For those who are curious:
This is the only story I ever wrote that was inspired by a dream. I had a dream
about a robot stuck in the sand -- I had no idea why it was there -- but I plotted
it out when I woke up and wrote the story that evening. That was literally 30
years ago. It has been re-sold 8 times in the US since its initial appearance,
as well as in Japan, Poland, and Russia -- and it was a radio play in Latvia. Been
waiting since 1979 for another dream I could turn into a story.
-- Mike Resnick