David D Levine's "Titanium Mike Saves the Day" (short story, science fiction): Making of a legend

This is actually a collection of 5 related space stories, spread over a century - illustrating the development of legends around a hero named "Titanium Mike"; legends get more & more fantastic as time passes. Ordered #5 to #1 - latest to earliest. Legend originates in story #2.

I found the first two stories rather mundane, but then it gets interesting. Third story makes an interesting point familiar in corporate world - to get attention, sell a dream rather than data! I keep forgetting it. Good I got reminded again.

Full text of the story is available for download.

I briefly summarize the situations below. Legends themselves are generally mundane. Titles are as in the text of the story.

V. An emergency radiation shelter near the asteroid Chiron, December 2144.

During a solar storm, Helen is in a shelter with her little granddaughter Sophie. Oxygen supplies are limited. Frightened child is consuming oxygen rather fast. Granny tells the child stories of Titanium Mike to calm her.

IV. A mining facility near the asteroid Vesta, October 2088.

A large corporation has made an offer to buy a mining company. Owners are having a major fight - to sell or not to sell. Tempers are running high. To distract attention, someone begins telling the stories of Titanium Mike. There is finally a decision - to not sell - when the tempers have cooled down.

III. A rented office at Chaffee Station in Low Earth Orbit, July 2052.

Raymond Chen wants venture capitalist Valerie Itsui to fund his project. Looks like meeting is getting nowhere. During a break, he decides to sell the dream instead of data - by invoking legends of Titanium Mike.

II. A corporate cubicle in Cocoa, Florida, April 2041.

Tony Ramirez is to design an advertising campaign for a space company. The company is rather unpopular - because of the noise its ships make. And space travel is no longer very glamorous - too many people travel to space stations.

Tony's job is to boost the client's public image. He ends up inventing the legend of Titanium Mike - based on second hand information about an actual person.

I. A bar in Port Canaveral, Florida, January 2023.

Here we meet the real Mike - yet to be come a legend. Good natured, but otherwise ordinary. He is helping a friend, Sara Perez, in need.

Fact sheet.

"Titanium Mike Saves the Day", short story, review
First published: F&SF, Apr 2007.
Rating: B
Passed first round of Nebula Awards 2007 nominations in short story category.