# Yet another ''Identify this story'' thread (Sci-fi)

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-identify-this-story-thread-sci-fi/66464>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 25, 2001, 8:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-identify-this-story-thread-sci-fi/66464 "2001-05-25T08:42:19Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Protesilaus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Protesilaus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Protesilaus)\
**Post date:** [May 25, 2001, 8:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-identify-this-story-thread-sci-fi/66464/1 "2001-05-25T08:42:19Z")

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In [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=70529), **featherlou** mentions this sci-fi short story but couldn’t remember the title or author. I thought I’d ask around in GQ just in case someone who didn’t see the original thread recognizes the story.

> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by featherlou \*  
> **G. Nome** , that UL sounds like a sci-fi short story I read a little while ago; the families of horrific crimes were delivered a clone of the perp to murder any way they liked (and they were not given a choice in this - the clone was delivered, and they had to deliver a corpse within a certain time period).[/hijack]
> 
> …
> 
> That sf story was horrible, in a lot of ways, but still thought-provoking. Some people really enjoyed killing their clone-criminal, others did it out of duty, and other didn’t want anything to do with “an eye for an eye” type justice.
> 
> …
> 
> [It] was a themed compilation.

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**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\
**Post date:** [May 25, 2001, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-identify-this-story-thread-sci-fi/66464/2 "2001-05-25T11:42:15Z")

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I remember the story, but not the name. It was in a science fiction magazine. The clone in question, though never named, was Timothy McVeigh. He was cloned 167 times and he, along with the clones, were “distributed” to the families of the victims of the OKC bombing. After 30 days, the families had to return the body live, dead, or in pieces. One of the clones is searching for his “father” - the real McVeigh.

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**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\
**Post date:** [May 25, 2001, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-identify-this-story-thread-sci-fi/66464/3 "2001-05-25T12:41:12Z")

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“macs” by Terry Bisson. Winner of this year’s Nebula Award.

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**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\
**Post date:** [May 25, 2001, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-identify-this-story-thread-sci-fi/66464/4 "2001-05-25T14:27:32Z")

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I would just add that this reminded me of the “Outer Limits” episode \*“The Duplicate Man,” which was based on Clifford Simak’s story “Good Night, Mr. James.”

\*Back in the olden days of TV Sci-Fi, “clones” were often referred to as “duplicates.”