Author and story looked for please.

[dilore]

Some 30 years ago I read a fascinating short story that I can't let go.
Humanity is extinct (by a gamma ray or something similar) and a some
rather unpleasant aliens land on earth.
They find a museum with a well preserved human body on display. With
their advanced technology, the aliens give live to the body whereupon the
human immediately disappears and fights the aliens successfully in rather
suprising and funny ways.

I would like to re-read the story and read more by this author.
Any help is very appreciated.

 

[otistdog]

I *know* I read this one not too long ago. Unfortunately, that means it could be in one of about a dozen books.

Did they re-animate more than one individual before the one disappears (via teleportation)? Do they go from trying to hunt him down to just trying to get away before they blow up the whole area he's in? Do they then discover they've been outmaneuvered into revealing the location of their home planet, and the story ends with them being afraid for their future?

If I can locate the one I'm thinking of, I'll post back. Otherwise, someone else might recognize it from the extra detail.

 

[dilore]

Thanks for replying.

Did they re-animate more than one individual before the one disappears (via teleportation)?

As far as I remember there was only one human individual active in the story, but unsuccessful attempts with others I could have forgotten.

Do they go from trying to hunt him down to just trying to get away before they blow up the whole area he's in?

Very possible.

Do they then discover they've been outmaneuvered into revealing the location of their home planet, and the story ends with them being afraid for their future?

Yes, definitively.

Quite interesting twist, like a reversed 'Alien', isn't it?

 

[otistdog]

I haven't been successful in identifying this yet, but I haven't given up, either, and the possibilities are narrowing. I will definitely post back when I find it.

 

[otistdog]

OK, I found the one I was thinking of: "Resurrection" by A. E. van Vogt, which may have sometimes gone under the alternate title "The Monster".

Here's a <A HREF="http://variety-sf.blogspot.com/2008/03/e-van-vogt-monster-aka-resurrection.html">review</A> that has enough detail to let you decide if it's the one you were after. ISFDB can tell you what collections it would be in, and you may be able to find the full text online.

Shouldn't be any trouble finding more from this author!

 

[dilore]

Excellent otistdog, yes, that is the one I was looking for. Thank you a lot for all your time searching for this difficult one!