Nine Hundred Grandmothers

Nine Hundred Grandmothers is a 1966 short story by R. A. Lafferty.

Significant editions

• 1966: If (Feb. 1966)
• 1970: Nine Hundred Grandmothers (collection), by R. A. Lafferty
• 1993: The Norton Book of Science Fiction: North American Science Fiction, 1960-1990 (Le Guin & Attebery)

Reviews, commentary, discussion

• Paul Brians, "Notes on Selected Stories from The Norton Book of Science Fiction", Aug. 25, 2005.

"There are many stories about the quest for immortality; most of them offering the sour-grapes consolation that eternal life would be hellish, and death desirable. This one evades that simple-minded approach without offering the conventional consolation of religious or scientific optimism. It can be seen as more about communication than life and death. What does this story have to say about the typical SF notion that we can learn the secrets of the universe from wise alien races?"

• ISFDB entry