ABSOLUTELY NO PARADOX

Episode #246 · Written by Lester Del Rey · Narrated by Scott Miller

Absolutely No Paradox begins in a place of comfort and order, where progress feels distant and mistakes belong to younger men. Over drinks and polite conversation, a startling claim interrupts the routine: a working time machine exists, and it has already been tested.

What follows is not an argument about equations or devices, but about experience. One man remembers waiting years for proof that never arrived. Another believes success at small scale guarantees safety at large scale. Nearby, someone listens in silence, carrying knowledge earned the hard way. Each exchange sharpens the tension as confidence presses forward and warning is brushed aside.

Lester Del Rey keeps the focus on choice rather than spectacle. The danger comes from assuming the future is reachable—and reversible. When the truth finally surfaces, it doesn’t offer comfort. It explains why no one came back, and why no one ever will.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lester Del Rey published influential science fiction in magazines such as Astounding Science Fiction, Galaxy, and Science Fiction Quarterly before becoming one of the genre’s most powerful editors. As an author, he specialized in tightly constructed stories that introduced a single speculative rule and followed it to its human cost. As an editor at Del Rey Books, he shaped the careers of generations of writers and helped bring science fiction into mainstream publishing. Absolutely No Paradox exemplifies his ability to turn a logical premise into a quietly devastating conclusion.

LISTEN TO THE STORY

Listen to Absolutely No Paradox by Lester Del Rey — a classic science fiction short story where time moves forward—and one decision can never be undone.

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