You See But You Do Not Observe

by Robert J. Sawyer

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Short Stories, Audiobook, Mystery

First published September 25, 2003

About the author

Robert J. Sawyer is one of Canada's best known and most successful science fiction writers. He is the only Canadian (and one of only 7 writers in the world) to have won all three of the top international awards for science fiction: the 1995 Nebula Award for The Terminal Experiment, the 2003 Hugo Award for Hominids, and the 2006 John W. Campbell Memorial Award for Mindscan.
Robert Sawyer grew up in Toronto, the son of two university professors. He credits two of his favourite shows from the late 1960s and early 1970s, Search and Star Trek, with teaching him some of the fundamentals of the science-fiction craft. Sawyer was obsessed with outer space from a young age, and he vividly remembers watching the televised Apollo missions. He claims to have watched the 1968 classic film 2001: A Space Odyssey 25 times. He began writing science fiction in a high school club, which he co-founded, NASFA (Northview Academy Association of Science Fiction Addicts). Sawyer graduated in 1982 from the Radio and Television Arts Program at Ryerson University, where he later worked as an instructor.

Sawyer's first published book, Golden Fleece (1989), is an adaptation of short stories that had previously appeared in the science-fiction magazine Amazing Stories. This book won the Aurora Award for the best Canadian science-fiction novel in English. In the early 1990s Sawyer went on to publish his inventive Quintaglio Ascension trilogy, about a world of intelligent dinosaurs. His 1995 award winning The Terminal Experiment confirmed his place as a major international science-fiction writer.

A prolific writer, Sawyer has published more than 10 novels, plus two trilogies. Reviewers praise Sawyer for his concise prose, which has been compared to that of the science-fiction master Isaac Asimov. Like many science fiction-writers, Sawyer welcomes the opportunities his chosen genre provides for exploring ideas. The first book of his Neanderthal Parallax trilogy, Hominids (2002), is set in a near-future society, in which a quantum computing experiment brings a Neanderthal scientist from a parallel Earth to ours. His 2006 Mindscan explores the possibility of transferring human consciousness into a mechanical body, and the ensuing ethical, legal, and societal ramifications.

A passionate advocate for science fiction, Sawyer teaches creative writing and appears frequently in the media to discuss his genre. He prefers the label "philosophical fiction," and in no way sees himself as a predictor of the future. His mission statement for his writing is "To combine the intimately human with the grandly cosmic."

http://us.macmillan.com/author/robert...

Reviews

[FoxClouds · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to this short story on Audible. It would have impressed me more if it chose a less popular Sherlock Holmes story.

[Carla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting take on Sherlock Holmes' last story, intertwined with some famous philosphical/scientific debate points.

[Jewel Pearce · Rating 5 out of 5]

This short was so incredible! I would recommend it to any Sherlock Holmes fan.

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can't say I found this very interesting. But it was free.

[Todd · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting spin on the events of the final Holmes vs Moriarty altercation, spinning events to fit the conclusion

[Angie Boyter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clever story provided by the author.

[Caleb M. Powers · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to confess I wasn't very satisfied with the conclusion of this, but the writing itself was rather well done, and the concept was fascinating.

[Mel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting and unique. A great quick on-the-go read or listen. It did have a view I had not heard of in a book before.

[Aero Windwalker · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is perhaps the worst story Sawyer has written. It's plain fake science. It feels like a silly fan fiction of Holmes.

[Hazi · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting take on Sherlock and our search for alien life

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent Sherlock Holmes story based on solving Fermi’s Paradox and the implications of Schrödinger cat. Robert J Sawyer is one of my favourite authors and this short story is no exception.