The past is immutable, apparently?
December 30, 2019 9:27 AM Subscribe
Help me identify this sci-fi short story.
A friend told me about this one in detail back in 1994ish. He had a subscription to Analog so I would assume that's where it was published / he read it. The story was about how the past is immutable: a scientist invents a time-travel machine that lets you visit the past but it doesn't matter what you do there, the present remains as-is. The scientist and his machine end up trapped in a burning building and he goes back to try to stop the building from catching on fire, no can do. Then he starts traveling back just to visit other times in his life, and so on. Every time he returns to the present the fire is just a little bit closer to consuming him, and so on.
Please help me identify this story. Thank you!
A friend told me about this one in detail back in 1994ish. He had a subscription to Analog so I would assume that's where it was published / he read it. The story was about how the past is immutable: a scientist invents a time-travel machine that lets you visit the past but it doesn't matter what you do there, the present remains as-is. The scientist and his machine end up trapped in a burning building and he goes back to try to stop the building from catching on fire, no can do. Then he starts traveling back just to visit other times in his life, and so on. Every time he returns to the present the fire is just a little bit closer to consuming him, and so on.
Please help me identify this story. Thank you!
Btw I also remember a much older SF story by Alfred Bester entitled "The Man who murdered Mohammed" which has a premise in the same area.
posted by selfnoise at 12:13 PM on December 30, 2019 [3 favorites]
posted by selfnoise at 12:13 PM on December 30, 2019 [3 favorites]
Also similar: Try and Change the Past, Fritz Leiber.
posted by Chrysostom at 8:17 PM on December 31, 2019
posted by Chrysostom at 8:17 PM on December 31, 2019
Also, I would argue that Replay is significantly different.
posted by Chrysostom at 8:18 PM on December 31, 2019
posted by Chrysostom at 8:18 PM on December 31, 2019
Response by poster: Well I have a book of short stories involving time travel (and of course including Ripples in the Dirac Sea) on hold at the library, and Replay as well. I look forward to reading a bunch of time travel stuff in the coming week.
posted by komara at 1:56 PM on January 2, 2020
posted by komara at 1:56 PM on January 2, 2020
« Older Reprogramming a novelty "Enter" key? | How do I enjoy my maternity leave with an older... Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.
similar to
Replay by Ken Grimwood
posted by the man of twists and turns at 10:04 AM on December 30, 2019 [3 favorites]