Absolutely No Paradox by Lester Del Rey Episode #246
Lester Del Rey | July 22, 2024-
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Absolutely No Paradox by Lester Del Rey Episode #246
Lester Del Rey
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.
LESTER DEL REY SHORT STORIES
Lester Del Rey helped shape early science fiction with stories that blend warmth, technical curiosity, and emotional tension. His characters are often ordinary people placed in extraordinary situations, forced to confront inventions or discoveries that quietly change the world around them.
Whether exploring artificial life, time paradoxes, or unsettling biological mysteries, Del Rey wrote with clarity and restraint. The drama builds not from spectacle but from the moment when something familiar begins to feel uncertain.
These stories highlight his range — from poignant reflections on companionship to tightly constructed tales where science introduces unexpected complications.
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The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast is the most listened-to vintage science fiction podcast in the world. Ranked the #1 Science Fiction Podcast in 34 countries and heard in more than 190 countries, the show has surpassed 3.7 million listens.
Each episode features carefully selected stories from the Golden Age of science fiction, professionally narrated. Timeless storytelling the way it was meant to be heard.
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