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  • (ReacTor) Five SFF Works About Trying to Escape Massive Debt

    From James Nicoll@3:633/10 to All on Wednesday, July 08, 2026 10:18:00
    Five SFF Works About Trying to Escape Massive Debt

    Whether they owe money, their souls, or their futures, these characters
    are in desperate straits...

    https://reactormag.com/five-sff-works-about-trying-to-escape-massive-debt/
    --
    My reviews can be found at http://jamesdavisnicoll.com/
    My tor pieces at https://www.tor.com/author/james-davis-nicoll/
    My Dreamwidth at https://james-davis-nicoll.dreamwidth.org/
    My patreon is at https://www.patreon.com/jamesdnicoll

    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.18
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From Ignatios Souvatzis@3:633/10 to All on Wednesday, July 08, 2026 16:39:01
    James Nicoll wrote:
    Five SFF Works About Trying to Escape Massive Debt

    Whether they owe money, their souls, or their futures, these characters
    are in desperate straits...

    https://reactormag.com/five-sff-works-about-trying-to-escape-massive-debt/

    At least two by Robert Sheckley:

    - Something for Nothing
    - Cost of Living
    - There's a least another one. I can?t remember the title, but
    basically, in the end, a family is fleeing over the border to Mexico
    to escape from debt.

    -is


    --
    A medium apple... weighs 182 grams, yields 95 kcal, and contains no
    caffeine, thus making it unsuitable for sysadmins. - Brian Kantor

    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.18
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From BCFD 36@3:633/10 to All on Wednesday, July 08, 2026 11:30:06
    On 7/8/26 07:18, James Nicoll wrote:
    Five SFF Works About Trying to Escape Massive Debt

    Whether they owe money, their souls, or their futures, these characters
    are in desperate straits...

    https://reactormag.com/five-sff-works-about-trying-to-escape-massive-debt/
    I haven't read any of these. My loss.

    It brings to mind a short story whose name and author I can't remember.
    The name may be Infinite Series. Plot that I can remember: A guy summons
    a demon. The demon shows up in the pentagram drawn on the floor with its
    arms, legs and head in the vertices. Bad things are going to happen. The
    guy draws another pentagram, but this time on the demon's belly, The
    demon disappears and then reappears in the new pentagram, obviously much smaller, with a smaller pentagram as well. And then again... It is not
    clear if the summoner will escape the consequences/debt to the demon.

    --
    ----------------

    Dave Scruggs
    Senior Software Engineer - Lockheed Martin, et. al (mostly Retired)
    Captain - Boulder Creek Fire (Retired)
    Board of Directors - Boulder Creek Fire Protection District (What was I thinking?)

    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.18
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From Tony Nance@3:633/10 to All on Wednesday, July 08, 2026 14:40:28
    On 7/8/26 2:30 PM, BCFD 36 wrote:
    On 7/8/26 07:18, James Nicoll wrote:
    Five SFF Works About Trying to Escape Massive Debt

    Whether they owe money, their souls, or their futures, these characters
    are in desperate straits...

    https://reactormag.com/five-sff-works-about-trying-to-escape-massive-
    debt/
    I haven't read any of these. My loss.

    It brings to mind a short story whose name and author I can't remember.
    The name may be Infinite Series. Plot that I can remember: A guy summons
    a demon. The demon shows up in the pentagram drawn on the floor with its arms, legs and head in the vertices. Bad things are going to happen. The
    guy draws another pentagram, but this time on the demon's belly, The
    demon disappears and then reappears in the new pentagram, obviously much smaller, with a smaller pentagram as well. And then again... It is not
    clear if the summoner will escape the consequences/debt to the demon.


    Excellent description - that's "Convergent Series" by Niven.
    - Tony

    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.18
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From Lynn McGuire@3:633/10 to All on Wednesday, July 08, 2026 14:37:01
    On 7/8/2026 9:18 AM, James Nicoll wrote:
    Five SFF Works About Trying to Escape Massive Debt

    Whether they owe money, their souls, or their futures, these characters
    are in desperate straits...

    https://reactormag.com/five-sff-works-about-trying-to-escape-massive-debt/

    Dadgum, zero for five here.

    And nothing to suggest either.

    Lynn


    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.18
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From Cryptoengineer@3:633/10 to All on Wednesday, July 08, 2026 15:48:38
    On 7/8/2026 2:30 PM, BCFD 36 wrote:
    On 7/8/26 07:18, James Nicoll wrote:
    Five SFF Works About Trying to Escape Massive Debt

    Whether they owe money, their souls, or their futures, these characters
    are in desperate straits...

    https://reactormag.com/five-sff-works-about-trying-to-escape-massive-
    debt/
    I haven't read any of these. My loss.

    It brings to mind a short story whose name and author I can't remember.
    The name may be Infinite Series. Plot that I can remember: A guy summons
    a demon. The demon shows up in the pentagram drawn on the floor with its arms, legs and head in the vertices. Bad things are going to happen. The
    guy draws another pentagram, but this time on the demon's belly, The
    demon disappears and then reappears in the new pentagram, obviously much smaller, with a smaller pentagram as well. And then again... It is not
    clear if the summoner will escape the consequences/debt to the demon.


    "The Long Night" (aka "Convergent Series")

    Larry Niven

    pt

    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.18
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From BCFD 36@3:633/10 to All on Wednesday, July 08, 2026 12:55:56
    On 7/8/26 11:40, Tony Nance wrote:
    On 7/8/26 2:30 PM, BCFD 36 wrote:
    On 7/8/26 07:18, James Nicoll wrote:
    Five SFF Works About Trying to Escape Massive Debt

    Whether they owe money, their souls, or their futures, these characters
    are in desperate straits...

    https://reactormag.com/five-sff-works-about-trying-to-escape-massive-
    debt/
    I haven't read any of these. My loss.

    It brings to mind a short story whose name and author I can't
    remember. The name may be Infinite Series. Plot that I can remember: A
    guy summons a demon. The demon shows up in the pentagram drawn on the
    floor with its arms, legs and head in the vertices. Bad things are
    going to happen. The guy draws another pentagram, but this time on the
    demon's belly, The demon disappears and then reappears in the new
    pentagram, obviously much smaller, with a smaller pentagram as well.
    And then again... It is not clear if the summoner will escape the
    consequences/debt to the demon.


    Excellent description - that's "Convergent Series" by Niven.
    - Tony

    That's it! I knew it had something to do with an infinite series... just forgot the convergent part.

    --
    ----------------

    Dave Scruggs
    Senior Software Engineer - Lockheed Martin, et. al (mostly Retired)
    Captain - Boulder Creek Fire (Retired)
    Board of Directors - Boulder Creek Fire Protection District (What was I thinking?)

    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.18
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From Dimensional Traveler@3:633/10 to All on Wednesday, July 08, 2026 17:20:23
    On 7/8/2026 9:53 AM, Ted Nolan <tednolan> wrote:
    In article <slrn114sv95.s7o.u502sou@neuserv.bnhb484.de>,
    Ignatios Souvatzis <u502sou@bnhb484.de> wrote:
    James Nicoll wrote:
    Five SFF Works About Trying to Escape Massive Debt

    Whether they owe money, their souls, or their futures, these characters
    are in desperate straits...

    https://reactormag.com/five-sff-works-about-trying-to-escape-massive-debt/ >>
    At least two by Robert Sheckley:

    - Something for Nothing
    - Cost of Living
    - There's a least another one. I can?t remember the title, but
    basically, in the end, a family is fleeing over the border to Mexico
    to escape from debt.


    I believe you are thinking of "Ride Like The Wind" by Christopher Cross.

    :-)

    Actually I believe the character in that was running from law.

    --
    I've done good in this world. Now I'm tired and just want to be a cranky
    dirty old man.

    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.18
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From Scott Dorsey@3:633/10 to All on Wednesday, July 08, 2026 21:33:25
    Dimensional Traveler <dtravel@sonic.net> wrote:
    On 7/8/2026 9:53 AM, Ted Nolan <tednolan> wrote:


    I believe you are thinking of "Ride Like The Wind" by Christopher Cross.

    :-)

    Actually I believe the character in that was running from law.

    He's been through the desert on a horse with no name, though.
    --scott
    --
    "C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.18
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From Don@3:633/10 to All on Thursday, July 09, 2026 15:10:21
    Tony Nance <tnusenet17@gmail.com> wrote:
    On 7/8/26 2:30 PM, BCFD 36 wrote:
    On 7/8/26 07:18, James Nicoll wrote:
    Five SFF Works About Trying to Escape Massive Debt

    Whether they owe money, their souls, or their futures, these characters
    are in desperate straits...

    https://reactormag.com/five-sff-works-about-trying-to-escape-massive-
    debt/
    I haven't read any of these. My loss.

    It brings to mind a short story whose name and author I can't remember.
    The name may be Infinite Series. Plot that I can remember: A guy summons
    a demon. The demon shows up in the pentagram drawn on the floor with its
    arms, legs and head in the vertices. Bad things are going to happen. The
    guy draws another pentagram, but this time on the demon's belly, The
    demon disappears and then reappears in the new pentagram, obviously much
    smaller, with a smaller pentagram as well. And then again... It is not
    clear if the summoner will escape the consequences/debt to the demon.


    Excellent description - that's "Convergent Series" by Niven.

    One slight quibble:

    "It's been a good century since anyone called up a
    demon." [said the demon]
    "They've forgotten how," I told him. "Nowadays
    everyone thinks you're supposed to draw the pentagram
    on the floor."
    "The floor? They expect me to show up lying on my
    back?" His voice was thick with rage.

    Niven's world can cure its own Judeo-Protestant pestilence. It need only rebrand Epstein coalition kingpins and punks with pentagram belly tats.

    # # #

    Personal debt fades into insignificance next to massive mountains of government debt. AN ENEMY OF THE STATE by Wilson uses a Robin Hood
    metaphor to illustrate inflation's insidious role in running up
    government debt for the benefit crony capitalists.

    --
    Don.......My cat's )\._.,--....,'``. veritas _|_ telltale tall tail /, _.. \ _\ (`._ ,. liberabit |
    tells tall tales.. `._.-(,_..'--(,_..'`-.;.' vos |


    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.18
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From Lawrence D?Oliveiro@3:633/10 to All on Friday, July 10, 2026 01:37:15
    On Wed, 8 Jul 2026 14:40:28 -0400, Tony Nance wrote:

    Excellent description - that's "Convergent Series" by Niven.

    One of several stories he wrote by taking fantasy elements, and
    applying scientific-style rules to them.

    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.18
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From Titus G@3:633/10 to All on Monday, July 13, 2026 18:19:12
    On 13/07/2026 12:25, Titus G wrote:
    On 09/07/2026 02:18, James Nicoll wrote:
    Five SFF Works About Trying to Escape Massive Debt

    Whether they owe money, their souls, or their futures, these characters
    are in desperate straits...

    https://reactormag.com/five-sff-works-about-trying-to-escape-massive-debt/


    I read only a short part of Magick, too silly.

    Angel Station was brilliant as discussed here previously.

    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.18
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From Ignatios Souvatzis@3:633/10 to All on Monday, July 13, 2026 15:56:30
    Ted Nolan <tednolan> wrote:
    In article <slrn114sv95.s7o.u502sou@neuserv.bnhb484.de>,
    Ignatios Souvatzis <u502sou@bnhb484.de> wrote:
    James Nicoll wrote:
    Five SFF Works About Trying to Escape Massive Debt

    Whether they owe money, their souls, or their futures, these characters >>> are in desperate straits...

    https://reactormag.com/five-sff-works-about-trying-to-escape-massive-debt/ >>
    At least two by Robert Sheckley:

    - Something for Nothing
    - Cost of Living
    - There's a least another one. I can?t remember the title, but
    basically, in the end, a family is fleeing over the border to Mexico
    to escape from debt.


    I believe you are thinking of "Ride Like The Wind" by Christopher Cross.

    Somewhat close, but the methond of transport was a car, not a horse.

    -is

    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.18
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)