You See But You Do Not Observe
- by Robert J. Sawyer
- Short Story
- Science Fiction
- Adults
- Definite Time Travel
- English
- “You See But You Do Not Observe” by Robert J. Sawyer, in Sherlock Holmes in Orbit, edited by Martin H. Greenberg and Mike Resnick (MJF Books, 1995).
Watson and Holmes are pulled into the future to resolve the Fermi paradox (the discrepancy between the lack of conclusive evidence of advanced extraterrestrial life and the apparently high likelihood of its existence).
—Tandy Ringoringo
I have used certain scientific principles to pluck you from your past and bring you into my present.
Tags
(15)
- Time Periods
- Circa AD 1800 to 1899: 1891 and 1899
- Circa AD 2000 to 2099: 2096
- Timeline Models
- Creation of One New Timeline: A new timeline is created when Holmes and Watson are returned eight years earlier than they left.
- In a Changed Timeline, You Have Memories of Both Your Other Life and Your Changed Life: When the new timeline is created in Holmes and Watson’s past, they still remember the timeline that they first experienced.
- Time Travel Methods
- Unexplained Time Travel Methods: I have used certain scientific principles to pluck you from your past and bring you into my present.
- Themes
- Save Extinct Species!: A mention is made of saving the dinosaurs, but nothing comes of it.
- Simulation: In the future, Holmes and Watson relive their time at Reichenbach Falls.
- Real-World Tags
- Alphonse Karr: only mentioned
- Enrico Fermi: Fermi is mentioned in connection with the paradox he proposed, but he does not appear.
- Erwin Schrödinger: only mentioned
- Guglielmo Marconi: only mentioned
- Quantum Physics: An unresolved superposition plays a key part in the story.
- Fictional Tags
- Aliens: a radio signal from Altair
- Dr. Watson
- Sherlock Holmes
Variants
(1)
- “You See But You Do Not Observe” by Robert J. Sawyer, in Sherlock Holmes in Orbit, edited by Martin H. Greenberg and Mike Resnick (MJF Books, 1995).