🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <18AUG92.18078012.0013@lafibm.lafayette.edu>, DL20@lafibm.lafayette.edu (DL20) writes:
> [...]
>      Has anyone out there ever written or read a story in which there
> is only one character at all?  Was the story a success?  I'm curious to
> know if I'm the only one who has trouble doing this.

I once wrote a story of a terraformer machine returning to Earth after
seeding a distant solar-system, only to find it empty with all mammals
wiped out by a virus.  The story was of its development from an automaton
into a sentient being, and finally of its decision to correct a perceived
wrongess;  With a childlike persistency, it started to rebuild Earth, seek
a way to make animals recreated from DNA-libraries immune, and ultimately
to resurrect the race that had created it.
 
Whereas some friends of mine claimed they liked the story, I found it too
simple and straightforward, and put it back to the dim recesses of my
hard disk to wait for extensive rewriting in order to concentrate on
the developing personality with more detail.  I liked the basic idea, but 
in its present form, it's in my opinion one of the worst pieces I've ever 
written. (Some consolation, hm? :))
 
Of stories by other people, 'Judgement Day' by L. Sprague de Camp pops
into mind.  It tells of the bitter reminescences of a scientist wondering
whether or not publish results that might lead to an untimely end of
the world.  Other characters are present, but if I recall correctly, only
as memories.  _I_ liked the story.
 
Good luck with your endeavor.
 
 
--
Esa Perki|               "I should honor you?  Why?"
eperkio@cc.helsinki.fi      - Prometheus to Zeus according to Goethe
IRCer Shade