Discussion:
seeking SF story
(too old to reply)
Paul Rubin
2018-09-07 02:08:11 UTC
Permalink
I received this query from a friend, didn't know the answer, so am
posting here at his request:

I read a story many years ago in which the lab animals in a
spaceship develop human-like intelligence and try to escape down to
the nearby planet.

Did you read that? If so, what was its author and title?

Thanks for any help.

Paul
p***@hotmail.com
2018-09-07 03:14:17 UTC
Permalink
Post by Paul Rubin
I received this query from a friend, didn't know the answer, so am
I read a story many years ago in which the lab animals in a
spaceship develop human-like intelligence and try to escape down to
the nearby planet.
Did you read that? If so, what was its author and title?
The closest to this I remember offhand is _Contraband from Otherspace_ by
A. Bertram Chandler, serialized in _Worlds of If_ as _Edge of Night_.
In it rats on a merchant starship mutate under the influence of
radiation and the time twisting effect of the Manschen FTL drive
and become intelligent. Eventually they acquire human technology
and have their own network of colony worlds at the rim of the
galaxy, and become a threat to human-settled worlds in that region.
However, these are not laboratory animals but shipboard rats that
in this future are found on spaceships as they have always been
our fellow travelers on the seas.

Peter Wezeman
anti-social Darwinist
Peter Trei
2018-09-07 03:39:26 UTC
Permalink
Post by p***@hotmail.com
Post by Paul Rubin
I received this query from a friend, didn't know the answer, so am
I read a story many years ago in which the lab animals in a
spaceship develop human-like intelligence and try to escape down to
the nearby planet.
Did you read that? If so, what was its author and title?
The closest to this I remember offhand is _Contraband from Otherspace_ by
A. Bertram Chandler, serialized in _Worlds of If_ as _Edge of Night_.
In it rats on a merchant starship mutate under the influence of
radiation and the time twisting effect of the Manschen FTL drive
and become intelligent. Eventually they acquire human technology
and have their own network of colony worlds at the rim of the
galaxy, and become a threat to human-settled worlds in that region.
However, these are not laboratory animals but shipboard rats that
in this future are found on spaceships as they have always been
our fellow travelers on the seas.
FL Wallace’s ‘Big Ancestor’ is sort of an inversion of that.

Pt
Dorothy J Heydt
2018-09-07 04:08:42 UTC
Permalink
On Thursday, September 6, 2018 at 11:14:20 PM UTC-4,
Post by p***@hotmail.com
Post by Paul Rubin
I received this query from a friend, didn't know the answer, so am
I read a story many years ago in which the lab animals in a
spaceship develop human-like intelligence and try to escape down to
the nearby planet.
Did you read that? If so, what was its author and title?
The closest to this I remember offhand is _Contraband from Otherspace_ by
A. Bertram Chandler, serialized in _Worlds of If_ as _Edge of Night_.
In it rats on a merchant starship mutate under the influence of
radiation and the time twisting effect of the Manschen FTL drive
and become intelligent. Eventually they acquire human technology
and have their own network of colony worlds at the rim of the
galaxy, and become a threat to human-settled worlds in that region.
However, these are not laboratory animals but shipboard rats that
in this future are found on spaceships as they have always been
our fellow travelers on the seas.
FL Wallace’s ‘Big Ancestor’ is sort of an inversion of that.
Yes, but in that one


SPOILER























... the rats were humans.
--
Dorothy J. Heydt
Vallejo, California
djheydt at gmail dot com
www.kithrup.com/~djheydt/
Peter Trei
2018-09-07 16:58:55 UTC
Permalink
Post by Dorothy J Heydt
On Thursday, September 6, 2018 at 11:14:20 PM UTC-4,
Post by p***@hotmail.com
Post by Paul Rubin
I received this query from a friend, didn't know the answer, so am
I read a story many years ago in which the lab animals in a
spaceship develop human-like intelligence and try to escape down to
the nearby planet.
Did you read that? If so, what was its author and title?
The closest to this I remember offhand is _Contraband from Otherspace_ by
A. Bertram Chandler, serialized in _Worlds of If_ as _Edge of Night_.
In it rats on a merchant starship mutate under the influence of
radiation and the time twisting effect of the Manschen FTL drive
and become intelligent. Eventually they acquire human technology
and have their own network of colony worlds at the rim of the
galaxy, and become a threat to human-settled worlds in that region.
However, these are not laboratory animals but shipboard rats that
in this future are found on spaceships as they have always been
our fellow travelers on the seas.
FL Wallace’s ‘Big Ancestor’ is sort of an inversion of that.
Yes, but in that one
SPOILER
... the rats were humans.
...which is why I called it an 'inversion'.

pt
Dorothy J Heydt
2018-09-07 17:59:25 UTC
Permalink
On Thursday, September 6, 2018 at 11:14:20 PM UTC-4,
Post by p***@hotmail.com
Post by Paul Rubin
I received this query from a friend, didn't know the answer, so am
I read a story many years ago in which the lab animals in a
spaceship develop human-like intelligence and try to escape down to
the nearby planet.
Did you read that? If so, what was its author and title?
The closest to this I remember offhand is _Contraband from Otherspace_ by
A. Bertram Chandler, serialized in _Worlds of If_ as _Edge of Night_.
In it rats on a merchant starship mutate under the influence of
radiation and the time twisting effect of the Manschen FTL drive
and become intelligent. Eventually they acquire human technology
and have their own network of colony worlds at the rim of the
galaxy, and become a threat to human-settled worlds in that region.
However, these are not laboratory animals but shipboard rats that
in this future are found on spaceships as they have always been
our fellow travelers on the seas.
FL Wallace’s ‘Big Ancestor’ is sort of an inversion of that.
I'm currently rereading my way through James White's Sector
General series, and some non-SG stories have been bundled into
one of the anthologies.

So, could the story the OP's looking for be White's "The
Conspirators"? Cats, rats, mice, and guinea pigs have developed
intelligence and are trying to escape the ship. I find I don't
want to read the story, but it ends with most of the intelligent
critters left, by human assistance, on a suitable planet. It
ends with the viewpoint character, Felix, remaining on the ship
as it returns to Earth. Apparently some kind of change has taken
place in the humans too, and the captain is saying to Felix that
none of them will want to remain on Earth, where the inhabitants
are so vicious.

Ring any bells?
--
Dorothy J. Heydt
Vallejo, California
djheydt at gmail dot com
www.kithrup.com/~djheydt/
Sjouke Burry
2018-09-07 18:58:22 UTC
Permalink
Post by Dorothy J Heydt
On Thursday, September 6, 2018 at 11:14:20 PM UTC-4,
Post by p***@hotmail.com
Post by Paul Rubin
I received this query from a friend, didn't know the answer, so am
I read a story many years ago in which the lab animals in a
spaceship develop human-like intelligence and try to escape down to
the nearby planet.
Did you read that? If so, what was its author and title?
The closest to this I remember offhand is _Contraband from Otherspace_ by
A. Bertram Chandler, serialized in _Worlds of If_ as _Edge of Night_.
In it rats on a merchant starship mutate under the influence of
radiation and the time twisting effect of the Manschen FTL drive
and become intelligent. Eventually they acquire human technology
and have their own network of colony worlds at the rim of the
galaxy, and become a threat to human-settled worlds in that region.
However, these are not laboratory animals but shipboard rats that
in this future are found on spaceships as they have always been
our fellow travelers on the seas.
FL Wallace’s ‘Big Ancestor’ is sort of an inversion of that.
I'm currently rereading my way through James White's Sector
General series, and some non-SG stories have been bundled into
one of the anthologies.
So, could the story the OP's looking for be White's "The
Conspirators"? Cats, rats, mice, and guinea pigs have developed
intelligence and are trying to escape the ship. I find I don't
want to read the story, but it ends with most of the intelligent
critters left, by human assistance, on a suitable planet. It
ends with the viewpoint character, Felix, remaining on the ship
as it returns to Earth. Apparently some kind of change has taken
place in the humans too, and the captain is saying to Felix that
none of them will want to remain on Earth, where the inhabitants
are so vicious.
Ring any bells?
I read it a few weeks ago.
But i have no idea what the title was, or in which book.
The smallest animals were the first to increase their intelligence.
Then Felix followed.
The humans were the slowest, but their top went much higher.
Kind of liked the story.
Wolffan
2018-09-07 19:12:29 UTC
Permalink
Post by Sjouke Burry
Post by Dorothy J Heydt
On Thursday, September 6, 2018 at 11:14:20 PM UTC-4,
Post by p***@hotmail.com
Post by Paul Rubin
I received this query from a friend, didn't know the answer, so am
I read a story many years ago in which the lab animals in a
spaceship develop human-like intelligence and try to escape down to
the nearby planet.
Did you read that? If so, what was its author and title?
The closest to this I remember offhand is _Contraband from Otherspace_ by
A. Bertram Chandler, serialized in _Worlds of If_ as _Edge of Night_.
In it rats on a merchant starship mutate under the influence of
radiation and the time twisting effect of the Manschen FTL drive
and become intelligent. Eventually they acquire human technology
and have their own network of colony worlds at the rim of the
galaxy, and become a threat to human-settled worlds in that region.
However, these are not laboratory animals but shipboard rats that
in this future are found on spaceships as they have always been
our fellow travelers on the seas.
FL Wallace’s ‘Big Ancestor’ is sort of an inversion of
that.
I'm currently rereading my way through James White's Sector
General series, and some non-SG stories have been bundled into
one of the anthologies.
So, could the story the OP's looking for be White's "The
Conspirators"? Cats, rats, mice, and guinea pigs have developed
intelligence and are trying to escape the ship. I find I don't
want to read the story, but it ends with most of the intelligent
critters left, by human assistance, on a suitable planet. It
ends with the viewpoint character, Felix, remaining on the ship
as it returns to Earth. Apparently some kind of change has taken
place in the humans too, and the captain is saying to Felix that
none of them will want to remain on Earth, where the inhabitants
are so vicious.
Ring any bells?
I read it a few weeks ago.
But i have no idea what the title was, or in which book.
The smallest animals were the first to increase their intelligence.
Then Felix followed.
The humans were the slowest, but their top went much higher.
Kind of liked the story.
That’s White’s “The Conspirators”.
Dorothy J Heydt
2018-09-07 19:16:38 UTC
Permalink
Post by Sjouke Burry
Post by Dorothy J Heydt
On Thursday, September 6, 2018 at 11:14:20 PM UTC-4,
Post by p***@hotmail.com
Post by Paul Rubin
I received this query from a friend, didn't know the answer, so am
I read a story many years ago in which the lab animals in a
spaceship develop human-like intelligence and try to escape down to
the nearby planet.
Did you read that? If so, what was its author and title?
The closest to this I remember offhand is _Contraband from Otherspace_ by
A. Bertram Chandler, serialized in _Worlds of If_ as _Edge of Night_.
In it rats on a merchant starship mutate under the influence of
radiation and the time twisting effect of the Manschen FTL drive
and become intelligent. Eventually they acquire human technology
and have their own network of colony worlds at the rim of the
galaxy, and become a threat to human-settled worlds in that region.
However, these are not laboratory animals but shipboard rats that
in this future are found on spaceships as they have always been
our fellow travelers on the seas.
FL Wallace’s ‘Big Ancestor’ is sort of an inversion of that.
I'm currently rereading my way through James White's Sector
General series, and some non-SG stories have been bundled into
one of the anthologies.
So, could the story the OP's looking for be White's "The
Conspirators"? Cats, rats, mice, and guinea pigs have developed
intelligence and are trying to escape the ship. I find I don't
want to read the story, but it ends with most of the intelligent
critters left, by human assistance, on a suitable planet. It
ends with the viewpoint character, Felix, remaining on the ship
as it returns to Earth. Apparently some kind of change has taken
place in the humans too, and the captain is saying to Felix that
none of them will want to remain on Earth, where the inhabitants
are so vicious.
Ring any bells?
I read it a few weeks ago.
But i have no idea what the title was, or in which book.
The smallest animals were the first to increase their intelligence.
Then Felix followed.
The humans were the slowest, but their top went much higher.
Kind of liked the story.
Keeping in mind that there are probably more than one story with
a cat named Felix, that may be right.
--
Dorothy J. Heydt
Vallejo, California
djheydt at gmail dot com
www.kithrup.com/~djheydt/
Sea Wasp (Ryk E. Spoor)
2018-09-08 03:13:29 UTC
Permalink
Post by Dorothy J Heydt
On Thursday, September 6, 2018 at 11:14:20 PM UTC-4,
Post by p***@hotmail.com
Post by Paul Rubin
I received this query from a friend, didn't know the answer, so am
I read a story many years ago in which the lab animals in a
spaceship develop human-like intelligence and try to escape down to
the nearby planet.
Did you read that? If so, what was its author and title?
The closest to this I remember offhand is _Contraband from Otherspace_ by
A. Bertram Chandler, serialized in _Worlds of If_ as _Edge of Night_.
In it rats on a merchant starship mutate under the influence of
radiation and the time twisting effect of the Manschen FTL drive
and become intelligent. Eventually they acquire human technology
and have their own network of colony worlds at the rim of the
galaxy, and become a threat to human-settled worlds in that region.
However, these are not laboratory animals but shipboard rats that
in this future are found on spaceships as they have always been
our fellow travelers on the seas.
FL Wallace’s ‘Big Ancestor’ is sort of an inversion of that.
I'm currently rereading my way through James White's Sector
General series, and some non-SG stories have been bundled into
one of the anthologies.
So, could the story the OP's looking for be White's "The
Conspirators"?
That's certainly the one I was thinking of.
--
Sea Wasp
/^\
;;;
Website: http://www.grandcentralarena.com Blog:
http://seawasp.dreamwidth.org
Robert Carnegie
2018-09-08 19:40:12 UTC
Permalink
Post by Sea Wasp (Ryk E. Spoor)
Post by Dorothy J Heydt
On Thursday, September 6, 2018 at 11:14:20 PM UTC-4,
Post by p***@hotmail.com
Post by Paul Rubin
I received this query from a friend, didn't know the answer, so am
I read a story many years ago in which the lab animals in a
spaceship develop human-like intelligence and try to escape down to
the nearby planet.
Did you read that? If so, what was its author and title?
The closest to this I remember offhand is _Contraband from Otherspace_ by
A. Bertram Chandler, serialized in _Worlds of If_ as _Edge of Night_.
In it rats on a merchant starship mutate under the influence of
radiation and the time twisting effect of the Manschen FTL drive
and become intelligent. Eventually they acquire human technology
and have their own network of colony worlds at the rim of the
galaxy, and become a threat to human-settled worlds in that region.
However, these are not laboratory animals but shipboard rats that
in this future are found on spaceships as they have always been
our fellow travelers on the seas.
FL Wallace’s ‘Big Ancestor’ is sort of an inversion of that.
I'm currently rereading my way through James White's Sector
General series, and some non-SG stories have been bundled into
one of the anthologies.
So, could the story the OP's looking for be White's "The
Conspirators"?
That's certainly the one I was thinking of.
Yes, and I wanted to play too.

Although these aren't the story, Mrs Frisby and the
Rats of NIMH_ and _The Amazing Maurice and His Educated
Rodents_ may be enjoyed. By different people, in
some cases.
David DeLaney
2018-09-14 17:39:33 UTC
Permalink
Post by Robert Carnegie
Yes, and I wanted to play too.
Although these aren't the story, Mrs Frisby and the
Rats of NIMH_ and _The Amazing Maurice and His Educated
Rodents_ may be enjoyed. By different people, in some cases.
Also see Poul Anderson's _Brain Wave_ (not _Brin Wave_, that would be bad, bad
fingers!), in which the humans are the focus, but some time is given to the
animals of Earth, who of course also got carried out of the dulling-IQ space
sector with it.

Dave, and then there's Brin's Uplift series...
--
\/David DeLaney posting thru EarthLink - "It's not the pot that grows the flower
It's not the clock that slows the hour The definition's plain for anyone to see
Love is all it takes to make a family" - R&P. VISUALIZE HAPPYNET VRbeable<BLINK>
my gatekeeper archives are no longer accessible :( / I WUV you in all CAPS! --K.
Paul Rubin
2018-09-09 21:01:21 UTC
Permalink
Post by Sea Wasp (Ryk E. Spoor)
Post by Dorothy J Heydt
So, could the story the OP's looking for be White's "The
Conspirators"?
That's certainly the one I was thinking of.
My friend confirms that it was probably The Conspirators. Thanks again!
Robert Woodward
2018-09-07 04:41:34 UTC
Permalink
Post by p***@hotmail.com
Post by Paul Rubin
I received this query from a friend, didn't know the answer, so am
I read a story many years ago in which the lab animals in a
spaceship develop human-like intelligence and try to escape down to
the nearby planet.
Did you read that? If so, what was its author and title?
The closest to this I remember offhand is _Contraband from Otherspace_ by
A. Bertram Chandler, serialized in _Worlds of If_ as _Edge of Night_.
In it rats on a merchant starship mutate under the influence of
radiation and the time twisting effect of the Manschen FTL drive
and become intelligent.
There was an older story by Chandler, "Giant Killer" (1st published in
the October 1945 issue of Astounding SF) that also used this general
idea.
--
"We have advanced to new and surprising levels of bafflement."
Imperial Auditor Miles Vorkosigan describes progress in _Komarr_.
—-----------------------------------------------------
Robert Woodward ***@drizzle.com
Sea Wasp (Ryk E. Spoor)
2018-09-07 13:01:00 UTC
Permalink
Post by Paul Rubin
I received this query from a friend, didn't know the answer, so am
I read a story many years ago in which the lab animals in a
spaceship develop human-like intelligence and try to escape down to
the nearby planet.
Did you read that? If so, what was its author and title?
Thanks for any help.
Paul
Oh yeah, trying to remember this one. It's in an anthology I read not
TOO long ago. The lab animals AND the humans became more intelligent
(something like what happened in "Brain Wave"), but the main characters
were the mice and the ship's cat, who was working with the mice even
though his instincts were still those of a cat. The humans were also
dealing with being so much more intelligent and trying to figure out
what caused it, since they didn't want to go back home and become
stupider. The mice and other animals eventually escape the ship, IIRC.
--
Sea Wasp
/^\
;;;
Website: http://www.grandcentralarena.com Blog:
http://seawasp.dreamwidth.org
lal_truckee
2018-09-07 16:12:50 UTC
Permalink
Post by Paul Rubin
I received this query from a friend, didn't know the answer, so am
I read a story many years ago in which the lab animals in a
spaceship develop human-like intelligence and try to escape down to
the nearby planet.
Did you read that? If so, what was its author and title?
Thanks for any help.
"Non-Stop" by Brian Aldiss (1958) comes to mind.
Lynn McGuire
2018-09-07 18:42:24 UTC
Permalink
Post by Paul Rubin
I received this query from a friend, didn't know the answer, so am
I read a story many years ago in which the lab animals in a
spaceship develop human-like intelligence and try to escape down to
the nearby planet.
Did you read that? If so, what was its author and title?
Thanks for any help.
Paul
It could be _Lost and Found: A Novel (The Taken Trilogy)_ by Alan Dean
Foster. The animals included humans, all on display in a alien zoo.
https://www.amazon.com/Lost-Found-Novel-Taken-Trilogy/dp/0345461274/

Lynn
Paul Rubin
2018-09-08 02:59:48 UTC
Permalink
Thanks for all the responses! I have forwarded them.
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