Paradox
- by Charles Cloukey
- Novelette
- Science Fiction
- Adults
- Definite Time Travel
- English
- “Paradox” by Charles Cloukey, in Amazing Stories Quarterly, Summer 1929.
Raymond Cannes interrupts a meeting of aristrocrats to talk about how he has just come back from the future, and tries to convince the others that it really happened.
—Derek Smith
You are under no obligation to believe a word of it, but I shall state again that it was not a dream, that it really happened to me; that is, it will happen to me a thousand and two years from now.
Tags
(11)
- Time Periods
- Circa AD 1900 to 1929: The stories's original timeline is in the year 1928.
- Near Future, AD 2300 and Beyond: Cannes travels to the year 2930, 1002 years into the future
- Timeline Models
- Causal Loop: The only reason Cannes is able to travel into the future is that Dr. Hawkinson got a packet detailing how to build the time machine. We later figure out that it is Cannes who gives the packet to Dr. Hawkinson, but is only able to do so because Dr. Hawkinson uses the notes to send Cannes into the future where he obtains the notes that he then left for Hawkinson earlier.
- Single Consistent Timeline: The packet that Cannes left for Hawkinson is consistent with having just one timeline, as is the eventual fate of Cannes.
- Time Travel Methods
- Luggable Time Machine: At one point, Cannes has a time machine strapped to his back. It's not big enough to fit Cannes inside, but not necessarily small enough to fit in a satchel.
- Time Booths, Wardrobes, et al.: The time machine that originally send Cannes to the future is just a big box capable of holding about three persons inside.
- Themes
- Grandfather Paradox: Cannes doesnʼt actually try to kill his grandfather, but he contemplates it. He has this mental argument with himself right after coming back to his timelane after visiting the future. He comes to the conclusion that both his grandfather and himself are still alive, so his futrue self must not kill his grandfather, so Cannes wonʼt.
- Groupings
Variants
(1)
- “Paradox” by Charles Cloukey, in Amazing Stories Quarterly, Summer 1929.