Project Gutenberg
2010-06-08
Public domain in the USA.
115
Trimble, Louis
1917
1988
Trimble, Louis Preston
Emshwiller, Ed
1925
1990
Emsh
Emsh, Ed
Alexander, Ed
Emshwiller, Edmund A.
Willer
EMSH
Probability
Produced from IF Worlds of Science Fiction April 1954.
Produced by Greg Weeks and the Online Distributed
Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net
"Probability" by Louis Trimble is a science fiction short story written during the early 1950s. The narrative explores the life of Mike Murphy, a bartender, and his interactions with a peculiar customer named Rabelais Pettis, who seems to lead a mundane life yet harbors a secret involving time travel and probability. The story blends humor and speculative elements, particularly focusing on the impacts of small choices on future outcomes. The plot unfolds as Mike Murphy develops a friendship with Rabelais, witnessing his transformation from a timid regular into a wealthy man who can manipulate time. After a series of raucous events, they embark on adventures through the near future, experiencing changes in wealth, status, and even potential fame for Mike. However, the tale pivots when Mike learns that their previous timeline may lead to catastrophic consequences, and Rabelais wants to guide him towards a path of political influence to avert disaster. The story culminates as Mike navigates the challenges of this new trajectory, maintaining a sense of uncertainty about the impact of their actions on future history while ultimately embracing the changes ahead. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
http://book.klll.cc/files/32739/32739-h/images/cover.jpg
Reading ease score: 93.1 (5th grade). Very easy to read.
en
Science fiction
Short stories
Time travel -- Fiction
PS
Text
Category: Short Stories
Category: Science-Fiction & Fantasy
Category: Humour
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