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Six Months, Three Days
Doug and Judy have both had a secret power all their life. Judy can see every possible future, branching out from each moment like infinite trees. Doug can also see the future, but for him, it's a single, locked-in, inexorable sequence of foreordained events. They can't both be right, but over and over again, they are.
Obviously these are the last two people in the world wh...more
Obviously these are the last two people in the world wh...more
ebook, 32 pages
Published
June 8th 2011
by Tor Books
(first published May 31st 2011)
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The opening line is, “The man who can see the future has a date with the woman who can see many possible futures.” I really like this setup, and the conflict it creates between the man who sees a fixed, unavoidable future and the woman who believes she has free will to choose from various possibilities. I love how Anders presents the characters, both of whom have known for a long time that this relationship was coming and how it would go, but who still stumble through the same awkwardness as the...more
Charlie Jane Anders's novelette "Six Months, Three Days" is the story of a relationship between a man who can see the future, and a woman who can see many possible futures. Anders is not yet a great prose writer, but she writes a very compelling character in Judy, the female half of the relationship. The third person point-of-view shuttles between the Judy and her boyfriend Doug, but Judy was so much more interesting that I wish she had either been the sole POV, or even that the story was writte...more
Doug has the ability to see what the future will be, while Judy has the ability to see many possible futures. Both have known for a while that eventually they will meet each other and fall in love. Unfortunately, their relationship is destined to die in six months and three days. Is there a way they can avoid this break up, or is the future really as fixed as Doug believes?
Six Months, Three Days grabbed my attention when it recently won the Hugo award for best novelette. After reading it, I must...more
Six Months, Three Days grabbed my attention when it recently won the Hugo award for best novelette. After reading it, I must...more
"Six Months, Three Days" is the Hugo Award winner in the category "Best Novelette". In it, Charlie Jane Anders tells the story of a woman who has the abilitity to see possible futures, and who meets a man with the same ability. It's a love story, but also a story about life questions, dreams and choices, and a seventh sense that at first glance might bring the key to avoid wrong decisions, and take the shortcut to the supposed dream life: "You know how it'll all turn out. Why not pick a future w...more
Six Months, Three Days won the Hugo award for "best novelette" in 2012. When I realized the story was available for free on Tor's website, I read it right away. I really enjoyed Charlie Anders' prose; her descriptions and characterizations are fast and clear. I feel like I know more about these characters than I have any right to, given the length of the story. Still, "Six Months, Three Days" felt like the perfect length, a completed arc (view spoiler)...more
This is such a me story, as Lisa rightly pointed out. There's a lovely premise about various ways of seeing the future, and though this is a short story, there time enough for some romance and tragedy and big questions. I like the idea and the way the plot plays out. There are also geographical and musical references that are very relevant to me (so many familiar Somerville/Cambridge spots!) -- and one literary reference to something that I just happened to be looking up at the same time on Wiki...more
A bittersweet story of star-crossed clarvoyants who try to have a normal relationship despite their affliction, that of being able to see ahead. It makes for some delightfully smarmy dialogue and situations. Personally, I think anyone who can see the future would be so withdrawn from the rest of normal humans, like Paul Muad'dib in Dune Messiah. Anyway, this is a nice quick read that I imagine was quite challenging to write.
One of those stories I feel you ought to like more than I actually do. The concept of two clairvoyant lovers, one who think the future is pre-ordained and another who doesn't, is a brilliant framework for some insightful reflections about relationships. but somehow it just doesn't work as well as it should. I think it's partly because I found some of the writing a little mannered, but mostly because I just didn't ever engage with either of the main characters. In the end, I can appreciate the ar...more
Feb 27, 2013
James
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Shelves:
freebie,
science-fiction,
short-story,
read-in-2013,
read-in-teenties,
4-stars,
reviewed,
online-fiction
Imagine you not only knew who you were going to fall in love with, but you knew how and when it was going to end. Would you still go through with it? Would you even have that choice? Doug and Judy can both see the future, they both see how they are going to meet and how it will go wrong. The only difference is that Judy sees the future as a series of choices and paths, of options and opportunities. Doug sees a single path, no choices, no escape. Can they both be right?
Doug knows how they will me...more
Doug knows how they will me...more
An excellent short story! Two people who can both "remember" the future get together. But one of them sees only one future, whereas the other sees a multitude of possibilities. Which of them is correct?
This brings up wonderful quandaries of quantum mechanics, self-fulfilling prophecies, and predestination, but it also deals with the characters on a very personal level. From the most intimate details of their lives to the unique quirks of their day-to-day, they feel solid, believable, and likable...more
This brings up wonderful quandaries of quantum mechanics, self-fulfilling prophecies, and predestination, but it also deals with the characters on a very personal level. From the most intimate details of their lives to the unique quirks of their day-to-day, they feel solid, believable, and likable...more
What happens when a man who can see a single, locked-in future goes on a date with a woman who can see every possible future, branching out like infinite trees? They can’t both be right, or can they? This is a powerful meditation on the philosophical debate between predestination and free will. Some very nice dialog fuels this engaging character study about romantic relationships, showing that even knowing the future doesn’t necessarily help bridge the gender gap.
I read this novelette because it was nominated for a Nebula (and, admittedly, because it was freely available online). I liked the idea behind the story but I didn't really like the writing and I was having trouble wrapping my brain around the rippling repercussions of what it would mean for one or both partners to be able to see the future. Overall, I enjoyed the story but didn't get as much out of it as I probably could have.
RATING: 3.5 stars
This story brings up the question: is the future already set up, or there are many possible futures and our actions will lead us to one or another path? Interesting idea, however the characters are one-dimesional, and, as another reviewer said, there are so many references to pop culture that I doubt that on a long run a lot of people will be able to connect with the story.
This story brings up the question: is the future already set up, or there are many possible futures and our actions will lead us to one or another path? Interesting idea, however the characters are one-dimesional, and, as another reviewer said, there are so many references to pop culture that I doubt that on a long run a lot of people will be able to connect with the story.
This Hugo Award-winner for best novelette is sure to be a future anachronism, riddled with trappings of the early 21st century (sexting, Lady Gaga etc.) That said, the concept is great and well-executed. What happens when a man who can only see one, rigidly defined future gets into a relationship with a woman who can see possibilities?
The idea of the story was very promising, but not very well executed, in my opinion. I would have wanted more depth, both in the characters and in the concept of the story. Of course it is only a novelette, so this automatically makes it pretty limited -lengthwise. Anyway, I just felt like there was something missing. Meh.
Don't understand how this won best novelette. It's not a novelette, it's a 15 page very short story. So there's no space for anything more than a short rumination on the nature of free will. Very little space for any story events to happen. But it's not bad for what it is.
Read as part of the 2012 Hugo Voter Packet.
Two clairvoyants, Doug and Judy, date. Doug sees only a single future, Judy sees a myriad of possible futures, and both know the good and bad, of how the relationship develops and ends. A character driven story, which plays with the concept of seeing a single future vs multiple possibilities, and how a relationship between two clairvoyants could work. I like the way Anders develops the relationships, with the conflict between Doug, who fatalistically se...more
Two clairvoyants, Doug and Judy, date. Doug sees only a single future, Judy sees a myriad of possible futures, and both know the good and bad, of how the relationship develops and ends. A character driven story, which plays with the concept of seeing a single future vs multiple possibilities, and how a relationship between two clairvoyants could work. I like the way Anders develops the relationships, with the conflict between Doug, who fatalistically se...more
Still mulling over that ending. At the time I read it, it left me unmoved as I really couldn't sympathize nor empathize with the characters in this story. But perhaps not completely unswayed by them as I'm still wondering about the conclusion....
Cool concept, competently executed. It left me wanting more, somehow, but I'm not sure I can put my finger on what. There's nothing obviously missing. Maybe it's just that romance doesn't do much for me as a subject, even when it's as unique a one as this.
“Six Months, Three Days” is an awesome story. I really loved it. It has a very unique concept: it’s about a man who can see the future and a woman who can see many possible futures. They meet and naturally have a relationship. This story is about their abilities and how it affects their outlook on life and from there, how it affects their relationship.
Read more at Starmetal Oak Reviews.
Read more at Starmetal Oak Reviews.
What happens to life and love if you could both see the future? Raises some interesting questions. At the same time, the "predetermined" nature of events means we never really connect with either character very deeply. Hm.
Judy and Doug. Very short story, but good. Your heart breaks for them and the lack of hope. I had to go back and check the beginning to see who was right. Sweet story with random, random details thrown in.
Short story, read online.
Interesting use of two clairvoyants to examine free will. I liked the idea of memories of the future. Probably more of a 3.5 rating, but I liked the writing so I rounded up.
Interesting use of two clairvoyants to examine free will. I liked the idea of memories of the future. Probably more of a 3.5 rating, but I liked the writing so I rounded up.
2 1/2. The end portion is what redeems this story of two people able to tell the future who fall in love. I felt as if there was too much "contemporary name dropping" with Lady Gaga and so on.
Jan 19, 2013
Jane Hammons
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
short-story-sold-as-single
A Hugo & Nebula Award winning story published as a single by Tor. Really interesting premise, a bit predictable (or maybe I just have the same gift as the characters :), but a good read.
Jun 01, 2012
Katharine
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
read-2012,
hugo-awards
Interesting, and well done, yet I simply didn't like the characters which makes it hard to enjoy the story, despite the quality of the writing and the thought put into the plot.
A very touching story that manages to explore some interesting consequences of being able to predict the future while also telling a sad tale of a doomed romance.
This is another recent Hugo short story winner or nominee. It was a nice quick read, but I didn't find it all that exciting or thought-provoking.
This is much too large of an idea for such a short story. I loved the premise and would love to read an actual novel with a similar plot.
I'm doing my post-Hugo awards catch up reading.
This is just wonderful. Touching, sad and thinky.
I do love my doomed romances.
This is just wonderful. Touching, sad and thinky.
I do love my doomed romances.
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About the uni-dimensionality of the actors, you can't expect fully fledged characters in merely 32 pages....more
May 21, 2012 08:36am