RE: virus: That hell-bound train

From: Dr Sebby (drsebby@hotmail.com)
Date: Mon Mar 29 2004 - 11:26:26 MST

  • Next message: Dr Sebby: "Re: virus: Lost in Translation"

    ...i have actually read the story...part of a fantastic collection of 101
    short short sci-fi stories. one of the greatest books ive ever lost =(

    anyways, i think a reasonable approach would be to recognize that age would
    provide an artificial time limit on the 'best' time to stop the watch. i'd
    wager that somewhere in your early 30's you start losing a little bit of the
    'edge'...and in your early 20's your so unstable that it would be difficult
    to gauge any point as contentment. i would probably force myself to put a
    time limit on myself..such as, my 28th b'day or 29th. the real question
    would be...would i want to be in a relationship at the time of clock
    stoppage? or a cavorting single? and if i owned plants or a dog, would i
    have to feed and water them still? and if i still knew Walter Watts, would
    i have to continue to transport those strange blue plastic bins across state
    lines for him after halloween?

    DrSebby.
    "Courage...and shuffle the cards".

    ----Original Message Follows----
    From: "Jake Sapiens" <every1hz@earthlink.net>
    Reply-To: virus@lucifer.com
    To: virus@lucifer.com
    Subject: RE: virus: That hell-bound train
    Date: Mon, 29 Mar 2004 10:45:40 -0800

    Thanks for this, Rhino. It seems that this would be a game where the
    optimist (most of humanity) is at a disadvantage, always trusting that
    things will get better. A pessimist on the other hand, knowing that things
    can definitely get worse, may not pick the most optimum point to dwell on,
    but at least wouldn't squander his chances hoping for things to get better.

    -Jake

    > [Original Message]
    > From: rhinoceros <rhinoceros@freemail.gr>
    > To: <virus@lucifer.com>
    > Date: 03/29/2004 8:14:52 AM
    > Subject: virus: That hell-bound train
    >
    >
    > This is an old story followed by a question.
    >
    > The story came to my mind recently but I could remember neither the
    author nor where I had read it. After some excavation in my bookcases, I
    found it on a shelf stuffed with double rows of books. I ripped this short
    presentation from the net since it was better than what I could have
    written myself.
    >
    >
    > http://www.users.nac.net/bobsabella/HallofFame.htm
    >
    > <begin quote>
    > That Hell-bound Train, by Robert Bloch. This was the first, and for many
    years the only, fantasy to win a Hugo Award. It was a traditional
    deal-with-the-devil story, about a poor roustabout who devises a deal
    seemingly impossible to lose: in return for his soul, the devil gives him a
    watch with the ability to stop time at any moment for all eternity.
    >
    > As expected, the roustabout is too clever for his own good. He keeps
    stalling seeking a moment of perfect happiness worth maintaining for all
    eternity. A good job and relative comfort? Not yet. A wife and cute young
    children? Maybe, but just a bit longer. And so it goes, until he finds
    himself divorced, unhappy, broke again, aging, dying. All too soon there is
    no reason to stop time because he is so unhappy that who wants that moment
    to last forever?
    >
    > And then the devil returns, ready to take his side of the bargain...
    > <end quote>
    >
    >
    > There are several interesting side-issues in the story, such as how the
    train has been integrated into folk culture as the vehicle of devil. But
    the really challenging question is this:
    >
    > Would you be able to cut the deal, and how? Would you be able to identify
    the happiest (or a happy enough) moment of your life and get yourself to
    stop the watch?
    >
    > The difficulty is that, when you are in a winning situation, like a
    compulsive gambler, you want to go for more. Of course, when you are in a
    losing situation, you don't want to stay there.
    >
    > What would you do? At which moment of your life would you stop the watch?
    Or is it impossible for a human (or for you) to win this bet?
    >
    >
    >
    > ----
    > This message was posted by rhinoceros to the Virus 2004 board on Church
    of Virus BBS.
    >
    <http://virus.lucifer.com/bbs/index.php?board=61;action=display;threadid=301
    00>
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    --- Jake Sapiens
    --- every1hz@earthlink.net
    --- EarthLink: The #1 provider of the Real Internet.

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