short story help

[Sarlon]

WAAAAAAAY back in the stone ages, when I was a young high school sophomore, I read a short story that I thought was called the lottery....

but that's not the title...

The story is of a kid that goes to a fair, and after a long day and hints that other people have died there, gets on a ride and ends up dead as well....apparently a new form of population control...

am I being to vague? or can someone remember this short story.

[AnaKhouri]

I know this! I know this!

Spending a Day at the Lottery Fair by Frederik Pohl.

I had the same problem. I read the story and couldn't recall the title, but it stuck with me for years. The husband finally found it for me and now I am a huge Frederik Pohl fan! (he died very recently at the age of 90-something).

It's available in the collection Pohlstars and in Platinum Pohl.

[Pixilated]

That sounds seriously creepy. Must try to locate it!

I think you initially got it confused with The Lottery by Shirley Jackson -- also an interesting form of population control.

[dalesys]

Then there is Ursala K. LeGuin's "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas"

[Aethian]

That sounds seriously creepy. Must try to locate it! I think you initially got it confused with The Lottery by Shirley Jackson -- also an interesting form of population control.

Wasn't that based off of a theory someone had? I think another scyfi writer used it too.

[csquared]

Makes for a quick read...

http://bookre.org/reader?file=273749

[Aethian]

*cries* the feels...

[Sarlon]

no....a day at the lottery fair was not it...

that had a family...this was specifically a boy...maybe teenager?

[mjr]

WAAAAAAAY back in the stone ages, when I was a young high school sophomore, I read a short story that I thought was called the lottery....

but that's not the title...

The story is of a kid that goes to a fair, and after a long day and hints that other people have died there, gets on a ride and ends up dead as well....apparently a new form of population control...

am I being to vague? or can someone remember this short story.

Well, I know it's not the story you're talking about, but there actually is a short story called "The Lottery", by Shirley Jackson.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lottery

[Aethian]

Well, I know it's not the story you're talking about, but there actually is a short story called "The Lottery", by Shirley Jackson. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lottery

Pixelated already talked about that one. The strange thing is I know I've read multiple stories on the subject.

[AnaKhouri]

Sorry I couldn't help.

You should still read Frederik Pohl though!

[Eireann]

I think I know!

"The Carnival", in which the protagonist is a boy named Jerry. It ends with him screaming, "It's not fair! They said eight to one today ... eight to one!"

By Michael Fedo.

[crazyofficeclerk]

" The Carnival" by Michael Fedo ???

[Eireann]

Yes. I discovered that it's available in electronic form here.