If you are into science fiction you know Alfred Bester is the author of The Demolished Man. It consistently ranks first among fans, critics, and fellow writers as all time best Scifi novel. If you don’t believe me, take a look at James Wallace Harris’s site where he laboriously analysed the data and posted the results. I like The Demolished Man; I liked it so much I read it twice. However, it’s not my favorite novel. That’s neither here nor there. This post is about his short story, Of Time and Third Avenue.
Bester says in the introduction to Of Time and Third Avenue that he always did an extensive outline before he began to actually write. The exception was this funny, original short story. Bester explains his reason for this deviation as originally planning to write a story about his favorite watering hole. Something happened and the story wasn’t written. Some time later, feeling disgusted with the state of “knowledge of the future” tales, he sat in front of his Smith Corona and began banging the keys. The result was Of Time and Third Avenue. He’s right about these “temporal displacement” themes (I got that from Star Trek). Even today there is a rehashing of this tired and predictable line. TV shows, movies, you name it and somebody, somewhere has done it. Hell, several years ago I was in Thailand and there was a mini-series on that dealt with, you got it, knowledge of the future. I have to admit though Bester did about as good a job as any I have ever read. The story is humorous, original, and most important entertaining. Alfred had a sardonic wit he reveals in a statement about having to go to the bank in order to find out who’s picture is on a hundred dollar bill. If you read the story you’ll get it.
I have an on going argument with a friend about which genre this story should be in. My friend says it’s fantasy. I say science fiction. My reasoning is that most fantasy gives me projectile vomiting, explosive diarrhea and erectile dysfunction. Of Time and Third Avenue gives me none of these. So, logically I must be right. It’s science fiction dammit!
Gnostic Science Fiction 