Ask A Foolish Question

by Robert Sheckley

Answerer knew that he was as he should be. Above and beyond all else, he was The Answerer. He Knew.
Of the race that built him, the less said the better. They also Knew, and never said whether they found the knowledge pleasant.
They built Answerer as a service to less-sophisticated races, and departed in a unique manner. Where they went only Answerer knows.
Because Answerer knows everything.
Upon his planet, circling his sun, Answerer sat. Duration continued, long, as some judge duration, short as others judge it. But as it should be, to Answerer. A VERY GOOD BOOK

Genres: Science Fiction, Short Stories, Fiction, Classics, Ebooks

17 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1953

About the author

One of science fiction's great humorists, Sheckley was a prolific short story writer beginning in 1952 with titles including "Specialist", "Pilgrimage to Earth", "Warm", "The Prize of Peril", and "Seventh Victim", collected in volumes from Untouched by Human Hands (1954) to Is That What People Do? (1984) and a five-volume set of Collected Stories (1991). His first novel, Immortality, Inc. (1958), was followed by The Status Civilization (1960), Journey Beyond Tomorrow (1962), Mindswap (1966), and several others. Sheckley served as fiction editor for Omni magazine from January 1980 through September 1981, and was named Author Emeritus by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America in 2001.

Reviews

[Nika · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

"In order to ask a question you must already know most of the answer."

This short story by Sheckley explores the power of questions in just a few pages. What role does the way we ask questions play in the outcome? Can a slightly different phrasing change the meaning of the answers?
A question can influence and even determine the answer we get.
If we want the right answers, we need to ask the right questions, right? But how can we know which question is the most appropriate if we do not know the answer?

Ask a Foolish Question can be read here.

[Ian Payton · Rating 4 out of 5]

A (very) short story that defies description. Available for free as part of Project Gutenberg (here). It takes 10 minutes to read.

“In order to ask a question you must already know most of the answer.”

[Jeff Stewart · Rating 3 out of 5]

Worth a look, since it's free and you're done in 10 minutes.

I wonder if Douglas Adams read it? And got the answer 42.

[Ron · Rating 3 out of 5]

So short it seems a shame to review it.

Classic--in both senses--early science fiction. Mostly set up for a single gag, pun or punch line. If I told which, it'd be a spoiler.

A good read.

[☘Misericordia☘ ⚡ϟ⚡⛈⚡☁ ❇️❤❣ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Q:
In order to ask a question you must already know most of the answer. (c)

[Debbie Zapata · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bout of insomnia is the perfect time to read a few short short stories. This one introduces us to The Answerer, who is designed to answer all questions. Or is it? Only The Answerer knows for certain. But will it tell us?

[Nik Kane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think Answerer probably would've gotten his innards kicked out by some frustrated truth-seeker a long time ago.

[D · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, after this book you will think "Someone is just not as smart as supposed to be, either the author or I".

When I finish the book I felt that there is must be something very wise in it, and I just didn't get it. Or maybe there is actually only one idea that "in order to ask the proper question, you have to know most of the answer"? Well, no doubt, it's a great idea, but I'm not sure we need to write a book to express it.

So, are all details in the book matter? Why the story has these three types of creatures, not others? Why "law of 18"? Why 'purple'?

Or, I must be asking wrong question?

[Flower · Rating 5 out of 5]

That's where Adams got it from.

[Richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audiobook.

[Chris Aldridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

1/20 20 mins Part of LibriVox audiobook “Short SF Collection Vol. 058”. Great narration by Dan Grozinski dg73. Excellent story by one of my favourite authors. On the limits of understanding.

[Kiara Selena · Rating 4 out of 5]

In order to ask a question, you must already know most of the answer... 😱

[Akrabar · Rating 5 out of 5]

audiobook

http://ia802701.us.archive.org/9/item...

[Josiah Richardson · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is an overplayed premise in science fiction. Scientists create a machine that can answer any valid question, but come to find out that they are incapable of asking valid questions. I forget whether it was Tolstoy or Dostoevsky, maybe neither, but someone once said that we do not realize the gap between our intelligence and the omniscience of God. It is like us trying to ha e a conversation with a cockroach and explain to them why evil exists in the world. Regardless, it is something along these lines in which Sheckley may have felt as he wrote this short story.

[Sara]

I sew cloud of question
with many color as my soul have
like earth no string can be enugh to turn it around
ship of thow travel like eel into oil
i will hunt the answer
life throw death
purple mix ander whit
the start never be cold
18 or 40
just answer its nt long game
or black hole
question apsurb many nasty dream and fear
just fire yr heart
i have pasket of answer
i tuch galaxy tree
just with pray
just with pray

[William · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting listening 🎶🔰

Another will written fantasy Sci-Fi space adventure thriller short story by Robert Sheckley about asking questions or the right question but what is the right question. I would recommend this novella to readers of fantasy space novels 👍🔰. Enjoy the adventure of books 🔰 and novels 👍. 🏡😤🐺 2022😈

[Sterlingcindysu · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short free read for Kindle from Amazon.

Written in 1953--long before the internet--an "answerer" is invented that knows all. But will it tell all?

All baby boomers will remember that catch-22 of looking words up in the dictionary. You have to sorta kinda know how to spell it before you can find out how to spell it correctly.

[Al Lock · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not much of a story. Basically, it hinges around the idea that a valid question can only be asked by someone who already knows the partial answer.

[Lee Russell]

This was an OK vintage short story from Sheckley, but I think there was much more to be had from the concept than he wrote - felt like a missed opportunity behind a good idea.

[Andy Hickman · Rating 1 out of 5]

"Ask A Foolish Question" by Robert Sheckley
A foolish story. Collect purple? Snooze-fest. Sheckley's worst work. *

[Mike Hill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Author is a witty writer, the story itself is clever enough, teasing the listener until the end.

[Brok3n · Rating 2 out of 5]

That was like so DEEEP, Man!

I hope it is obvious that my review title is sarcastic.

[Forked Radish · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Questions:
1. “The expanding universe?”
2. “The binding force of atomic nuclei?”
3. “Novae and supernovae?”
4. “Planetary formation?”
5. “Red shift?”
6. “Relativity?”
7. “What is Life?”
8. “What is Death?”
9. “Why all places are different, although there is no distance?”
The Answers:
1. This isn't a universe and expansion is an illusion.
2. There is no binding force. Nuclei are bound a priori or via fusion.
3. Novae and supernovae are only illusions.
4. The planets were fully formed at inception. Like in all MMORPG mollusks.
5. Red shift is a priori.
6. Relativity is an answer, not a question.
7. Life is what you get for your two bits.
8. Death is the loss of your two bits.
9. Relativity and quantum entanglement which make up and result from “The ______”.
Bonus: “How do you explain the earth’s rotation to a bushman?”
The Answer: The Earth isn’t rotating. The nychthemeron is a priori. Duh! 🤫

[Phil Giunta · Rating 3 out of 5]

On a planet not too large, not too small, a machine called The Answerer knows everything and is all too happy to impart his knowledge—so long as the questions are valid.

But what determines a valid question and who is intelligent enough to ask it?

Originally published in Science Fiction Stories, 1953.

[Susan Molloy · Rating 4 out of 5]

🖊 Quite a quick-reading plot and enjoyable short science fiction story to read on a chilly winter night. 💫

📕Published in The Best Science Fiction Stories: 1953.

જ⁀🟢The e-book version can be found on the Project Gutenberg website.
જ⁀🟣 Kindle.
✴︎⋆✴︎⋆✴︎⋆✴︎

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another free story from Gutenberg - this one dating from 1953. I'm not big on the premise, but the aliens sure are alien - big props to the authour for both them and the aliens being interesting.

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short but nice. Sure seems like Douglas Adams was influenced by this when he wrote Hitchhikers Guide to the Universe.

[Sintija Valucka · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short and a bit weird!!! :)
But the last sentence was great: "In order to ask a question you must already know most of the answer."

[Coleman Wigger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well written. Great story with an interesting ending.

[for-much-deliberation ... · Rating 4 out of 5]

...liked this quote best, "In order to ask a question you must already know most of the answer."...