"I'm Afraid That I Don't Believe You"

"Paradox Lost."

By George H. Smith (1922-96; Wikipedia HERE; ISFDb HERE).

First appearance: The Original Science Fiction Stories, February 1959.

Reprints page (HERE).

Short short short story (4 pages).

Online at SFFAudio (HERE).

   ". . . you're from the past and you're alive—and that makes you a paradox."

IN his song of lament, Kermit the Frog tells us it's not easy bein' green. In our story, a brilliant scientist (who, as far as we know, isn't green) will find out that it's not easy bein' what he never imagined he has become—a threat . . .

Typo: "juts" (for "just").

Principal characters:

~ Steven Polson:

  "I might say I had expected something more advanced but I suppose bureaucrats are always the same."

~ Donald Jackson:

  "Well, you see, sir . . . I'm the head of the B.F.P.P. and the policy of the B.F.P.P. is to . . ."

References and resources:

- "Our scientists reasoned that if time travel were possible, we would have heard from the future":

  A famous scientist once threw a party to test that very idea (Wikipedia HERE); more about this scientist's ideas about time travel is (HERE) and (HERE).

- Speaking of time paradoxes (which we were), ONTOS's latest foray into time travel is Edward D. Hoch's "The Last Paradox" (HERE); nor should we forget David Mason's "Pangborn's Paradox" (HERE).

- About six years ago we examined George H. Smith's proleptic look at one possible cybernetic future, "Witness" (HERE). 

Unless otherwise noted, all bibliographical data are derived from The FictionMags Index created by William G. Contento & edited by Phil Stephensen-Payne.

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