10

I am trying to remember and find a story about at least three people who are awakened from cryonic sleep/suspended animation, each at progressively futuristic dates, and the circumstances that befall them. I am not entirely sure of the order of the story. One man awakens and is informed that the interest on his savings makes him a millionaire; he thinks this is great, until he goes to spend some money and discovers that inflation has brought the cost of a regular piece of clothing to several thousand dollars. Another person is awakened, sneezes in the chill of the room, and is immediately killed by injection for fear of spreading his diseases. I do not remember the fate of the third sleeper. Does anyone know this story?

NEW INFO: The short story was presented in an anthology of other sci-fi short stories. Each of the parts of the story (for each waking individual) was very short and might have even been presented as vignettes in-between other stories within the anthology. Definitely not a novel or part of a novel. Any ideas? Thanks!

Improve this question
4
  • 2
    I don't believe it is what you're looking for, but the first one bears a passing resemblance to Fred Pohl's The Age of Pussyfoot, which was re-printed in BiPohl with another novel. But there were only two distinct stories there and the other one was not on the waking-from-a-long-sleep theme.
    – dmckee --- ex-moderator kitten
    Commented Mar 17, 2014 at 14:51
  • The first story is an old joke. In the version I heard in the fifties, the "resuscitee", on learning that he's a millionaire, excitedly asks for a telephone to call his broker, and hears the operator say, "that will be one million dollars for the first three minutes."
    – user14111
    Commented Mar 17, 2014 at 21:26
  • futureandcosmos.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/… - This looks to be a complete ripoff of the first story you've mentioned
    – Valorum
    Commented Mar 17, 2014 at 22:23
  • Thanks to everyone who answered, but still a mystery. New info has been added to original question, which will hopefully help to narrow things down. Thanks!
    – TBS Reader
    Commented Mar 25, 2014 at 12:56

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
11

This is "Good Morning! This is the Future" by Henry Slesar.

I read it in the anthology Microcosmic Tales. This anthology is available for free checkout at the Internet Archive here.

It is published as one story, with three parts. The three parts of the story are just as described by the OP and @Damien.

Improve this answer
1

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge you have read our privacy policy.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.