My first post here, so apologies if I missed a better way to do this. I'm trying to find the title and author of an SF short I read when I was a kid in the 1960's. My Dad had SF anthologies, which is probably where I found this one. I'd love to reread it if I could just find it! I can only recall a few features accurately:
A guy makes his living on the fringes of legit society, at a semi-shady activity called "playing the stats" (something like a modern day currency trader, watching computer displays and making quick decisions.) The society is run by an elite who keep themselves in top physical shape by stimulating their muscles with electric currents. Our hero decides to mix it up with one of these super-guys, for reasons I don't recall, subjects himself to an agonizing electro-shock body-builder program, and ends up competing with him at his old cyber-game, playing the stats.
That's it. Don't recall how the story ends exactly, but it was cool. To me, the story anticipated at least one aspect of cyberspace long before "Neuromancer" came on the scene. If one of you folks with encyclopedic memories can ID this tale, I'd be blown away! Maybe Amazon or eBay has a book that contains the story. Thanks to all in advance for your expertise!
A guy makes his living on the fringes of legit society, at a semi-shady activity called "playing the stats" (something like a modern day currency trader, watching computer displays and making quick decisions.) The society is run by an elite who keep themselves in top physical shape by stimulating their muscles with electric currents. Our hero decides to mix it up with one of these super-guys, for reasons I don't recall, subjects himself to an agonizing electro-shock body-builder program, and ends up competing with him at his old cyber-game, playing the stats.
That's it. Don't recall how the story ends exactly, but it was cool. To me, the story anticipated at least one aspect of cyberspace long before "Neuromancer" came on the scene. If one of you folks with encyclopedic memories can ID this tale, I'd be blown away! Maybe Amazon or eBay has a book that contains the story. Thanks to all in advance for your expertise!
