[Libs-Or] Stumper

[Marta Murvosh]

Holly,
I'm wondering if you might have a few more details from your patron regarding the plot of the book that he remembers reading. 

While Dune with it's sandworms might match, the protagonist wasn't interviewed by computers because in Frank Herbert's universe computers are replaced by calculating humans and by navigators who fold space. Raw spice doesn't make people run faster, it makes them see different timelines.   

The description also matches a few Leigh Bracket's stories that are set on Mars. (The good news is if one of those is the book, her Martian stories were collected and reprinted in one volume a few years ago.) 

It also matches the details of stories written by Roger Zelazny and others. So knowing the main story problem would help narrow it down. It sounds familiar and may be novella. It may be that he read one of the Ace Doubles and is confusing two stories. 

Would you feel comfortable if I forwarded your to James Gunn and Christopher McKitterick at the Center for the Study of Science Fiction at the University of Kansas? Founding director Jim Gunn has studied SF for most of his life and served on the advisory board of the Science Fiction & Fantasy Hall of Fame. Both Jim and Chris belong to the Science Fiction Research Association and if they don't know the book, they can get their colleagues tracking it down via the SFRA's listserv.
(By the way, I'm the teen librarian at the Marysville Library. part of Sno-Isle Libraries, and a totally SF geek.) 

Best,
Marta Marta Murvosh, MLS
librarian and freelance writer
murvosh at yahoo.com360-610-9642 - mobile
Everett, WA - Pacific Time zone
Linkedin - Facebook - Website

      From: "Hartley, Melissa" <melissa.hartley at oregonstate.edu>
 To: 'Holly Campbell-Polivka' <Hollyc at tigard-or.gov>; "'libs-or (libs-or at listsmart.osl.state.or.us)'" <libs-or at listsmart.osl.state.or.us>; "'child at wccls.org'" <child at wccls.org> 
 Sent: Friday, November 6, 2015 4:45 PM
 Subject: Re: [Libs-Or] Stumper
   
#yiv6702102045 #yiv6702102045 -- _filtered #yiv6702102045 {font-family:Calibri;panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;} _filtered #yiv6702102045 {font-family:Tahoma;panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4;} _filtered #yiv6702102045 {panose-1:2 15 7 4 3 5 4 3 2 4;}#yiv6702102045 #yiv6702102045 p.yiv6702102045MsoNormal, #yiv6702102045 li.yiv6702102045MsoNormal, #yiv6702102045 div.yiv6702102045MsoNormal {margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;font-size:12.0pt;}#yiv6702102045 a:link, #yiv6702102045 span.yiv6702102045MsoHyperlink {color:blue;text-decoration:underline;}#yiv6702102045 a:visited, #yiv6702102045 span.yiv6702102045MsoHyperlinkFollowed {color:purple;text-decoration:underline;}#yiv6702102045 p {margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;font-size:12.0pt;}#yiv6702102045 span.yiv6702102045EmailStyle18 {color:black;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;}#yiv6702102045 span.yiv6702102045SpellE {}#yiv6702102045 .yiv6702102045MsoChpDefault {font-size:10.0pt;} _filtered #yiv6702102045 {margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}#yiv6702102045 div.yiv6702102045WordSection1 {}#yiv6702102045 How about: Dune / by Frank Herbert?  First published 1965.    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dune_%28novel%29       Desert planet Hot atmosphere Leathery skin Magic substance that gives powers    Melissa Hartley CDSS Valley Library Oregon State University       

From: Libs-Or [mailto:libs-or-bounces at listsmart.osl.state.or.us] On Behalf OfHolly Campbell-Polivka
Sent: Friday, November 06, 2015 4:16 PM
To: libs-or (libs-or at listsmart.osl.state.or.us); child at wccls.org
Subject: [Libs-Or] Stumper    Hi Great Brain,   I'm hoping someone can help me out with this stumper.   Here is what I know:   The juvenile science fiction book (or short story) begins with a guy being interviewed by a computer. He is sent to some sort of desert planet or desert world that is inhabited by beings with leather skin. It is very hot there, but there is a fruit he can eat that helps him tolerate the heat and also makes him be able to go very fast.   The patron is a gentleman who I would guess is in his 50s or 60s, and he read it as a kid, so I would guess it was probably published in the 1960s or before.   I did a google search and was able to find somebody else on a science fiction forum searching for what I believe may be the same book. The clue I got from that was that the person thinks the planet or world may be called something like Alpha. But I'm not sure if this is just a false lead or not. I'm wondering if the author possibly could be Robert Silverberg, and if the story may be Revolt on Alpha C, but I can't find enough of a description to find out whether it matches the patron's description, and when he reads the description, it doesn't ring a bell with him.   Any ideas?   Holly Polivka Youth Services Librarian Tigard Public Library    
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