Project Gutenberg 2023-10-13 Public domain in the USA. 121 Budrys, Algis 1931 2008 Budrys, Algirdas Jonas Scarff, William Hodgkins, David C. Bowman, Bill Never meet again $aNew York, NY :$bRoyal Publications, Inc., $c1957. Produced from Infinity March 1958 Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net "Never Meet Again" by Algis Budrys is a science fiction novella written during the mid-20th century, specifically around the time of the Cold War. The story focuses on themes of alternate realities and the consequences of choices made in different worlds, as it follows a scientist who has spent years working on a device that allows him to shift into a parallel universe. The narrative explores the philosophical implications of his work, particularly concerning lost opportunities and the nature of his existence. The protagonist, Professor Jochim Kempfer, is an aging scientist who grapples with the memories of his deceased wife, Marthe, while reflecting on the years spent in a drab routine dominated by his painful past. After activating his invention, he unexpectedly finds himself in a grim version of Berlin where Germany lost World War II, bringing into question the choices and sacrifices made by him and his contemporaries. As he reunites with Marthe, who has lived through her struggles in this alternate existence, Kempfer confronts the stark reality of their lives, the changes brought by the different outcomes of the war, and the burden of his scientific responsibilities. Ultimately, he must decide how to navigate this new world while reconciling the shadows of his former life, leading to a haunting exploration of grief, identity, and the notion of "what if." (This is an automatically generated summary.) 20230909100923budrys 1957 US Reading ease score: 84.4 (6th grade). Easy to read. en Science fiction Short stories Inventors -- Fiction Berlin (Germany) -- Fiction Alternative histories (Fiction) Multiverse -- Fiction PS Text Category: Science-Fiction & Fantasy 63868 2025-07-28T11:42:54.431508 text/html 39266 2023-10-13T17:50:37 text/html 304836 2025-07-28T11:42:57.637464 application/epub+zip 303618 2025-07-28T11:42:55.664500 application/epub+zip 180394 2025-07-28T11:42:54.918513 application/epub+zip 702036 2025-07-28T11:42:59.185495 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 695037 2025-07-28T11:42:57.126518 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 56317 2025-07-28T11:42:54.295499 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 36525 2023-10-13T17:50:37 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 17091 2025-07-28T11:42:59.341469 application/rdf+xml 30365 2025-07-28T11:42:55.258511 image/jpeg 5095 2025-07-28T11:42:55.089581 image/jpeg 1135199 2025-07-28T11:42:54.452551 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog en.wikipedia