"Bears Discover Fire" is a science fiction short story by American science fiction author Terry Bisson.LOCUS Index to SF Awards It concerns aging and evolution in the US South, the dream of wilderness, and community. The premise is that bears have discovered fire, and are having campfires on highway medians. It is set in western Kentucky, near Bowling Green and along Interstate 65.
It was originally published in Isaac Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine in August 1990.
Reception "Bears Discover Fire" won the Hugo Award for Best Short Story, the Nebula Award for Best Short Story, and the Locus Award for Best Short Story. It was the inspiration for Michael Bishop's 2005 story "Bears Discover Smut".Bears Discover Smut, by Michael Bishop, at SciFi.com, via archive.org; retrieved February 6, 2017
In popular culture
"Bears Discover Fire" has been adapted into a Columbia University MFA directed by Ben Leonberg and produced by Scott Riehs.
Awards 1991 Hugo Award for Best Short Story 1990 Nebula Award for Best Short Story 1991 Asimov's Reader's Award 1991 The Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award 1991 Locus Award for Best Short Story 1991 SF Chronicle Award
References
External links Full text at Lightspeed Magazine
Movie short: http://www.bearsdiscoverfire.com/