Re: YASID: A man as sustenance for a race.

Richard Todd wrote:

Kurt Montandon <kurtmontandon@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> writes:

Man, probably an astronaut or explorer, becomes disabled in a
solitary environment - no help at hand. Over time, a local
near-microscopic species attains sentience at least in part by
using him (still alive) as a shelter & means of sustenance, in a
benevolent relationship. They advance quickly, IIRC, through
generations, and I seem to recall that they attempt to use their
new technologies to save the man. It may have occured over a
period of human years.

Ring any bells? A short story.


Vaguely; I think the species wasn't quite small enough to be
near-microscopic, though, just pretty small compared to humans. I
think it was an Alan Dean Foster story, in one of his two compilations
titled "With Friends Like These..." or "...Who Needs Enemies?".

Ah ha. The one I was thinking of was indeed "Gift of a Useless Man",
collected in ". . . who Needs Enemies".

I'd bet that's the one the OP wanted as well.



Brian

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