Sci-fi story about aliens with cells based on arsenic or nitrogen, poisoned by oxygenStory About Carrying Buckets of Oxygen (Old Time Radio)Story about monks who are keepers of English language?Short story about planet deemed uninhabitable due to poisonous oxygen clouds around itLooking for a classic sci-fi short story about a boy who discovers pods growing in a fieldShort story about humans landing on a planet met with human-like aliensScience Fiction short story about learning to communicate with aliensPoul Anderson short story about sentient dolphin-like race with green bloodIsaac Asimov short story: circa 1976, male astronaut saves space station inhabitants during solar storm
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Sci-fi story about aliens with cells based on arsenic or nitrogen, poisoned by oxygen
Story About Carrying Buckets of Oxygen (Old Time Radio)Story about monks who are keepers of English language?Short story about planet deemed uninhabitable due to poisonous oxygen clouds around itLooking for a classic sci-fi short story about a boy who discovers pods growing in a fieldShort story about humans landing on a planet met with human-like aliensScience Fiction short story about learning to communicate with aliensPoul Anderson short story about sentient dolphin-like race with green bloodIsaac Asimov short story: circa 1976, male astronaut saves space station inhabitants during solar storm
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I'm looking for a science-fiction short story, probably written by either Isaac Asimov or Poul Anderson. (I was binging on short stories collections from these two authors around the same time, 5 to 10 years ago, and I'm pretty sure the story I'm looking for came from one of these books.)
I recall from this story that an alien species has met with humanity, but they originated from a very different kind of world. On their planet, life evolved in another direction, and is based on nitrogen and/or arsenic (I think, it might be something else), whereas Earth-like life is based on carbon and oxygen.
To this alien species, these elements are poison, pretty much like arsenic and nitrogen are poison to humans, and this information plays a role in the story : there is an attempted murder on an alien or a suspicion of murder attempt, maybe at a dinner party. Before that, the relationship between the two species seemed relatively okay.
Can you help me find the title of this story ?
I'll edit the post if I remember other details.
story-identification short-stories isaac-asimov poul-anderson
add a comment
|
I'm looking for a science-fiction short story, probably written by either Isaac Asimov or Poul Anderson. (I was binging on short stories collections from these two authors around the same time, 5 to 10 years ago, and I'm pretty sure the story I'm looking for came from one of these books.)
I recall from this story that an alien species has met with humanity, but they originated from a very different kind of world. On their planet, life evolved in another direction, and is based on nitrogen and/or arsenic (I think, it might be something else), whereas Earth-like life is based on carbon and oxygen.
To this alien species, these elements are poison, pretty much like arsenic and nitrogen are poison to humans, and this information plays a role in the story : there is an attempted murder on an alien or a suspicion of murder attempt, maybe at a dinner party. Before that, the relationship between the two species seemed relatively okay.
Can you help me find the title of this story ?
I'll edit the post if I remember other details.
story-identification short-stories isaac-asimov poul-anderson
I read it at most 10 years ago, probably only 5 ago. Sadly it won't help narrowing down the stories for these two authors. I read the wikipedia entry for "In a Good Cause" and it's not the story I'm looking for, but I wrote it on my to-read list ;)
– Daneel
9 hours ago
1
@user14111: The attempt to kill to Diaboli ambassadors fails in that story. The Earth security agents delayed the Diaboli from leaving the negotiations on that day, and sent mechanical fakes out as decoys. The decoys were destroyed by the group that wanted to kill the Diaboli. The assasins were then captured and put in prison.
– JRE
7 hours ago
@jre Thanks for the correction. Must be over 60 years since I read it. Should have reread it before I posted that comment.
– user14111
5 hours ago
add a comment
|
I'm looking for a science-fiction short story, probably written by either Isaac Asimov or Poul Anderson. (I was binging on short stories collections from these two authors around the same time, 5 to 10 years ago, and I'm pretty sure the story I'm looking for came from one of these books.)
I recall from this story that an alien species has met with humanity, but they originated from a very different kind of world. On their planet, life evolved in another direction, and is based on nitrogen and/or arsenic (I think, it might be something else), whereas Earth-like life is based on carbon and oxygen.
To this alien species, these elements are poison, pretty much like arsenic and nitrogen are poison to humans, and this information plays a role in the story : there is an attempted murder on an alien or a suspicion of murder attempt, maybe at a dinner party. Before that, the relationship between the two species seemed relatively okay.
Can you help me find the title of this story ?
I'll edit the post if I remember other details.
story-identification short-stories isaac-asimov poul-anderson
I'm looking for a science-fiction short story, probably written by either Isaac Asimov or Poul Anderson. (I was binging on short stories collections from these two authors around the same time, 5 to 10 years ago, and I'm pretty sure the story I'm looking for came from one of these books.)
I recall from this story that an alien species has met with humanity, but they originated from a very different kind of world. On their planet, life evolved in another direction, and is based on nitrogen and/or arsenic (I think, it might be something else), whereas Earth-like life is based on carbon and oxygen.
To this alien species, these elements are poison, pretty much like arsenic and nitrogen are poison to humans, and this information plays a role in the story : there is an attempted murder on an alien or a suspicion of murder attempt, maybe at a dinner party. Before that, the relationship between the two species seemed relatively okay.
Can you help me find the title of this story ?
I'll edit the post if I remember other details.
story-identification short-stories isaac-asimov poul-anderson
story-identification short-stories isaac-asimov poul-anderson
edited 9 hours ago
Daneel
asked 10 hours ago
DaneelDaneel
1614 bronze badges
1614 bronze badges
I read it at most 10 years ago, probably only 5 ago. Sadly it won't help narrowing down the stories for these two authors. I read the wikipedia entry for "In a Good Cause" and it's not the story I'm looking for, but I wrote it on my to-read list ;)
– Daneel
9 hours ago
1
@user14111: The attempt to kill to Diaboli ambassadors fails in that story. The Earth security agents delayed the Diaboli from leaving the negotiations on that day, and sent mechanical fakes out as decoys. The decoys were destroyed by the group that wanted to kill the Diaboli. The assasins were then captured and put in prison.
– JRE
7 hours ago
@jre Thanks for the correction. Must be over 60 years since I read it. Should have reread it before I posted that comment.
– user14111
5 hours ago
add a comment
|
I read it at most 10 years ago, probably only 5 ago. Sadly it won't help narrowing down the stories for these two authors. I read the wikipedia entry for "In a Good Cause" and it's not the story I'm looking for, but I wrote it on my to-read list ;)
– Daneel
9 hours ago
1
@user14111: The attempt to kill to Diaboli ambassadors fails in that story. The Earth security agents delayed the Diaboli from leaving the negotiations on that day, and sent mechanical fakes out as decoys. The decoys were destroyed by the group that wanted to kill the Diaboli. The assasins were then captured and put in prison.
– JRE
7 hours ago
@jre Thanks for the correction. Must be over 60 years since I read it. Should have reread it before I posted that comment.
– user14111
5 hours ago
I read it at most 10 years ago, probably only 5 ago. Sadly it won't help narrowing down the stories for these two authors. I read the wikipedia entry for "In a Good Cause" and it's not the story I'm looking for, but I wrote it on my to-read list ;)
– Daneel
9 hours ago
I read it at most 10 years ago, probably only 5 ago. Sadly it won't help narrowing down the stories for these two authors. I read the wikipedia entry for "In a Good Cause" and it's not the story I'm looking for, but I wrote it on my to-read list ;)
– Daneel
9 hours ago
1
1
@user14111: The attempt to kill to Diaboli ambassadors fails in that story. The Earth security agents delayed the Diaboli from leaving the negotiations on that day, and sent mechanical fakes out as decoys. The decoys were destroyed by the group that wanted to kill the Diaboli. The assasins were then captured and put in prison.
– JRE
7 hours ago
@user14111: The attempt to kill to Diaboli ambassadors fails in that story. The Earth security agents delayed the Diaboli from leaving the negotiations on that day, and sent mechanical fakes out as decoys. The decoys were destroyed by the group that wanted to kill the Diaboli. The assasins were then captured and put in prison.
– JRE
7 hours ago
@jre Thanks for the correction. Must be over 60 years since I read it. Should have reread it before I posted that comment.
– user14111
5 hours ago
@jre Thanks for the correction. Must be over 60 years since I read it. Should have reread it before I posted that comment.
– user14111
5 hours ago
add a comment
|
3 Answers
3
active
oldest
votes
The alien species might the Ymirites, brainchildren of Poul Anderson. They are a race of hydrogen breathers, who normally don't get into contact with oxygen breathers that much. In the short story Hunters of the Sky Cave, the agent of the Terran Empire Dominic Flandry is investigating an attack on the planet Vixen. The evidence seems to point to the Ymirites als culprits, but are they really?
This short story has also been expanded into a novel first published as We Claim These Stars!.
This is not the story I'm looking for, but I upvoted your answer since it's a good guess !
– Daneel
9 hours ago
add a comment
|
The story you are looking for might be "Hostess" by Isaac Asimov.
The Hawkinsites are from a planet that has hydrogen cyanide in the atmosphere. The Hawkinsites need it. Part of their matabolism depends on the cyanide. While on Earth, they have a kind of "oxygen mask" that trickles a small amount of hydrogen cyanide into their respiration system through a tube that runs into the corner of the mouth.
There is a scene in the story where a Hawkinsite has supper with the human couple he is staying with on Earth. The human male of the pair is in some high position in the Earth government's security forces. He ends up taking away the Hawkinsite's cyanide cylinder to force him to explain the real reason behind the Hawkinsite's visit to the Earth. The security guy then kills the Hawkinsite after he reveals that he is there for the reason the security guy suspected.
Here's why the security guy killed the Hawkinsite:
The Hawkinsite suspected that the Earth was the source of an infection that had begun killing Hawkinsites and other intelligent beings, but not Earth humans. His suspicion was correct, and the Earth security guy knew it. Earth was not attacking the other planets. There was some intelligent parasite that lived on Earth (in humans) so humans were adapted and lived normal lives. The parasite was, however, deadly to the other races. The parasite needed humans to live and reproduce, but liked to inhabit the other races for the novelty. The security guy killed the Hawkinsite because the infection was known to the Earth government, but there was no cure. The Hawkinsite was the first alien to figure it out. The security guy killed him to keep the secret from spreading.
add a comment
|
Hostess by Asimov?
Starring alien needs low concentrations of cyanide in the air he breathes, so he carries a small cylinder of it with him, and takes a breath from time to time. However oxygen is not poisonous. He is is shot and killed at the end of the story, at the end of a dinner he had been invited to.
add a comment
|
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3 Answers
3
active
oldest
votes
3 Answers
3
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
The alien species might the Ymirites, brainchildren of Poul Anderson. They are a race of hydrogen breathers, who normally don't get into contact with oxygen breathers that much. In the short story Hunters of the Sky Cave, the agent of the Terran Empire Dominic Flandry is investigating an attack on the planet Vixen. The evidence seems to point to the Ymirites als culprits, but are they really?
This short story has also been expanded into a novel first published as We Claim These Stars!.
This is not the story I'm looking for, but I upvoted your answer since it's a good guess !
– Daneel
9 hours ago
add a comment
|
The alien species might the Ymirites, brainchildren of Poul Anderson. They are a race of hydrogen breathers, who normally don't get into contact with oxygen breathers that much. In the short story Hunters of the Sky Cave, the agent of the Terran Empire Dominic Flandry is investigating an attack on the planet Vixen. The evidence seems to point to the Ymirites als culprits, but are they really?
This short story has also been expanded into a novel first published as We Claim These Stars!.
This is not the story I'm looking for, but I upvoted your answer since it's a good guess !
– Daneel
9 hours ago
add a comment
|
The alien species might the Ymirites, brainchildren of Poul Anderson. They are a race of hydrogen breathers, who normally don't get into contact with oxygen breathers that much. In the short story Hunters of the Sky Cave, the agent of the Terran Empire Dominic Flandry is investigating an attack on the planet Vixen. The evidence seems to point to the Ymirites als culprits, but are they really?
This short story has also been expanded into a novel first published as We Claim These Stars!.
The alien species might the Ymirites, brainchildren of Poul Anderson. They are a race of hydrogen breathers, who normally don't get into contact with oxygen breathers that much. In the short story Hunters of the Sky Cave, the agent of the Terran Empire Dominic Flandry is investigating an attack on the planet Vixen. The evidence seems to point to the Ymirites als culprits, but are they really?
This short story has also been expanded into a novel first published as We Claim These Stars!.
answered 9 hours ago
Henning KockerbeckHenning Kockerbeck
5461 silver badge2 bronze badges
5461 silver badge2 bronze badges
This is not the story I'm looking for, but I upvoted your answer since it's a good guess !
– Daneel
9 hours ago
add a comment
|
This is not the story I'm looking for, but I upvoted your answer since it's a good guess !
– Daneel
9 hours ago
This is not the story I'm looking for, but I upvoted your answer since it's a good guess !
– Daneel
9 hours ago
This is not the story I'm looking for, but I upvoted your answer since it's a good guess !
– Daneel
9 hours ago
add a comment
|
The story you are looking for might be "Hostess" by Isaac Asimov.
The Hawkinsites are from a planet that has hydrogen cyanide in the atmosphere. The Hawkinsites need it. Part of their matabolism depends on the cyanide. While on Earth, they have a kind of "oxygen mask" that trickles a small amount of hydrogen cyanide into their respiration system through a tube that runs into the corner of the mouth.
There is a scene in the story where a Hawkinsite has supper with the human couple he is staying with on Earth. The human male of the pair is in some high position in the Earth government's security forces. He ends up taking away the Hawkinsite's cyanide cylinder to force him to explain the real reason behind the Hawkinsite's visit to the Earth. The security guy then kills the Hawkinsite after he reveals that he is there for the reason the security guy suspected.
Here's why the security guy killed the Hawkinsite:
The Hawkinsite suspected that the Earth was the source of an infection that had begun killing Hawkinsites and other intelligent beings, but not Earth humans. His suspicion was correct, and the Earth security guy knew it. Earth was not attacking the other planets. There was some intelligent parasite that lived on Earth (in humans) so humans were adapted and lived normal lives. The parasite was, however, deadly to the other races. The parasite needed humans to live and reproduce, but liked to inhabit the other races for the novelty. The security guy killed the Hawkinsite because the infection was known to the Earth government, but there was no cure. The Hawkinsite was the first alien to figure it out. The security guy killed him to keep the secret from spreading.
add a comment
|
The story you are looking for might be "Hostess" by Isaac Asimov.
The Hawkinsites are from a planet that has hydrogen cyanide in the atmosphere. The Hawkinsites need it. Part of their matabolism depends on the cyanide. While on Earth, they have a kind of "oxygen mask" that trickles a small amount of hydrogen cyanide into their respiration system through a tube that runs into the corner of the mouth.
There is a scene in the story where a Hawkinsite has supper with the human couple he is staying with on Earth. The human male of the pair is in some high position in the Earth government's security forces. He ends up taking away the Hawkinsite's cyanide cylinder to force him to explain the real reason behind the Hawkinsite's visit to the Earth. The security guy then kills the Hawkinsite after he reveals that he is there for the reason the security guy suspected.
Here's why the security guy killed the Hawkinsite:
The Hawkinsite suspected that the Earth was the source of an infection that had begun killing Hawkinsites and other intelligent beings, but not Earth humans. His suspicion was correct, and the Earth security guy knew it. Earth was not attacking the other planets. There was some intelligent parasite that lived on Earth (in humans) so humans were adapted and lived normal lives. The parasite was, however, deadly to the other races. The parasite needed humans to live and reproduce, but liked to inhabit the other races for the novelty. The security guy killed the Hawkinsite because the infection was known to the Earth government, but there was no cure. The Hawkinsite was the first alien to figure it out. The security guy killed him to keep the secret from spreading.
add a comment
|
The story you are looking for might be "Hostess" by Isaac Asimov.
The Hawkinsites are from a planet that has hydrogen cyanide in the atmosphere. The Hawkinsites need it. Part of their matabolism depends on the cyanide. While on Earth, they have a kind of "oxygen mask" that trickles a small amount of hydrogen cyanide into their respiration system through a tube that runs into the corner of the mouth.
There is a scene in the story where a Hawkinsite has supper with the human couple he is staying with on Earth. The human male of the pair is in some high position in the Earth government's security forces. He ends up taking away the Hawkinsite's cyanide cylinder to force him to explain the real reason behind the Hawkinsite's visit to the Earth. The security guy then kills the Hawkinsite after he reveals that he is there for the reason the security guy suspected.
Here's why the security guy killed the Hawkinsite:
The Hawkinsite suspected that the Earth was the source of an infection that had begun killing Hawkinsites and other intelligent beings, but not Earth humans. His suspicion was correct, and the Earth security guy knew it. Earth was not attacking the other planets. There was some intelligent parasite that lived on Earth (in humans) so humans were adapted and lived normal lives. The parasite was, however, deadly to the other races. The parasite needed humans to live and reproduce, but liked to inhabit the other races for the novelty. The security guy killed the Hawkinsite because the infection was known to the Earth government, but there was no cure. The Hawkinsite was the first alien to figure it out. The security guy killed him to keep the secret from spreading.
The story you are looking for might be "Hostess" by Isaac Asimov.
The Hawkinsites are from a planet that has hydrogen cyanide in the atmosphere. The Hawkinsites need it. Part of their matabolism depends on the cyanide. While on Earth, they have a kind of "oxygen mask" that trickles a small amount of hydrogen cyanide into their respiration system through a tube that runs into the corner of the mouth.
There is a scene in the story where a Hawkinsite has supper with the human couple he is staying with on Earth. The human male of the pair is in some high position in the Earth government's security forces. He ends up taking away the Hawkinsite's cyanide cylinder to force him to explain the real reason behind the Hawkinsite's visit to the Earth. The security guy then kills the Hawkinsite after he reveals that he is there for the reason the security guy suspected.
Here's why the security guy killed the Hawkinsite:
The Hawkinsite suspected that the Earth was the source of an infection that had begun killing Hawkinsites and other intelligent beings, but not Earth humans. His suspicion was correct, and the Earth security guy knew it. Earth was not attacking the other planets. There was some intelligent parasite that lived on Earth (in humans) so humans were adapted and lived normal lives. The parasite was, however, deadly to the other races. The parasite needed humans to live and reproduce, but liked to inhabit the other races for the novelty. The security guy killed the Hawkinsite because the infection was known to the Earth government, but there was no cure. The Hawkinsite was the first alien to figure it out. The security guy killed him to keep the secret from spreading.
answered 7 hours ago
JREJRE
6,3491 gold badge29 silver badges35 bronze badges
6,3491 gold badge29 silver badges35 bronze badges
add a comment
|
add a comment
|
Hostess by Asimov?
Starring alien needs low concentrations of cyanide in the air he breathes, so he carries a small cylinder of it with him, and takes a breath from time to time. However oxygen is not poisonous. He is is shot and killed at the end of the story, at the end of a dinner he had been invited to.
add a comment
|
Hostess by Asimov?
Starring alien needs low concentrations of cyanide in the air he breathes, so he carries a small cylinder of it with him, and takes a breath from time to time. However oxygen is not poisonous. He is is shot and killed at the end of the story, at the end of a dinner he had been invited to.
add a comment
|
Hostess by Asimov?
Starring alien needs low concentrations of cyanide in the air he breathes, so he carries a small cylinder of it with him, and takes a breath from time to time. However oxygen is not poisonous. He is is shot and killed at the end of the story, at the end of a dinner he had been invited to.
Hostess by Asimov?
Starring alien needs low concentrations of cyanide in the air he breathes, so he carries a small cylinder of it with him, and takes a breath from time to time. However oxygen is not poisonous. He is is shot and killed at the end of the story, at the end of a dinner he had been invited to.
answered 7 hours ago
SeretbaSeretba
1,2813 silver badges10 bronze badges
1,2813 silver badges10 bronze badges
add a comment
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add a comment
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I read it at most 10 years ago, probably only 5 ago. Sadly it won't help narrowing down the stories for these two authors. I read the wikipedia entry for "In a Good Cause" and it's not the story I'm looking for, but I wrote it on my to-read list ;)
– Daneel
9 hours ago
1
@user14111: The attempt to kill to Diaboli ambassadors fails in that story. The Earth security agents delayed the Diaboli from leaving the negotiations on that day, and sent mechanical fakes out as decoys. The decoys were destroyed by the group that wanted to kill the Diaboli. The assasins were then captured and put in prison.
– JRE
7 hours ago
@jre Thanks for the correction. Must be over 60 years since I read it. Should have reread it before I posted that comment.
– user14111
5 hours ago