behind some Beatles song or another. Anyone else remember this story? Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2019, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/story-with-the-same-plot-as-the-movie-yesterday/835697/2 "2019-06-18T18:12:35Z")
Some stories (or TV series or movies) with a similar plot are mentioned in a [previous thread](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=871003) about this movie. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2019, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/story-with-the-same-plot-as-the-movie-yesterday/835697/3 "2019-06-20T22:55:15Z")
> [@Galwegian](#): > > With the film “Yesterday” about to come out, I was sure that this story would be credited, but it seems it isn’t. The writers of the movie probably weren’t even aware of it. It is not an original concept. Getting rich “writing” popular culture as a time traveler is not an original idea, and the Beatles are the most popular band in history, so they’re a pretty obvious choice for anyone writing such a story. ---
**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:** [June 20, 2019, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/story-with-the-same-plot-as-the-movie-yesterday/835697/4 "2019-06-20T23:36:04Z")
> [@Galwegian](#): > > I remember reading a short story quite a few years ago, involving a time traveler who published Beatles songs to make a living. I seem to remember that the actual Beatles featured in it, and were utterly confused about how this guy seemed to be plucking ideas from their brains before they ever recorded the songs. > > With the film “Yesterday” about to come out, I was sure that this story would be credited, but it seems it isn’t. > > Now I can’t google the plot without references to either the movie, or the story behind some Beatles song or another. > > Anyone else remember this story? This story has some similarity to it [- \Music Played on the Strings of Time\](https://www.baen.com/Chapters/9781614750130/9781614750130___2.htm) Not the one you’re thinking of, but there’s a Harry Turtledove story about a woman who goes back in time and publishes science fiction stories (and some true life stories, like “Watergate” and “Three Mile Island”) before they happen, causing some surprise when she publishes a story that an author already has written. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2019, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/story-with-the-same-plot-as-the-movie-yesterday/835697/5 "2019-06-22T06:29:14Z")
I was thinking _Peggy Sue Got Married._ I think the Beatles were a hit in America because of their accents and charismatic TV appearances. I really can’t see those songs being popular otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![Galwegian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/galwegian/32/3426_2.png) [@Galwegian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Galwegian)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2019, 10:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/story-with-the-same-plot-as-the-movie-yesterday/835697/6 "2019-06-22T10:23:25Z")
Thank you all. It was definitely a short story or a novella, possibly published in Interzone. I never saw Peggy Sue Got Married, so wasn’t that. I guess I didn’t realise that the idea had been mined so many times, and thought there would be an obvious answer. Sent from my B3-A40FHD using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2019, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/story-with-the-same-plot-as-the-movie-yesterday/835697/7 "2019-06-22T17:29:06Z")
> [@Andy\_L](#): > > Not the one you’re thinking of, but there’s a Harry Turtledove story about a woman who goes back in time and publishes science fiction stories (and some true life stories, like “Watergate” and “Three Mile Island”) before they happen, causing some surprise when she publishes a story that an author already has written. Figures _you’d_ be familiar with that one. 😉 I enjoyed that story thoroughly. ETA: Was that in _Analog_, or _IASFM_? ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2019, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/story-with-the-same-plot-as-the-movie-yesterday/835697/8 "2019-06-22T18:09:18Z")
On the TV series _Otherworld_, in which a family finds itself in an alternate universe, we have episode 4 “Rock and Roll Suicide”. I quote the Wiki: > [@](#): > > In the Centrex province, Trace and Gina introduce rock ‘n’ roll music, and record songs written by the Beatles and other classic artists. The music has an emotional impact that takes the province by storm; the Church of Artificial Intelligence angrily protests the idol worship of Trace and Gina, whom the church views as subversives undermining their control. Cmdr. Kroll is sent to deal with the problem, and he likes the music! – then he recognizes the two singers. ---
**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:** [June 22, 2019, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/story-with-the-same-plot-as-the-movie-yesterday/835697/9 "2019-06-22T18:37:26Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Figures _you’d_ be familiar with that one. 😉 > I enjoyed that story thoroughly. > > ETA: Was that in _Analog_, or _IASFM_? Analog - it’s a story called “Hindsight” from Analog December 1984 [Publication: Analog Science Fiction/Science Fact, Mid-December 1984](http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/pl.cgi?56981)