Ok, When I worked at a bookstore, I hated when people would come in looking for a book and not know the title at least. They would say things like "it has this scene..." etc. However, I was pretty good at figuring it out. I think we all have that book that was read too long ago to remember the title - but we'd really like to read it again. So here's a thread to help each other figure it out.


As for mine: My fourth grade teacher read a book aloud to the class - I have always wanted to figure out what it was. I remember that it involved a girl and a boy who were having a psychic connection (to their surprise.) They find out that while they were in utero both of their mothers were present at an alien landing. Also, I believe there is a scene where they find themselves beneath a tree. (as in underground) but I could be confusing it. Any ideas?

I want to read that story! I tried to find some info but found only this.

You could also check with What's That Book or the Name That Book Forum on LibraryThing.com.

I can't think what the book you described is, but it reminded me of 'Escape to Witch Mountain' - blast from the past, that is.

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'Escape to Witch Mountain' - blast from the past, that is.

yes! i remembered the film but i couldn't remember the name. didn't realise that was taken from a book.

there was a book of, I think, science fiction short stories when I was at school. One of them was about a near-future where everyone watched TV all the time. But there's one guy who goes for a walk. He gets stopped by the police and they can't understand why he's walking around and not watching TV. He gets into the police car (presumaby being taken to be reeducated somewhere clinical) and there's no one driving it's a computer!

Another one had a kid doing an intelligence test, and he gets killed because he's too smart.

At least, I think they were in the same anthology... I did once find the name of the author of the second story, but forgot it and can't find it again!

The one with the kid who's killed because he's too smart (his dad tries to avoid that by giving him wrong answers to his questions) rings a bell, but I believe I've read a different collection. The one I read had a short story about a supernova in it, & I've actually been wondering for years what the story was called.

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Originally posted by Domitella:
there was a book of, I think, science fiction short stories when I was at school. One of them was about a near-future where everyone watched TV all the time. But there's one guy who goes for a walk. He gets stopped by the police and they can't understand why he's walking around and not watching TV. He gets into the police car (presumaby being taken to be reeducated somewhere clinical) and there's no one driving it's a computer!

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Heehee, I love that kind of stuff!

quote:

Originally posted by Domitella:
there was a book of, I think, science fiction short stories when I was at school. One of them was about a near-future where everyone watched TV all the time. But there's one guy who goes for a walk. He gets stopped by the police and they can't understand why he's walking around and not watching TV. He gets into the police car (presumaby being taken to be reeducated somewhere clinical) and there's no one driving it's a computer!

Another one had a kid doing an intelligence test, and he gets killed because he's too smart.

At least, I think they were in the same anthology... I did once find the name of the author of the second story, but forgot it and can't find it again!

That story sounds very familiar, Domitella. Do you know by any chance if the anthology was called The Science Fiction Hall of Fame?

quote:

Originally posted by Domitella:
there was a book of, I think, science fiction short stories when I was at school. One of them was about a near-future where everyone watched TV all the time. But there's one guy who goes for a walk. He gets stopped by the police and they can't understand why he's walking around and not watching TV. He gets into the police car (presumaby being taken to be reeducated somewhere clinical) and there's no one driving it's a computer!

We all had that story I think. Very popular.


It's The Pedestrian by Ray Bradbury

I love you!

*runs around in circles!*

quote:

Originally posted by Domitella:
Another one had a kid doing an intelligence test, and he gets killed because he's too smart.

I know that this story was used as an episode in one of the new series for either the Twilight Zone or Outer Limits.

If people here can't help, then Booksleuth on ABEbooks is pretty good, too.

I found the one about the intelligence test: Examination Day by Henry Slesar

This is probably going to stump everyone as if I remember correctly it was an Australian Female author, last name sat between E and M (hee I can still visualise my old school libraries) and she wrote a fantasy/sci fi series about a race which was observing a planet deemed to have non spaceferring humaniod creatures. But then everything gets fucked up and some of the humans on the station flee to the planent and there are these temples and mystic type intelligent pyshic horses, and I read the first 3 books but could never find the 4th! Arg this has irritated me since I was 13. Though regarding it now it is very teenage reading but I still wanna know how the story ends.