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The Fourth Profession

Larry Niven

First published August 1971
Type Short Fiction
Length Novelette

Synopsis

An alien salesman walks into a bar... and offers free samples of its wares; "memory" pills which implant within the consumer the training, knowledge, memories, etc. required for a given profession, whether terrestrial or alien.

Awards

YearAwardCategoryStatus
1972 Hugo Award Best Novella Nominee/Finalist

Publications (40)

Date Publication Publisher Type Page
August 1971 Quark/4 Paperback Library Anthology 186
August 1971 Quark/4 Paperback Library Anthology 186
May 1972 The 1972 Annual World's Best SF DAW Books Anthology 13
May 1972 The 1972 Annual World's Best SF DAW Books Anthology 13
July 1972 The Best Science Fiction of the Year Ballantine Books Anthology 293
July 1972 The 1972 Annual World's Best SF DAW Books / SFBC Anthology 1
July 1972 The Best Science Fiction of the Year Ballantine Books Anthology 293
1973 The 1972 Annual World's Best SF Book Club Associates Anthology 11
November 1973 The 1972 Annual World's Best SF DAW Books Anthology 13
June 1974 A Hole in Space Ballantine Books Collection 147
June 1974 A Hole in Space Ballantine Books Collection 147
November 1974 A Hole in Space Ballantine Books Collection 147
1975 A Hole in Space Orbit / Futura Collection 147
March 1976 A Hole in Space Ballantine Books Collection 147
April 1976 The Best Science Fiction of the Year #1 Ballantine Books Anthology 293
February 1977 A Hole in Space Del Rey / Ballantine Collection 147
December 1977 Wollheim's World's Best SF: Vol. I DAW Books Anthology 13
December 1977 Wollheim's World's Best SF: Vol. I DAW Books Anthology 13
August 1978 A Hole in Space Del Rey / Ballantine Collection 147
1980 A Hole in Space Orbit / Futura Collection 147
March 1980 A Hole in Space Del Rey / Ballantine Collection 147
March 1981 A Hole in Space Del Rey / Ballantine Collection 147
1984 A Hole in Space Orbit Collection 147
1986 A Hole in Space Orbit / Futura Collection 147
May 1988 A Hole in Space Del Rey / Ballantine Collection 147
1990 A Hole in Space Ballantine Books Collection 147
April 1990 Project Solar Sail Roc / Penguin Anthology 163
September 1990 N-Space Tor Collection 129
February 1991 N-Space Tor / SFBC Collection 129
September 1991 N-Space Tor Collection 165
1992 A Hole in Space Orbit / Little, Brown UK Collection 147
January 1992 N-Space Orbit Collection 148
January 1992 N-Space Orbit Collection 148
February 1992 N-Space Orbit Collection 148
May 1997 N-Space Tor Collection 165
1998 N-Space Orbit Collection 148
August 2007 N-Space Tor Collection 129
December 2010 The Best of Larry Niven Subterranean Press Collection 239
December 2010 The Best of Larry Niven Subterranean Press Collection 239
June 2011 A Hole in Space Spectrum Literary Agency Collection