Grandfather Paradox

by Ian Stewart

Release: 29 April 2010
Format: Short Story
Genre: Science Fiction
Audience: Adults
Content: Definite Time Travel
Original Language: English

I didn’t understand the logic of this short story, which is part of Nature’s Futures series of short, short sf stories. The grandfather, Hubert, is traveling forward in time, begging his grandson to kill him so that he won’t invent a time machine that he’s already invented—but I can’t see how killing him after the fact will do any good. Please explain it to me!

In any case, thank you to the kind librarian at the Norlin Library who made an electronic copy for me when we couldn’ttrack down a hard copy of the journal.

With its logical basis wrecked, the Universe would resolve the paradox by excising the time machine, and snap back to a consistent history in which Hubert married Rosie, with all of its consequences.

DEBUT

“Grandfather Paradox,” in Nature, 29 April 2010.

VARIANTS

1 English variant

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