| 词条 | The Reluctant Orchid |
| 释义 |
| name = The Reluctant Orchid | image = | caption = | author = Arthur C. Clarke | title_orig = | translator = | country = United Kingdom | language = English | series = Tales from the White Hart | genre = Science fiction | published_in = Satellite Science Fiction | publication_type = | publisher = Renown Publications | media_type = | pub_date = December 1956 | english_pub_date = | preceded_by = The Man Who Ploughed the Sea | followed_by = Cold War | preceded_by_italics = | followed_by_italics = }} "The Reluctant Orchid" is a science fiction short story by British writer Arthur C. Clarke, first published in 1956,[1] and later anthologized in Tales from the White Hart. Like the rest of the collection, it is a frame story set in the pub "White Hart", where the fictional Harry Purvis narrates the secondary tale. According to the American orchid biologist, Joseph Arditti, Clarke told him that the story was inspired by the H. G. Wells story "The Flowering of the Strange Orchid" (1894, Pall Mall Budget), which is mentioned in Clarke's story, about a carnivorous orchid that almost kills the man who buys it at auction.[2] PlotThe story narrated by Purvis describes the relationship between a very timid acquaintance of his named Hercules Keating, and Hercules's rather overbearing aunt. Hercules is an orchid fancier, and cultivates obscure varieties of these. On one particular occasion, he comes across a carnivorous orchid, and is nearly killed by it. This inspires him to use it to murder his aunt, whom he hates. However, the aunt tames the orchid, thus deflating the scheme. PublicationOriginally published in the magazine Satellite Science Fiction, the piece was later published as the eleventh story in Clarke's collection Tales from the White Hart.[3] References1. ^{{cite web|title=Bibliography: The Reluctant Orchid|url=http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.cgi?56741|publisher=Internet Speculative Fiction Database|accessdate=12 December 2013}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Reluctant Orchid}}{{sf-story-stub}}2. ^Arditti, J. "Orchids in Science Fiction, Mystery and Adventure Stories", American Orchid Society Bulletin, Vol 48 (11) Nov 1979: pp.1122–1126 3. ^{{cite book|last=Clarke|first=Arthur C.|title=Tales from the White Hart|year=1957|publisher=Ballantine Books|location=London|page=Forward}} 3 : Short stories by Arthur C. Clarke|1956 short stories|Tales from the White Hart |
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