I can't remember this sci-fi short story: Mass graves hidden by society
July 10, 2013 6:38 PM   Subscribe

This is one I likely encountered in the 80's so my memory is foggy here. Most likely in some anthology or maybe even a magazine like Omni. I think it was by a major writer. Salient memories inside:

Best I can remember:

1: Someone (archeologist, forensics expert, construction--i dunno) unearths a couple bodies.
2: Warned by some to stay away
3: Continues to excavate. Discovers lots of bodies.
4: Warnings to stop become more dire/severe/desperate.
5: Tons of bodies discovered. Media starting to cover the event
6: The big reveal: There was some sort of genocide/plague/malthusian event/or something and society had managed to pretty thoroughly "forget" somehow.
posted by sourwookie to Media & Arts (5 answers total) 7 users marked this as a favorite
 
You may be thinking of the genocide being investigated by the GCU Grey Area (aka Meatfucker) in Excession. The bodies were hidden in a glacier if that rings a bell.
posted by Eddie Mars at 6:42 PM on July 10, 2013


Response by poster: Thanks, but I'm quite certain it was a standalone short story. I'm also quite certain that it took place on Earth sometime around the present. I believe the bodies were a part of the setting's recent history (no more than a prior generation or two), not any sort of ancient find.
posted by sourwookie at 6:46 PM on July 10, 2013


Best answer: Sounds like Detritus Affected, by David Brin. It was in this book of short stories.

Previous thread
posted by renderthis at 6:53 PM on July 10, 2013 [1 favorite]


Response by poster: Bam! That's It!

How embarrassing. I actually still have the book and also must have read it more recently than I thought. Thanks!
posted by sourwookie at 6:59 PM on July 10, 2013


Thank you renderthis, I've been going crazy on Google trying to remember the name of this one.

From davidbrin.com:

Option Sold
Sandbar Productions has bought an option to develop my short story "Detritus Affected" about archaeologists digging in a landfill in LA.
- See more at: http://www.davidbrin.com/movies.htm#sthash.uKmaJTCu.dpuf
posted by ActingTheGoat at 7:08 PM on July 10, 2013


« Older What is this lullaby?   |   Can anyone help me identify a couple of arcade... Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.