# What science fiction story is this? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** books-writing-myths\ **Created:** [January 14, 2026, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-science-fiction-story-is-this/1026682 "2026-01-14T12:52:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cmyers1980](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyers1980/32/11814_2.png) [@Cmyers1980](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cmyers1980)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2026, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-science-fiction-story-is-this/1026682/1 "2026-01-14T12:52:42Z")
I read a science fiction short story online years ago. It was about a young boy that randomly gained the ability to transmute things and he accidentally transmutes his family and does the same to the different authorities that come to his house to apprehend him. Does anyone know what story I’m talking about? ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2026, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-science-fiction-story-is-this/1026682/2 "2026-01-14T13:31:22Z")
Post it to this thread: > [@Ask the guy who is pretty good at SF Story Identification](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-who-is-pretty-good-at-sf-story-identification/462417): > > Hi there. It’s been just about 4 years since I signed onto the SDMB, but I’m back. A few weeks back I helped out in this thread [Help me find this Science Fiction short story - Cafe Society - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=476861) with a story identification (by emailing the answer to Wendell). If you’ve got a story you’d like me to try to identify for you, give a description (include a rough idea of when you read it, and as many details as you remember) and I’ll give it my best shot. Andy or ask @Andy_L ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2026, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-science-fiction-story-is-this/1026682/3 "2026-01-14T13:36:52Z")
I remember something like that. Maybe by Cyril Kornbluth or RA Lafferty or Clifford Simak, one of the humorous golden age authors. Kid could make thing disappear. I remember one part where he offered to make a store owner’s paunch go away, but he declined, as he’s bleed to death. Wonder if that’s the same one. Damned if I can remember the title! ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan\_myers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@aruvqan\_myers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan_myers)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2026, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-science-fiction-story-is-this/1026682/4 "2026-01-14T14:52:17Z")
That does sound Kornbluthian. Maybe Eric Frank Russel? ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2026, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-science-fiction-story-is-this/1026682/5 "2026-01-14T15:03:13Z")
> [@Cmyers1980](#): > > Does anyone know what story I’m talking about? Yes, it is a pretty old story, old enough that I cannot remember the title and author off the top of my head 🙂 Something like, the kid accidentally drinks something that gives him omnipotent reality-bending powers. They eventually manage to trick him into wishing himself normal again; at the very end, one last drop of omnipotence potion remains which is a nice bonus for his mother or whoever it was. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2026, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-science-fiction-story-is-this/1026682/6 "2026-01-14T15:33:13Z")
We’re definitely not talking about “It’s A _Good_ Life” by Jerome Bixby, right? ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2026, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-science-fiction-story-is-this/1026682/7 "2026-01-14T16:59:57Z")
[Cmyers1980](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyers1980), is it possible that you’ve combined the plot of several things? Sometimes this happens. It’s especially likely if you read the story (or watched the television show or watched the movie or attended the play) long ago. ---
**Author:** ![Cmyers1980](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyers1980/32/11814_2.png) [@Cmyers1980](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cmyers1980)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2026, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-science-fiction-story-is-this/1026682/8 "2026-01-14T19:33:52Z")
No. The story was smaller in scope and scale and the child was more ignorant than malevolent. He didn’t cut his town off from the outside world. ---
**Author:** ![Vimp](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vimp/32/4186_2.png) [@Vimp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vimp)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2026, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-science-fiction-story-is-this/1026682/9 "2026-01-14T19:35:15Z")
Sounds alot like Rafferty’s “Seven Day Terror” from “900 Grandmothers”. ---
**Author:** ![Jaydubba77](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Jaydubba77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaydubba77)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2026, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-science-fiction-story-is-this/1026682/10 "2026-01-14T19:40:42Z")
I was going to mention tha one. The bit with the watch always gave me a laugh! ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2026, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-science-fiction-story-is-this/1026682/11 "2026-01-14T20:24:33Z")
> [@Vimp](#): > > “Seven Day Terror” from “900 Grandmothers” “Seven-Day Terror” can be found in all the following books: > **[Title: Seven-Day Terror](https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.cgi?40956)** [Cmyers1980](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyers1980), please read it in one of them. It sort of matches your description but not entirely. You can instead read it online at [The Project Gutenberg eBook of Seven Day Terror, by R. A. Lafferty.](https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/61128/pg61128-images.html) . ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2026, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-science-fiction-story-is-this/1026682/12 "2026-01-14T20:25:51Z")
Well, Seven Day Terror was the one I remembered. Whether it is the OP’s will be answered in due course. Hopefully before seven days. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2026, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-science-fiction-story-is-this/1026682/13 "2026-01-14T22:24:15Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > We’re definitely not talking about “It’s A _Good_ Life” by Jerome Bixby, right? That was my first thought too! But not the case, as it turns out. ---
**Author:** ![Cmyers1980](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyers1980/32/11814_2.png) [@Cmyers1980](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cmyers1980)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2026, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-science-fiction-story-is-this/1026682/14 "2026-01-15T16:34:28Z")
It isn’t Seven Day Terror. I specifically remember the child transmuting things and people, not making them vanish.