Project Gutenberg
2006-06-20
Public domain in the USA.
166
Piper, H. Beam
1904
1964
Piper, Henry Beam
Piper, Horace Beam
Crossroads of Destiny
Produced from Fantastic Universe Science Fiction July 1959
Produced by Greg Weeks, Geetu Melwani and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
"Crossroads of Destiny" by H. Beam Piper is a speculative fiction story written in the late 1950s. This short narrative explores themes of alternate history and the consequences of pivotal moments in time. The story delves into the idea that history as we know it could have taken different paths had specific events occurred differently. The plot unfolds during a conversation among several men in a train club car, centered around the concept of a television show titled "Crossroads of Destiny." They discuss various historical events and how changing even small details could lead to vastly different outcomes. As they entertain these possibilities, a mysterious stranger seems out of place and raises questions about alternate dimensions and timelines. The protagonist eventually discovers a peculiar dollar bill, which serves as a tangible representation of the alternate reality the stranger might have hailed from. Through this exploration, Piper provokes thought on the fragility of history and the significant impacts of seemingly minor events. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
Reading ease score: 72.4 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read.
en
Science fiction
Short stories
PS
Text
Science Fiction
Category: Short Stories
Category: Science-Fiction & Fantasy
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