Short SF Story: The last (Immortal) man visited by Aliens
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An immortal and very old man resides in a mausoleum.
He is the last man on Earth.
He hears a great noise, goes outside and is disappointed, it was only a starship decelerating in the atmosphere.
The aliens land and attempt to interview the man using a translator.
He amuses himself by changing languages many times during the interview until
he is caught.
The aliens leave after determining that the man believes everyone died of 'Peace' and that he had refused this peace and had been condemned to immortality.
I last read this over twenty years ago, but it was probably from the golden age, possibly from Galaxy or Amazing Stories.
story-identification short-stories immortality
asked Aug 7 '17 at 3:54
Seldon2kSeldon2k
374110
add a comment |
An immortal and very old man resides in a mausoleum.
He is the last man on Earth.
He hears a great noise, goes outside and is disappointed, it was only a starship decelerating in the atmosphere.
The aliens land and attempt to interview the man using a translator.
He amuses himself by changing languages many times during the interview until
he is caught.
The aliens leave after determining that the man believes everyone died of 'Peace' and that he had refused this peace and had been condemned to immortality.
I last read this over twenty years ago, but it was probably from the golden age, possibly from Galaxy or Amazing Stories.
story-identification short-stories immortality
asked Aug 7 '17 at 3:54
Seldon2kSeldon2k
374110
There's a similar story about Trans-humans and one old un-upgraded man meeting the first aliens to contact humanity - IIRC "The Last Man" by IIRC Alfred Bester of around the same era, but that's a slightly different approach.
– Covertwalrus
Jun 9 '18 at 21:55
add a comment |
An immortal and very old man resides in a mausoleum.
He is the last man on Earth.
He hears a great noise, goes outside and is disappointed, it was only a starship decelerating in the atmosphere.
The aliens land and attempt to interview the man using a translator.
He amuses himself by changing languages many times during the interview until
he is caught.
The aliens leave after determining that the man believes everyone died of 'Peace' and that he had refused this peace and had been condemned to immortality.
I last read this over twenty years ago, but it was probably from the golden age, possibly from Galaxy or Amazing Stories.
story-identification short-stories immortality
asked Aug 7 '17 at 3:54
Seldon2kSeldon2k
374110
An immortal and very old man resides in a mausoleum.
He is the last man on Earth.
He hears a great noise, goes outside and is disappointed, it was only a starship decelerating in the atmosphere.
The aliens land and attempt to interview the man using a translator.
He amuses himself by changing languages many times during the interview until
he is caught.
The aliens leave after determining that the man believes everyone died of 'Peace' and that he had refused this peace and had been condemned to immortality.
I last read this over twenty years ago, but it was probably from the golden age, possibly from Galaxy or Amazing Stories.
story-identification short-stories immortality
story-identification short-stories immortality
asked Aug 7 '17 at 3:54
Seldon2kSeldon2k
374110
asked Aug 7 '17 at 3:54
Seldon2kSeldon2k
374110
asked Aug 7 '17 at 3:54
Seldon2kSeldon2k
374110
asked Aug 7 '17 at 3:54
Seldon2kSeldon2k
374110
asked Aug 7 '17 at 3:54
Seldon2kSeldon2k
374110
374110
There's a similar story about Trans-humans and one old un-upgraded man meeting the first aliens to contact humanity - IIRC "The Last Man" by IIRC Alfred Bester of around the same era, but that's a slightly different approach.
– Covertwalrus
Jun 9 '18 at 21:55
add a comment |
There's a similar story about Trans-humans and one old un-upgraded man meeting the first aliens to contact humanity - IIRC "The Last Man" by IIRC Alfred Bester of around the same era, but that's a slightly different approach.
– Covertwalrus
Jun 9 '18 at 21:55
There's a similar story about Trans-humans and one old un-upgraded man meeting the first aliens to contact humanity - IIRC "The Last Man" by IIRC Alfred Bester of around the same era, but that's a slightly different approach.
– Covertwalrus
Jun 9 '18 at 21:55
There's a similar story about Trans-humans and one old un-upgraded man meeting the first aliens to contact humanity - IIRC "The Last Man" by IIRC Alfred Bester of around the same era, but that's a slightly different approach.
– Covertwalrus
Jun 9 '18 at 21:55
add a comment |
1 Answer
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Hmm... this is probably not it, but just in case you're remembering parts of two different stories: "Forever" by Damon Knight (1981) has a "last immortal man on Earth visited by aliens" setup, and they do try to talk to him in a bunch of different languages; finally they just ask him if he wants to come with them, he says no thanks, so they leave.
However, he's eternally young (he took the immortality treatment as a prepubescent child), and I don't remember there being anything about "peace"— I think all the other immortal people basically just got tired of living.
answered 1 min ago
E. BishopE. Bishop
163
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Hmm... this is probably not it, but just in case you're remembering parts of two different stories: "Forever" by Damon Knight (1981) has a "last immortal man on Earth visited by aliens" setup, and they do try to talk to him in a bunch of different languages; finally they just ask him if he wants to come with them, he says no thanks, so they leave.
However, he's eternally young (he took the immortality treatment as a prepubescent child), and I don't remember there being anything about "peace"— I think all the other immortal people basically just got tired of living.
answered 1 min ago
E. BishopE. Bishop
163
New contributor
E. Bishop is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
add a comment |
Hmm... this is probably not it, but just in case you're remembering parts of two different stories: "Forever" by Damon Knight (1981) has a "last immortal man on Earth visited by aliens" setup, and they do try to talk to him in a bunch of different languages; finally they just ask him if he wants to come with them, he says no thanks, so they leave.
However, he's eternally young (he took the immortality treatment as a prepubescent child), and I don't remember there being anything about "peace"— I think all the other immortal people basically just got tired of living.
answered 1 min ago
E. BishopE. Bishop
163
New contributor
E. Bishop is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
add a comment |
Hmm... this is probably not it, but just in case you're remembering parts of two different stories: "Forever" by Damon Knight (1981) has a "last immortal man on Earth visited by aliens" setup, and they do try to talk to him in a bunch of different languages; finally they just ask him if he wants to come with them, he says no thanks, so they leave.
However, he's eternally young (he took the immortality treatment as a prepubescent child), and I don't remember there being anything about "peace"— I think all the other immortal people basically just got tired of living.
answered 1 min ago
E. BishopE. Bishop
163
New contributor
E. Bishop is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
Hmm... this is probably not it, but just in case you're remembering parts of two different stories: "Forever" by Damon Knight (1981) has a "last immortal man on Earth visited by aliens" setup, and they do try to talk to him in a bunch of different languages; finally they just ask him if he wants to come with them, he says no thanks, so they leave.
However, he's eternally young (he took the immortality treatment as a prepubescent child), and I don't remember there being anything about "peace"— I think all the other immortal people basically just got tired of living.
answered 1 min ago
E. BishopE. Bishop
163
New contributor
E. Bishop is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
answered 1 min ago
E. BishopE. Bishop
163
New contributor
E. Bishop is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
answered 1 min ago
E. BishopE. Bishop
163
answered 1 min ago
E. BishopE. Bishop
163
163
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New contributor
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There's a similar story about Trans-humans and one old un-upgraded man meeting the first aliens to contact humanity - IIRC "The Last Man" by IIRC Alfred Bester of around the same era, but that's a slightly different approach.
– Covertwalrus
Jun 9 '18 at 21:55