Melancholy Elephants

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"Melancholy Elephants" is a science fiction short story by American-Canadian writer Spider Robinson, published in 1982.

Contents

The story examines the interaction of copyright and longevity, and the possible effects of the extension of copyright to perpetuity.

Its title is a reference to claims that elephants "never forget".

Plot summary

A woman desperately tries to convince a powerful senator to oppose perpetual copyright—because the fate of humanity is at stake.

Reception

"Melancholy Elephants" won the 1983 Hugo Award for Best Short Story. [1]

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References

  1. 1983 Hugo Awards, at TheHugoAwards.org; retrieved May 19, 2019