The Day the Dolphins Vanished - free on September 5 2013

This is a short story (2825 words) reprinted from my Book of Dreams Second Edition: Science Fiction and Speculative Fiction Short Stories.

Human beings are not the only intelligent life forms on Earth and possibly not the most intelligent. Efforts at communicating with marine mammals such as wales and dolphins whose brains are larger than our own have had very limited success to date, less so than the success we've enjoyed in teaching some gorillas and chimpanzees to communicate using sign language despite the fact that their brains have less capacity than our own. This short story explores the possible consequences of bridging the language barrier with dolphins whose larger brains may well provide them with intelligence that exceeds our own. When a dedicated marine biologist/linguist makes the breakthrough in the near future that allows true communication to take place, what rewards may we expect from her research, and what might our aquatic cousins learn about us and teach us about ourselves?

For a free download, just click here on 8/5/2013.

Excellent, Victor.  I think there is much we can learn from animals of various sorts.
We humans are not the only source of intelligent life.  And as we know, many humans are lacking in intelligence.

Amazon says I already have it!

This has always been my favorite of your short stories, at least of those that I have read so far.

It reminds me of one of my favorite authors, Douglas Adams, especially of his delightful four-book trilogy - the Hitch-hikers Guide to the Galaxy series.  The second or third of those was called So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish, which was what the dolphins called out as they lifted themselves from Earth, having given up on us as a species.

What I liked best about your story was that it had that surprise twist at the end - something you do quite well in many of your stories.

Keep writing, Victor.

Abe,

I agree with you. We are supreme toolmakers--the good kind (robotic-assisted surgical units, moon landers, satellites, etc.) and the not so good (bombs, guns, nukes, weaponized anthrax, etc.). We are at the top of the food chain because of it, and will eventually cease to exist because of it too. We are supreme mostly in our arrogance, hubris, and self-centeredness. I do not overly romanticize animals, but do have serious doubt as to out claim to the supreme intelligence on earth. And I have seen animals exhibit compassion, love, friendship and loyalty far beyond that of humans on many occasions. My dad's dog, for example, refused to eat after my dad emigrated from Spain. Neither his mother not sisters could entice the animal to eat despite their best efforts and had to endure the heartbreak of literally seeing him die of sorrow. Show me a human being capable of that kind of love and loyalty and I will show you a saint. This is one short story I need to write some day--along with many others based on truth more powerful than fiction.

DK--thanks for downloading the story. It happens to me from time to time that i try to download a book I already own but have not yet had the chance to read. there are simply too many books I own, too many I want to read, and not nearly enough time.

Ann.

I loved the Hitchhiker's Guide series. Alas I have neither the talent nor wit of Mr. Adams. I'm glad you liked teh story, and my penchant for twists. I guess I picked that up from Poe and Rod Serling, though I lack any semblance of their talent as well. I don't set out to write a surprise or twist ending (or a twisted one either, for that matter). The idea for a story usually comes to me fully formed, at least the outline of the story, and that was the case with this particular story. But even when it does not and I have no idea of where I want to go and see it develop as I write it, going where it takes me, I very often end with a twist. It is not intentional or contrived; it just happens that way. That was definitely the case with Earth Mother, for example. I took the idea of an alien visitation and ran with it where my stream of consciousness flowed. Likewise my favorite of my own stories, Eternal Quest which still, thirty years after the first draft, affects me when I read the ending, perhaps because I actually believe in the message passionately today as I did as a freshman in college. At any rate, Ann, thanks for the as usual kind and generous words.