Trying to find a story I read.

[Executionists]

I remember a short SF story I read where it took place on a planet where the population lived and died at a very fast speed. I think it was the sun that would eventually burn everyone up and then life would start again. There was an effort by the beings to end this cycle so there was one scientist(?) Who tried to outrun the sun before it fried everything - not sure... I'm very fuzzy on it. Can anyone help? Thanks a lot!

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

I'm moving this thread to the Book Search forum, where it's more likely to get the attention of someone who knows the answer.

 

[PaulMmn]

almost sounds like "Nightfall" by Isaac Asimov... except that the planet existed in daylight (multiple suns), except once every once upon a time when all the suns lined up and night fell. And people lit fires to keep their world lighted...

From Wikipedia: "Nightfall" is a 1941 science fiction short story by Isaac Asimov about the coming of darkness to the people of a planet ordinarily illuminated at all times on all sides. It was adapted into a novel with Robert Silverberg in 1990. The short story has been included in 48 anthologies, and has appeared in six collections of Asimov's stories.[citation needed] In 1968, the Science Fiction Writers of America voted Nightfall the best science fiction short story written prior to the 1965 establishment of the Nebula Awards, and included it in The Science Fiction Hall of Fame Volume One, 1929-1964.

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

I wonder if this might be "Frost and Fire" by Ray Bradbury.


Full plot summary here:


Frost and Fire: Frost and Fire's Summary

 

[Harold Melanson]

I remember a short SF story I read where it took place on a planet where the population lived and died at a very fast speed. I think it was the sun that would eventually burn everyone up and then life would start again. There was an effort by the beings to end this cycle so there was one scientist(?) Who tried to outrun the sun before it fried everything - not sure... I'm very fuzzy on it. Can anyone help? Thanks a lot!

Not a short story but you should look at A Deepness in the Sky by Vernor Vinge. The sun would periodically cool off and the world would freeze, inhabitants would go into deep caves until it warmed up and they could restart civilization again. A Hugo winner from 2000.

 

[hitmouse]

Isn't this a subplot in the first of Cixin Liu's Dark Forest books?

 

[Danny McG]

I wonder if this might be "Frost and Fire" by Ray Bradbury.


Full plot summary here:


Frost and Fire: Frost and Fire's Summary

Ditto from me