Thirty Seconds From Now by John Chu

Thirty seconds from now is a short story about a guy called Scott who has the ability to see into the future.  Scott’s version of precognition involves seeing multiple versions of the future, depending on people’s actions.  He tries really hard to stay in the present and juggles a beanbag to help him retain his focus.  When he’s in his dorm room one day, he sees a guy outside his door who looks ‘clearer’ to him than anyone else ever has.

I found the idea behind Scott’s ability really interesting and I was surprised he’d managed to make it as far as university without it sending him completely mad!  It’s kind of like chaos theory (I think) in that he sees the many possible outcomes of seemingly random actions.

The plot was really interesting and I liked the way we saw his and Tony’s relationship play out.  Although it wasn’t exactly an HEA, I liked the decision Scott made at the end of the story.  There is some good characterisation, which can be difficult in such a short story and I think it helps that the author focuses on just two characters.

All in all, this is worth a read.

You can find this story at http://www.bostonreview.net/john-chu-...


4 stars