What's the Name of That Book??? discussion
Query abandoned by poster
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ABANDONED. sci-fi short story/novella - first scene a man is alone, contemplating suicide - is interrupted by sudden appearance of someone offering alternative
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This sounds familiar... I will check my sci-fi and fantasy shelves. I'm remembering a main character who wants to commit suicide, and a mysterious man suddenly appears, maybe in an open window or on a balcony? Offers him a different life on another world (another planet or more likely an alternate universe). There were other people there though, a whole new culture, and maybe he became an assassin?
Any of that sound familiar?
Sounds like it could possibly be "Old Man's War", by John Scalzi, but it was published in 2006.
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What i remember is that, in the very beginning of the story, just before the protagonist is about to kill himself, he is interrupted by the appearance of a person/alien (I think a human) who offers the hero an alternative to going forward with the suicide. The alternative is to live on another planet - maybe a virtually uninhabited planet? - maybe to explore or make it ready for a human colony? I think the premise is that this is how the corporation recruits "volunteers" to live on this planet.
I presume it's a short story or novella because the radio program's host had read short stories in the past - so i presumed this was too - but i suppose it might be a novel and he was just reading an excerpt?
Any leads would be much appreciated!