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En Garde, whole no. 17, April 1946
Page 36
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page 36. MULTIPLE FUTURES: 1916 STYLE By Donn Brazier It surprised me that the theory of multiple futures, not too long ago given quite a play in the prozines, was used in 1916 in Mark Twain's THE MYSTERIOUS STRANGER. The theory was not only well expounded and developed; it formed the foundation of a plot situation. Satan explained to the narrator that life was simply a chain of events, each one determined by the one before it. From the first event to the last, all are in order. None can be skipped or altered except by an outside force, which does not exist. For awhile, however, Satan exists and by his machinations changes the lifes of several characters. Satan knew what to alter in the chain of events, which domino in the tumbling chain to remove. He saw all possible futures of every individual. As he said, "To skip any one of the billion acts in Columbus' chain would have wholly changed his life. I have examined his billion possible careers, and in only one of them occurs the discovery of America." One of the three boy characters was headed for a siege of Scarlet Fever from which he would emerge a life-long cripple in ill-health. Satan was begged to change the boy's life line. He did. That morning the boy was supposed to turn over in bed and go back to sleep when the rain blew in his open window. Satan caused him to get up and close the window; then go back to bed. Three minutes were thrown into the boy's future because of this, and some days later he met his death trying to save a girl from drowning. Death was his only better possible future, and Satan gave it to him. In t his example cited above there was also brought forward the idea that two characters knowing the other boy's future to be death by drowning (Satan had told them what would happen) would try to circumvent it. For a minute---as in all good stories---it looked like it could be done, for the boy was ordered to stay in the house by his parents as punishment for something he had done. He was with the boys, and only a few minutes remained until his appointed time. He went down to the kitchen to get his kite. Well, you know the rest. Shouts were heard from the water, and his mother sent him out to see what was the matter. Youcan'twinit'sallbeendonebeforeeventheatomicbombrememberlemuria???
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page 36. MULTIPLE FUTURES: 1916 STYLE By Donn Brazier It surprised me that the theory of multiple futures, not too long ago given quite a play in the prozines, was used in 1916 in Mark Twain's THE MYSTERIOUS STRANGER. The theory was not only well expounded and developed; it formed the foundation of a plot situation. Satan explained to the narrator that life was simply a chain of events, each one determined by the one before it. From the first event to the last, all are in order. None can be skipped or altered except by an outside force, which does not exist. For awhile, however, Satan exists and by his machinations changes the lifes of several characters. Satan knew what to alter in the chain of events, which domino in the tumbling chain to remove. He saw all possible futures of every individual. As he said, "To skip any one of the billion acts in Columbus' chain would have wholly changed his life. I have examined his billion possible careers, and in only one of them occurs the discovery of America." One of the three boy characters was headed for a siege of Scarlet Fever from which he would emerge a life-long cripple in ill-health. Satan was begged to change the boy's life line. He did. That morning the boy was supposed to turn over in bed and go back to sleep when the rain blew in his open window. Satan caused him to get up and close the window; then go back to bed. Three minutes were thrown into the boy's future because of this, and some days later he met his death trying to save a girl from drowning. Death was his only better possible future, and Satan gave it to him. In t his example cited above there was also brought forward the idea that two characters knowing the other boy's future to be death by drowning (Satan had told them what would happen) would try to circumvent it. For a minute---as in all good stories---it looked like it could be done, for the boy was ordered to stay in the house by his parents as punishment for something he had done. He was with the boys, and only a few minutes remained until his appointed time. He went down to the kitchen to get his kite. Well, you know the rest. Shouts were heard from the water, and his mother sent him out to see what was the matter. Youcan'twinit'sallbeendonebeforeeventheatomicbombrememberlemuria???
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