The Worlds of If
by Stanley G. Weinbaum (1902–1935)
- Free to read
- 25 min read
- Reading level: 7th grade
"The Worlds of If" by Stanley G. Weinbaum is a science fiction short story written in the early 20th century. The narrative blends themes of time travel with speculative concepts about alternate realities, focusing on the idea of "what could have been" had different choices been made. Through a unique machine invented by the protagonist's former professor, the story explores the profound implications of one's decisions on the fabric of reality. Dixon Wells, the protagonist, grapples with feelings of guilt after missing a flight that ultimately ends in disaster, the sinking of the rocket "Baikal". Through a contraption called the "subjunctivisor," which allows users to view alternate realities based on hypothetical decisions, he seeks to understand what would have happened had he boarded the flight. As he engages with the machine, he rekindles memories of a captivating encounter with Joanna Caldwell, a fellow passenger, but is ultimately devastated to discover she survived the crash yet married the man who saved her. This poignant exploration of missed opportunities and the "worlds of if" ultimately leaves Wells to confront his own fate and the consequences of being perpetually late.
- Science fiction
- Short stories
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Produced by Greg Weeks, Stephen Blundell and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
Transcriber's Note:
This etext was produced from A Martian Odyssey and Others
published in 1949. Extensive research did not uncover any evidence
that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed. Minor
spelling and typographical errors have been corrected without note.
The square root symbol has been transcribed as [sq].
THE WORLDS OF IF
I stopped on the way to the Staten Island Airport to call up, and that was a mistake, doubtless, since I had a chance of making it otherwise. But the office was affable. "We'll hold the ship five minutes for you," the clerk said. "That's the best we can do."
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About this edition
This free edition of The Worlds of If by Stanley G. Weinbaum comes from Project Gutenberg eBook #22890, released 2007-10-05. It is in the public domain in the United States, so you can read it here in full at no cost, on any phone, tablet or computer. Genre: Short Stories, Science-Fiction & Fantasy.
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