Button, Button (Asimov short story)
- Button, Button (Asimov short story)
"Button, Button" is a science fiction short story by Isaac Asimov. The story first appeared in a January 1953 issue of "Startling Stories". It is one of several stories by Asimov in which he deliberately set out to be funny.
An eccentric professor develops a method of linking brain power to creating physical effects, but when his effect is modified to create weapons of war, he turns in disgust to the real love of his life - creating a flute that can be played by mental power alone.
To raise the capital required for this project, he colludes with his nephew - a less-than-ethical lawyer and the story's narrator - to use a new invention of his that can reach back into time and retrieve objects. (as also occurs in The Ugly Little Boy and A Statue for Father)
They plan to retrieve a signature of one of the signers of the United States Declaration of Independence, Button Gwinnett, which is rare and therefore potentially valuable. The experiment works and they present a piece of genuine parchment with a genuine signature to the government for authentication. The scheme fails when the government investigators decide that the parchment is too new to be genuine. (Since it skipped forward hundreds of years in time, the parchment scrap only appears to be a year or two old).
Wikimedia Foundation.
2010.
Look at other dictionaries:
Button, Button — may refer to:Short stories:* Button, Button (Asimov short story) (1953), by Isaac Asimov * Button, Button (1970), by Richard MathesonTV series episodes:* Button, Button ( The Twilight Zone ) (1986), based on Matheson s short story * Button,… … Wikipedia
Nebula Award for Best Short Story — Winners of the “Nebula Award for Best Short Story” . The stated year is that of publication; awards are given in the following year. Winning titles are listed first, with other nominees listed below. Contents 1 Winners and nominees 2 See also 3… … Wikipedia
Button Gwinnett — Infobox Governor name =Button Gwinnett order =2nd office =Governor of Georgia term start =March 4, 1777 term end =May 8, 1777 lieutenant = predecessor =Archibald Bulloch successor =John A. Treutlen birth date =April 10, 1735 birth place… … Wikipedia
List of short stories by Isaac Asimov — This list of short stories by Isaac Asimov is divided into published collections. Note, though, that some of his novels, such as Foundation , could also be considered short story collections, because they were originally published serially in… … Wikipedia
List of short fiction made into feature films — This is a list of short stories and novellas that have been made into feature films. The title of the work is followed by the work s author, the title of the film, and the year of the film. If a film has an alternate title based on geographical… … Wikipedia
John W. Campbell — For other people named John Campbell, see John Campbell (disambiguation). John W. Campbell Born John Wood Campbell, Jr. June 8, 1910(1910 06 08) Newark, New Jersey, United States Died July 11, 1971(1971 07 11) (aged 61) Mountainside, New… … Wikipedia
science fiction — a form of fiction that draws imaginatively on scientific knowledge and speculation in its plot, setting, theme, etc. [1925 30] * * * Fiction dealing principally with the impact of actual or imagined science on society or individuals, or more… … Universalium
The Monkey's Finger — is a science fiction short story by Isaac Asimov. It was first published in the February 1953 issue of Startling Stories and reprinted in the 1975 collection Buy Jupiter and Other Stories. The story is based on a disagreement between Asimov and… … Wikipedia
Doctor Who — This article is about the television series. For other uses, see Doctor Who (disambiguation). Doctor Who Series 6 Doctor Who main title card Genre Science fiction … Wikipedia
Day of the Hunters — is a science fiction short story by American writer Isaac Asimov. It was published in the November 1950 issue of Future Combined with Science Fiction Stories, edited by Robert W. Lowndes, and reprinted in the 1975 collection Buy Jupiter and Other … Wikipedia
