Thorn
Member
I know that at least two of you are avid SF readers, and I have been and in some respects still am. When I moved some years ago from DC, circumstances prevented me from taking my extensive personal library with me, and that meant the sacrifice (to willing takers!) of my large SF collection.
I enjoy short stories as a particular literary medium; they offer advantages that longer novels or novellas do not have, including the offering of a single concept or idea without a great deal or lengthy plot and character development. I had several excellent anthologies of short stories and have many times deeply regretted their loss. Where possible, I've sought to replace those volumes, but can't always identify the titles, editors, or authors.
One story in particular has stayed with me -- it dealt with the fallacy of absolute equality (the concept that each of us is supposedly equally able in all respects). I can't recall the author's name, but the story itself appeared in a multi-author volume and may have been the first, or nearly the first, story in the book. One feature that I recall was that the main character, a young boy, was considered to have above-average intelligence and therefore was required to wear a headphones that played recorded "white noise" so as to interfere with and therefore equalize his thinking. People who could run fast had to wear weights on their ankles, etc., etc.
I thought that it might have appeared in "Dangerous Visions" or its sequel, but sadly it does not. I should have considered that Ellison's self-conscious arrogance might preclude his including such a story.
Does anyone know anything about this story, or the volume that contains it? I'd love to begin resurrecting my SF collection (I already have a good start with P.K.Dick anthologies and Heinlein, but those are easy to find). Luckily we now have the internet, making locating obscure used books far more possible for those of us who live in the middle of nowhere.
I enjoy short stories as a particular literary medium; they offer advantages that longer novels or novellas do not have, including the offering of a single concept or idea without a great deal or lengthy plot and character development. I had several excellent anthologies of short stories and have many times deeply regretted their loss. Where possible, I've sought to replace those volumes, but can't always identify the titles, editors, or authors.
One story in particular has stayed with me -- it dealt with the fallacy of absolute equality (the concept that each of us is supposedly equally able in all respects). I can't recall the author's name, but the story itself appeared in a multi-author volume and may have been the first, or nearly the first, story in the book. One feature that I recall was that the main character, a young boy, was considered to have above-average intelligence and therefore was required to wear a headphones that played recorded "white noise" so as to interfere with and therefore equalize his thinking. People who could run fast had to wear weights on their ankles, etc., etc.
I thought that it might have appeared in "Dangerous Visions" or its sequel, but sadly it does not. I should have considered that Ellison's self-conscious arrogance might preclude his including such a story.
Does anyone know anything about this story, or the volume that contains it? I'd love to begin resurrecting my SF collection (I already have a good start with P.K.Dick anthologies and Heinlein, but those are easy to find). Luckily we now have the internet, making locating obscure used books far more possible for those of us who live in the middle of nowhere.
