And So To Bed

"And So to Bed" (originally published in Analog, February 1986) is the second story chronologically in A Different Flesh. It consists of a mock entry in the diary of Samuel Pepys, who, in OTL, kept a very lengthy journal that has proved invaluable to our present understanding of Restoration England.

In the story, set in May, 1661, Pepys relates his decision to purchase two sims for his household. By watching these sims, as well as observing various other animals found in North America, Pepys develops the transformational theory of life, essentially the theory of evolution, roughly 200 years before Charles Darwin was born, thus providing a concrete example of how the presence of the sims has changed how Europens think.

Stylistically, the story is perhaps one of Harry Turtledove's stronger short works, as he captures the flavor of Pepys writing quite well.