Looking for a short story - future setting where robber helps a woman
October 21, 2018 12:41 AM Subscribe
Years ago I read a story about a man who comes into a woman's apartment and helps her out of a blissed-out coma she's in due to an implant or something that stimulates the pleasure center of her brain. Turns out he's a robber who came in to rob her.
That's about all I remember. The phrase "Lady, I came in here to rob the place" may appear at or near the end, after he helps the woman out of her stupor. I think the word "wire-head" might have been used to describe the type of person the woman was. The idea was basically similar to opiate addiction, only done with technology to directly hit the pleasure center.
Have you heard of this or can you help me find it?
That's about all I remember. The phrase "Lady, I came in here to rob the place" may appear at or near the end, after he helps the woman out of her stupor. I think the word "wire-head" might have been used to describe the type of person the woman was. The idea was basically similar to opiate addiction, only done with technology to directly hit the pleasure center.
Have you heard of this or can you help me find it?
Response by poster: Ah yes, that's the one! Thank you, Wotron.
posted by cats are weird at 1:32 AM on October 21, 2018
posted by cats are weird at 1:32 AM on October 21, 2018
Phillip K Dick wrote a lot of stories that explore this theme, including one short that follows exactly this plot. I can't remember the title of the short, but here's a nice list of his themes. The short might be "The Stigmata" work discussed in the review.
posted by effluvia at 5:05 AM on October 21, 2018
posted by effluvia at 5:05 AM on October 21, 2018
Larry Niven also wrote about this (a 'droud') and the related addiction. But it's Niven - ymmv.
posted by parki at 6:35 AM on October 21, 2018
posted by parki at 6:35 AM on October 21, 2018
Coming in to add that the short story is also the second chapter of Spider Robinson's novel Mindkiller
posted by Tabitha Someday at 8:42 AM on October 21, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by Tabitha Someday at 8:42 AM on October 21, 2018 [2 favorites]
Yes, Mindkiller by Spider Robinson. Also released in a compilation .
posted by Enid Lareg at 2:09 PM on October 21, 2018
posted by Enid Lareg at 2:09 PM on October 21, 2018
I recognized Spider Robinson's work right away, but I don't think I knew it was ever a short story, I only knew it from his novel Mindkiller.
posted by octothorp at 1:11 PM on October 22, 2018
posted by octothorp at 1:11 PM on October 22, 2018
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Wotron at 1:11 AM on October 21, 2018 [7 favorites]