Re: YASID: Algis Budrys story, protagonist vs. cop, hurricane

In article <g00hfp$i8f$1@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>,
William December Starr <wdstarr@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>Relayed from a panix-only forum, in a thread that started out being
>about rechargeable batteries:
>
>-------- [ *begin* ] --------------------------------------------
>
>>> Back in the dark ages (mid 1950's) someone gave me an old
>>> "****table" radio which had a sizeable single cell lead-acid wet
>>> cell battery and a vibrator supply to boost it to the plate
>>> voltage.
>>
>> Just last night, I encountered a story by Algis Budrys from
>> 1957.  The hero, at one point, holds a policeman at gunpoint.
>> He insists that the policeman open his radio and hand him his
>> vibrator.  Later, the hero is reflecting that the policeman's
>> vibrator is now being blown across the ocean (there's a
>> hurricane on), and they'll probably make him buy the police a
>> new vibrator, and it may well be treated as robbery and theft of
>> official property, &c.  I could tell only by context that it was
>> likely a part needed for the radio to work.
>
>What story was this?  I'd like to read it!
>
>-------- [ *end* ] ----------------------------------------------
>
>...and the middle poster hasn't yet answered and for all I know
>never will.  So, can anyone here ID the Budrys story?  (Mind you, it
>might not be sf.)

Jesus!  I was out of town for the weekend and haven't otherwise gotten
around to replying!

The collection I found it in is _Worlds to Come_, edited by Damon
Knight, 1967-70 (depending on the edition).
<http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/pl.cgi?WRLDSTCMBM1967>

The story is Algis Budrys, "The Edge of the Sea", 1958.
ISFDB says that the table of contents is as follows (I don't have it
to hand because I'm at the office and the book is at home SITTING NEXT
TO MY COMPUTER):

vii * Introduction (Worlds to Come) * (1967) * essay by Damon Knight
 11 * The Sentinel * (1951) * shortstory by Arthur C. Clarke
 23 * Moonwalk * (1952) * novelette by H. B. Fyfe
 71 * Mars Is Heaven! * (1948) * shortstory by Ray Bradbury
 91 * The Edge of the Sea * (1958) * shortstory by Algis Budrys
113 * The Martian Way * (1952) * novella by Isaac Asimov
167 * The Big Contest * (1950) * shortstory by John D. MacDonald
177 * Ordeal in Space * (1948) * shortstory by Robert A. Heinlein
195 * That Share of Glory * (1952) * novelette by C. M. Kornbluth
231 * Sunken Universe * (1942) * novelette by James Blish
255 * More Good Reading in Science Fiction * (1967) * essay by Damon
Knight

I was not impressed upon re-reading, or actually (re-)skimming,
this story, even though it got the best short-story Hugo of 1959.
The "vibrator" business is merely a then-current technical term ripped
out of context.

-- 
Tim McDaniel, tmcd@[EMAIL PROTECTED]