Sci-Fi Group Book Club discussion

many, many, MANY years ago, I read a story where there were some 'bad guys' who had taken over a planet. When the aliens (that would be the residents of the planets) cried, the composition of their tears was determined by the cause of the tears... happiness, sadness, regret, extreme misery, etc. The tears that resulted from intense extreme pain? misery? were the most valuable to the invaders. So they had mother aliens locked up, separated from their children.. and when they needed the most valuable tears, they would take a child and torture/kill it in mother's presence, and collect those tears.
Don't recall the author, don't recall the length, although it feels a bit like a novella.. don't recall if it was the central issue or a side issue... but it's the issue that's stuck with me!
Would love any thoughts, would REALLY love it if someone knew this story!

The only thing even remotely like this that I can think of is Theodore Sturgeon's first novel,The Dreaming Jewels where an evil person is obsessed withcollecting alien ''jewels''
Even if its not the same book,I would definitely recommend it. So does Jo Walton.,you can read her review here -http://www.tor.com/2010/09/27/ponderi...
I love Jo Walton's reviews. She and I have similar tastes in SF/F. She adores the Vorkosigan books,appreciates C J Cherryh - AND adores Georgette Heyer's regency romances! My kind of gal! lol.

Classic SF Fan wrote: "...,The Dreaming Jewels..."

Sadly, that's not it.. but it does sound like a good one!

I don't unfortunately know this tale but it reminded me a little of a Dr Who story collected in Doctor Who: Heroes and Monsters Collection. In this case it involved a kind of acid rain with unusual properties on an apparently deserted planet. However, that doesn't really answer your question... :P

I have no idea about that story. I bet we all remember things we an't find the source of these days.

Hopefully, somebody will read the story somewhere and then post about it here - and not in 5 or 6 years!

I have at least three stories I've been trying to recall for decades! One scifi, one not...
Starting tomorrow (slightly off topuc) http://seasonsreading.blogspot.com is hosting a SciFi Readathon, June 1-7 (at my suggestion:) ) and i am doing personal readathons of Sci-fi in July and September (month-long. Horror in October-November).

Mallory Heart Recommends wrote: "I have at least three stories I've been trying to recall for decades! One scifi, one not...
Starting tomorrow (slightly off topuc) http://seasonsreading.blogspot.com is hosting a SciFi Readathon, J..."

Interesting idea, Mallory, and I see that Michelle is offering a prize too! Presumably this is for the most pages read? (It might be worth posting a new topic about this by the way.)

Thanks. Not sure how she determines the prizes. I just participate for the reading inspiration.:)

It's a bank holiday weekend where I live and old school friends are in town so I don't have that much reading time at the moment, apart from some manga this morning. But I might have more time to indulge in her next readathon.