Skip to main content

story identification - A short fiction about a stable-hand with rather strange charges


I read this story about 15 or 20 years ago, not 40 as many of my other questions. But the SF collection it was in might have been much older. It is either a longish short story, or a shortish novelette, difficult to remember exactly. (There is no tag for this ambiguity, I had to use "short story" but it might be too long to be one, technically) Is does not really look “politically correct” by present standards….


The main character is a human. The story might just take place on Earth, but most probably on some other planet. His employers might be human themselves, or possibly aliens, but they recognise him as fully sentient.



When he meets his charges for the first time, he is rather surprised : they look exactly like human women and they are kept for providing milk. However, when looking in their eyes, he realises that they are not human slaves, but really animals with no more intelligence than cows.


He is supposed to feed them, keep their stalls clean, milk them (probably not by hand, just connect and disconnect the milking machines), treat them when they are sick or hurt. And he finds it a rather nice job.


Once he sees a “bull”, a fierce thing in a stall just for him(it?)self, looking like a fine element of human male, but with just lust, frustration and rage in the eyes, but no intelligence. But the "bull" is too dangerous for an ordinary stablehand like our character, they have specially trained people for dealing with him(it?).


I think that at the end one of the “cows” is ready to give birth when he is alone on duty. He manages to deal with that, and brings to the world a nice human “calf”, and he is very pleased by this accomplishment. I don't remember any more "momentous" end, the emotional scene of the successful delivery was just the final climax.



Answer



This sounds like "In the Barn" (1972) by Piers Anthony. According to its entry in ISFDb it's been anthologized a couple of times, notably in Again Dangerous Visions.


Quoting the summary on E2:



These aren't normal women, though. Their breasts have swollen to the size of watermelons, possibly as a result of hormone injections. They can't speak, and they behave in the most mindless way imaginable. They don't act like human beings, but rather like stupid animals. They appear to be perfectly content sitting in their stalls, eating biscuits, sleeping in straw, and being milked regularly.




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

harry potter - Did Dolores Umbridge Have Any Association with Voldemort (or Death Eaters) before His Return?

I noticed that Dolores Umbridge was born during the first Wizarding War, so it's very likely she wasn't a Death Eater then (but she is pretty evil -- who knows?). After that Voldemort was not around in a way that could affect many people, and most wouldn't know he was planning to rise again. During that time, and up through Voldemort's return (in Goblet of Fire ), did Umbridge have any connection with the Death Eaters or with Voldemort? Was she doing what she did on her own, or was it because of an association with Voldemort or his allies? Answer Dolores Umbridge was definitely not a good person. However, as Sirius points out, "the world isn't split into good people and Death Eaters". Remember that he also says that he doesn't believe Umbridge to be a Death Eater, but that she's evil enough (or something like that). I think there are two strong reasons to believe that: Umbridge was proud to do everything according to the law, except when she trie...
Post a Comment
Read more

What is the etymology of Doctor Who?

I recently decided to watch Doctor Who, and started viewing the 2005 version. I have the first two episodes from the first season, and I can't help but wonder what is the etymology of the name "Doctor Who"? And why does the protagonist call himself "the Doctor" (or is it "the doctor")? Answer In the very first episode of Doctor Who (way back in 1963), the Doctor has a granddaughter going by the name "Susan Foreman", and the junkyard where the TARDIS is has the sign "I.M. Foreman". Barbara, who becomes one of the Doctor's companions, calls him "Doctor Foreman" (probably assuming that is his name given his relationship to Susan), and Ian (another early companion) does the same in the second episode, to which the Doctor says: Eh? Doctor who? What's he talking about? "Foreman" is most likely selected as a convenient surname for Susan to use because it happened to be on display near where the TARDIS landed....
Post a Comment
Read more

story identification - Animation: floating island, flying pests

At least 20 years ago I watched a short animated film which stuck in my mind. The whole thing was wordless, possibly European, and I'm pretty sure I didn't imagine it... It featured a flying island which was inhabited by some creatures who (in my memory) reminded me of the Moomins. The island was frequently bothered by large winged animals who swooped around, although I don't think they did any actual damage. At the end one of the moomin creatures suddenly gets a weird feeling, feels forced to climb to the top of the island and then plunges down a shaft right through the centre - only to emerge at the bottom as one of the flyers. Answer Skywhales from 1983. The story begins with a man warning the tribe of approaching skywhales. The drummers then warn everybody of the hunt as everyone get prepared to set "sail". Except one man is found in his home sleeping as the noise wake him up. He then gets ready and is about to take his weapon as he hesitates then decides ...
Post a Comment
Read more