Forum: Lost Stories

Looking for title of old Clark or Asimov (I think) story

jimh67 🚫

From the fifties, one of the author's first stories I think. Alien ship comes to earth its every so many millennia visit and is shocked at how fast human intelligence and accomplishments developed. They were even more astonished to find that humans had left the planet. Something wrong with the sun I think. Using direction the ground tracking stations are pointing they track the humans down. Last line is to the effect that the aliens have no idea what's in store for them.

I'm thinking this question doesn't break the rules, but if it does I apologize. Thank you.

Replies: grandad_rufus weejock AmigaClone

Ernest Bywater 🚫

both of the authors you named had been writing for decades prior to the 1950s, and the plot line doesn't ring a bell with any of the Asimov books I've read, which is most if not all of his scifi. I'm not familiar with the plot as outlined at all.

LonelyDad 🚫

It was a short story about aliens finding an empty Earth, and finding at least one installation beaming a signal 'out there' somewhere. When they followed the beam they found hundreds of spaceships headed out in a vast migration. I scanned all the Clarke and Asimov stuff I have, but so many of the collections of short stories aren text files that don't have a table of contents it's hard to find any particular one.

grandad_rufus 🚫
Updated:

@jimh67

Arthur C Clarke - Rescue Party It is in a compilation called Reach For Tomorrow

Regards G_R

Wooo Hoooo It's on Baen's site :)

Replies: LonelyDad

LonelyDad 🚫

@grandad_rufus

Wooo Hoooo It's on Baen's site :)

Where on Baen? A search didn't find it at all.

Replies: Keet

Keet 🚫

@LonelyDad

Where on Baen? A search didn't find it at all.

Rescue Party

Replies: helmut_meukel

helmut_meukel 🚫
Updated:

@Keet

Keet obviously thinks the link is enough, but I think some more information can't hurt.
It's in a collection of 29 stories The World Turned Upside Down and as usual with Baen ebooks the first chapters are free to read, in this case the preface and seven stories. Rescue Party is the very first story.

HM.

Replies: Keet

Keet 🚫
Updated:

@helmut_meukel

Keet obviously thinks the link is enough, but I think some more information can't hurt.
It's in a collection of 29 stories The World Turned Upside Down and as usual with Baen ebooks the first chapters are free to read, in this case the preface and seven stories. Rescue Party is the very first story.

You're correct ;)
Here's the link to the first (preface) and clcking "contents" gives the index. Only the first 7 are free as you mentioned: The World Turned Upside Down.

weejock 🚫

@jimh67

I do not remember the name or author but your quote of the last line is correct

AmigaClone 🚫

@jimh67

The story Rescue Party is mentioned as being the first story Sir Arthur C Clarke sold (although not the first one he wrote).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rescue_Party

Replies: jimh67 tendertouch

jimh67 🚫

@AmigaClone

I remember reading that Clark would get frustrated when people told him that was their favorite story of his.

tendertouch 🚫
Updated:

@AmigaClone

That last line is pretty much classic Clarke - simple and unadorned, yet it speaks volumes. It's also reprinted in 'The Nine Billion Names of God', the title story of which has its own memorable last line.

jimh67 🚫

Thank you grandad_rufus and AmigaClone! My search skills failed me.

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Forum: Lost Stories

Looking for title of old Clark or Asimov (I think) story

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