What would you do if you could see the future?A young woman capable of seeing all possible outcomes of a situation meets a man who can see one definite future. But which one of them is right? They date, they fall in love ... like they knew they would ... for a while.So what would you do?I, personally, would fight. Some might call it self-delusion but if I saw someone being hit by a truck when crossing the street, I'd stop them (make them go later or something). Maybe it wouldn't change anything

This was pretty interesting. An examination of how differently two people who can see their possible futures handle their powers, their conflict about destiny vs free will, and how powerless they can feel sometimes - I thought this was a fascinating take on the topic and that end was definitely surprising.

3.5 starsA short story about two people who already know how and when their relationship starts and ends.Liked it, especially the dialogue, which felt believable and real. Interesting question: do you bother getting involved in an interaction with someone, especially if you already know how it works out for both of you, or do you play it safe and avoid, or do you try to change the outcome? I'm surprised the protagonists weren't stark, raving mad, calculating every, tiny decision, every day. I li...

Q:“I’m going to be a vigilante soothsayer,” (c)Q:Now that Judy’s seen Doug for real, she’s re-imagining all the conversations they might be having in the coming weeks and months, all of the drama and all of the sweetness. (c)Much too much ado about precog relationships and vigilante soothsaying.Q:You know, you can know something’s coming from a long way off, you know for years ahead of time the exact day and the very hour when it’ll arrive. And then it arrives, and when it arrives, all you can t...

An interesting and stimulating thought experiment.I read this story right after finishing the amazing "All the Birds in the Sky" and unfortunately it did not grab me in the same way. Something about the writing and the two main protagonists just didn't click (I did like Marva though). However, while I might not have enjoyed the actual narrative as much as I hoped (and I can't rule out that maybe my expectations where unreasonably high) the themes it touches and the thoughts it provokes are extre...

“What do you want to do today, Phineas?”“I know, but what do you want to do?”Charlie Jane Anders 2011 novelette, that later won the 2012 Hugo Award for best novelette, makes a distinction between Phineas and Ferb’s ubiquitous catchphrase in that Doug and Judy know what is going to happen before it happens.Doug can see the future and for him it is a linear path, unbroken and unchangeable, he is tortured by his Cyclopean knowledge of his own demise. Judy, on the other hand, can see a myriad of pat...

Rating: 3.5* of fiveThe Publisher Says: NBC is putting Charlie Jane Anders’ Six Months, Three Days into production and we could not be more excited! Tor.com published the Hugo award-winning novelette in 2011.My Review: "O wad some Power the giftie gie us/To see oursels as ithers see us!" --Robert BurnsThat quote has always chilled me. I don't want to see myself as others see me, thanks. Burns's point is that we should not wish for that, ever, because the burden of knowing what another person thi...

Pretty awesome Cassandra story, only it's a mirroring between absolute future knowledge and possible future knowledge, the two characters having a fight over which is correct.And who knows? Both might still be!What makes this pretty awesome is that it's a romance. Both fall in love, he can see everything, including how they break up. She can see tons of futures and fights with him to change things and try to keep their love strong instead of breaking up in six months, three days. :) The details

“The man who can see the future has a date with the woman who can see many possible futures.”Thank you Ms. Anders for kindly putting a one-sentence synopsis at the beginning of this short story novelette, and saving me the trouble. Actually, the story depicts multiple dates rather than just one. Basically, it is a story of the romantic relationship between two clairvoyants with somewhat different abilities. Doug can see the future, which appears to be set in stone, but Judy can see alternate ver...

Cool concept, explored in a neat way. I enjoyed it, but characters are thin and I personally found the descriptions to be overly dependent on pop culture references and brand names.It was nominated for a Hugo in the novella category (it's really a short story), but I think that speaks to how much those awards have become (or perhaps always were?) popularity contests. Charlie Jane writes for io9 and has a strong online presence, plus a compelling personal story. I like her online writing, but it

Pretty good!I really liked the idea behind the story. I thought it was executed well and it was well written. I loved the message BUT it just didn't touch me or evoke deep emotions. Overall solid and interesting. It's interesting to see how the two characters respond to knowing the future. One is hopeless, resigned to their fate and asks no questions. The other is optimistic and tries to fight fate at every turn. The fact that they experience seeing the future in two different ways really affect...

“They are both going to say some vicious things to each other in the next hour or so. They’ve already heard it all, in their heads.” I asked for a short romantic Tor before bed and I got... this. Man who sees a single possible future hooks up with a woman who sees many possible futures. Because couples need new things to fight about.This was long, frustrating, and sad. Boo Tor Boo

I realize some readers will be confused by this—considering the five-star rating I'm giving this novelette, but I was not blown away by "Six Months, Three Days." Nor did I fall in love with the characters. Nor, though I'm admittedly prone to such reactions, did I break down and cry over any particularly moving bit in the story.No, my five-star rating is based on three of the story's attributes: (1) the characters and their interactions are jarringly real; (2) Charlie Jane's prose is gorgeous; an...

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...

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...

Short story about the course of a relationship, with a dash of fantasy in it. The characters were interesting, although we get to only really know the female lead rather than her partner. The ending was actually terrific, as it let the reader take a breathe and imagine a happy ending for the couple.

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.