A very silly question.

I have a memory of a book I read a long, long time ago when I was, say, about 10 years old, so 70 or so years ago. Now this book belonged to my grandparents, possibly H G Wells, but not guaranteed, and they, of course are long gone, as has their daughter, my mother.

The story line was, I suppose, wierd. Apparently it involved taking young adults, and performing a brain swop with an older person, thus giving the older brain a new lease of life. It also involved using some other liquid as a medium whilst the swop was done.

Don't remember anything else about it. Was it a figment of my imagination? Does it ring any bells with anyone?

Grandparents did have quite a number of books - H G Wells, Marie Corelli & others, and I do remember reading the HG Wells books, but not the others, but we all know how reliable memory is, especially after 70 years or so.

Any thoughts?

Peter G. Shaw

No such thing as a silly question, if you want to know ask. It's just a question of asking the right source.

The Encyclopaedia of Science Fiction SFE: Identity Transfer (sf-encyclopedia.com) gives

"An old woman's and a young woman's brains are swapped in Edgar Rice Burroughs's The Master Mind of Mars (1927 Amazing Stories Annual; 1928). "

As a youth I lapped up Edgar Rice Burroughs John Carter on Mars series. There was fairly recent John Carter film which I ( but nobody else it seems) quite enjoyed https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Carter_(film)

Rod

Edited By Roderick Jenkins on 11/12/2022 15:20:06

I quite enjoyed the film, too, Rod.

Rob

The film got bad reviews, but I enjoyed it.

The brain exchange book was probably inspired by Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.

Peter,

It's silly question because I didn't know it was something I dreamed up or not, and all I really wanted to know was did it ring any bells. Which it has done, and hence honour satisfied. I've absolutely no desire to re-read it having discovered the memory was real.

For instance, I have another, rather more personal memory dating from possibly 1947. Now, bear in mind I am the eldest of my parents children. I was born in 1943. In May, 1947, my 1st younger brother was born. Unfortunately it turned out that he was, shall we say defective, and had he lived, then he would have been institutionalised. As it was, he lived for just over 12 months before dying on the operating table. Now, my 2nd brother was born in 1952, and according to my mother, was identical to the 1st brother, except that he turned out to be extremely normal, and bigger than me. Anyway, I have a memory of a baby sat in a pram, but everytime I call it up mentally, it turns into a photograph. So brother No.1 or brother No.2? For what it's worth, I do have proven memories of a period say May/June/July 1948 when I was a rising 5, to use today's terminology. And when I mentioned them to my parents say 20 or so years ago, they were surprised how much I had remembered. But of course, the baby memory can now never be proven.

So yes, a silly question, of absolutely no importance other than to prove that I didn't dream it.

Incidently, after brother no.2, my parents then went on to produce my sister, who, it turned out, got the lion's share of whatever passes for IQ etc in our family.

Thankyou, one and all.

Peter G. Shaw

There are several more modern films along the lines of the OP's original book. Older people "renting" a younger body for a holiday period, followed by problems of the person not swapping back or misusing the body.

'A Trace Of Memory' by Keith Laumer has a race of (allegedly ) benevolent aliens taking copies of the minds of human warriors, IIRC at the moment of death - which they'd been doing for centuries - and transferring them into war machines to fight some other nasty aliens.

In your remembered scenario, what happened to the brain of the young adult, - did they install that to the oldster's body? Or just discard it?

Mick,

Absolutely no idea!

Peter

Peter G.

I accept "...of absolutely no importance..." but not silly - which the Oed defines as "having or showing a lack of common sense or judgement; absurd and foolish." None of which would apply to your question, as you so eloquently explained.

The book is out of copyright so here is a link to read online The Master Mind of Mars

Mike