HELP! Does anybody know this short story?

[border_ruffian]

It's about a transsexual man who travelled back in time, had sex with himself when he was still a woman (in the past), and ended up adopting the product of that (ahem) liaison. <br /><br />There was also a plot twist where the kid turned out to be the same person as the transsexual man/woman. In short, there was only one person in this CTL story.<br /><br />Please I need the title and author.<br /><br />Thanks.

 

[vogon13]

You just went on 4 watch lists . . . . . .<br /><br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#ff0000"><strong>TPTB went to Dallas and all I got was Plucked !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#339966"><strong>So many people, so few recipes !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#0000ff"><strong>Let's clean up this stinkhole !!</strong></font> </p> </div>

 

[border_ruffian]

What 4 watch lists????

 

[yevaud]

I am pretty certain that wasn't an actual, stand-alone, story. I have a recollection it was an anecdotal side-story told within one of Robert Heinlein's novels, and damned if I can remember which one.<br /><br />It's the one where the person is their own mother, father, wife, and child (something like that). And the story begins and ends in a bar, where he/she/they are now an alcoholic, skid-row bum. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em>Differential Diagnosis:  </em>"<strong><em>I am both amused and annoyed that you think I should be less stubborn than you are</em></strong>."<br /> </p> </div>

 

[border_ruffian]

I think it is Heinlein, but one of my mates remember the story appearing in a magazine. If it's just a side-story like you said, then the mag probably excerpted one of his novels.<br /><br />Thanks Yev.

 

[larper]

Heinlein, "All You Zombies" <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong><font color="#ff0000">Vote </font><font color="#3366ff">Libertarian</font></strong></p> </div>

 

[border_ruffian]

I think I found it. Gerrold's <i>The Man Who Folded Himself</i> is a full-length variation on this theme.<br /><br />But the story was 'All You Zombies' by Robert Heinlein. It describes how a young orphan girl is seduced by a time traveller, and has a baby daughter who is left for adoption.<br /><br />As a result of complications uncovered by the birth, 'she' has a sex change operation, and becomes a man. Her seducer recruits her into the time service, explaining that SHE is, in fact, HIS younger self -- and that the baby (which he has actually taken back in time to the orphanage where she grew up) is also THEIR younger self.<br /><br />But like you said, ed, the biology involved is improbable.

 

[border_ruffian]

Oh, there you go.... Thanks larper.<br />

 

[tom_hobbes]

Hmm, knew it was a Heinlein short. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font size="2" color="#339966"> I wish I could remember<br /> But my selective memory<br /> Won't let me</font><font size="2" color="#99cc00"> </font><font size="3" color="#339966"><font size="2">- </font></font><font size="1" color="#339966">Mark Oliver Everett</font></p><p> </p> </div>

 

[border_ruffian]

I was going to ask people here their favorite time travel novel (I'm looking for good summer reading), but Yev already gave me a long-arse list.

 

[tom_hobbes]

Good job you didn't, I'd have to give you another one! <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font size="2" color="#339966"> I wish I could remember<br /> But my selective memory<br /> Won't let me</font><font size="2" color="#99cc00"> </font><font size="3" color="#339966"><font size="2">- </font></font><font size="1" color="#339966">Mark Oliver Everett</font></p><p> </p> </div>

 

[border_ruffian]

Tom, go ahead, tell me. <br /><br />Here's Yev's list:<br /><br />The Mote in God's Eye by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle. <br /><br />Mission of Gravity by Hal Clement. <br /><br />To Your Scattered Bodies Go by Philip Jose Farmer. <br /><br />The Warrior's Apprentice by Lois McMaster Bujold. <br /><br />The Mercenary by Jerry Pournelle. <br /><br />The Lords of the Diamond by Jack Chalker (a 4 book set). <br /><br />Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny. <br /><br />Lord Valentine's Castle by Robert Silverburg. <br />

 

[border_ruffian]

Thanks, Ed.

 

[tom_hobbes]

Those on Yevauds list aren't all Time travel stories I think.<br /><br />Wracking my brains to think, my book collection is boxed up at the moment:<br /><br />Particularly <i>Up The Line</i> but also <i>Hawksbill Station</i> Robert Silverberg.<br /><br /><i>Behold The Man</i> Mike Moorcock.<br /><br /><i>Door into Summer</i> Robert A Heinlein.<br /><br /><i>Red Shift</i> by Alan Garner qualifies at a stretch, but by the same criteria so does <i>Thursb!tch</i> (altered to omit the 'i' or else the censor chops it) also by him. The latter being among the best stories I've ever read.<br /><br /><i>Days of Atonement</i> by Walter Jon Williams is a spectacularly gripping sf novel with time travel elements. A favourite, Very gritty and realistic.<br /><br />One of the most interesting time travel novels I've read must be <i>The Fetch</i> by Robert Holdstock. Terrifyingly good.<br /><br />I vividly remember reading John Kessels excellent short story <i>The Pure Product</i> available in the collection of that name. A unique look at the psychological impact of living in the dead past.<br /><br />Greg Egan's short story collection <i>Axiomatic</i> is also very good. The title story is a time travel piece but the rest of the stories are excellent too.<br /><br />Oh too many more I can't remember! <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font size="2" color="#339966"> I wish I could remember<br /> But my selective memory<br /> Won't let me</font><font size="2" color="#99cc00"> </font><font size="3" color="#339966"><font size="2">- </font></font><font size="1" color="#339966">Mark Oliver Everett</font></p><p> </p> </div>

 

[border_ruffian]

I'm shopping online as we speak.<br /><br />Thanks for the suggestions, man.

 

[tom_hobbes]

A pleasure. For the most part I've tried to include a few more 'offbeat' items as well as a few classics. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font size="2" color="#339966"> I wish I could remember<br /> But my selective memory<br /> Won't let me</font><font size="2" color="#99cc00"> </font><font size="3" color="#339966"><font size="2">- </font></font><font size="1" color="#339966">Mark Oliver Everett</font></p><p> </p> </div>

 

[border_ruffian]

I like offbeat. Hell, I like it weird. That's why I was looking for 'All You Zombies' in the first place. <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" />

 

[yevaud]

Oh good. Several of my choices fall into the "offbeat" category. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em>Differential Diagnosis:  </em>"<strong><em>I am both amused and annoyed that you think I should be less stubborn than you are</em></strong>."<br /> </p> </div>

 

[border_ruffian]

But Tom seems to think yours are not all time travel.

 

[tom_hobbes]

<i>Lord Valentine..</i> and <i>Mote..</i> certainly aren't, although <i>Mote..</i> is a cracking novel. I didn't much care for <i>Valentine..</i> I'm afraid, Silverbergs return to the genre after his short self imposed retirement. It's many years since I read it but <i>Scattered Bodies</i> isn't time travel either as far as I remember. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font size="2" color="#339966"> I wish I could remember<br /> But my selective memory<br /> Won't let me</font><font size="2" color="#99cc00"> </font><font size="3" color="#339966"><font size="2">- </font></font><font size="1" color="#339966">Mark Oliver Everett</font></p><p> </p> </div>

 

[yevaud]

Actually, many of them have time-travel elements in them.<br /><br />...Scattered Boodies is set in the far, far future. Same with Lord Valentine. Same with Mote, which also has elements of relativity (STL travel).<br /><br />Lord of Light is both set in the far future, but is heavily influenced by the Hindu past.<br /><br />But no, none of them are strictly time-travel. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em>Differential Diagnosis:  </em>"<strong><em>I am both amused and annoyed that you think I should be less stubborn than you are</em></strong>."<br /> </p> </div>

 

[border_ruffian]

That's fine. If it's good, I'll read it. <br /><br />*still shopping*

 

[border_ruffian]

Have you read <i>Bring the Jubilee</i>?