sonja@genie.UUCP (Sonja Bock) (03/18/86)
Several years ago I read a short story in an anthology which I have lost. I don't remember the name of the anthology, am not sure about the name of the story itself, and don't recall the name of the author although I have the vague recollection that it was a feminine name. The anthology was of first-published stories which won prizes or something like that, and I believe the name was "The Kingmaker". It is a time-travel story with two main characters, a famous politician and an historian from his future. The historian is from 500 years in the future, a graduate student who has obtained a grant to study the life and times of the politician. He makes several trips into the past during his life-long study, each time the technology available allows him to go farther into the past. Therefore, the two protagonists pass each other. The first time the historian sees the politician, the politician is an elder statesman and the historian is a jerky grad student. The first time the politician sees the historian, the historian is an elder statesman-type and the politician is a jerky teenager. The story was very well put together and I think would make a good Twilight Zone or Amazing Stories or even SF feature. Hope someone can identify at least the author so I can track down a copy. Thanks.
larryk@tektronix.UUCP (Larry Kohn) (03/20/86)
Tried responding by mail to this, but the system returned it because
"Host unknown."
I don't recall a sf story like you describe, but will look through my
library to see if something turns up. Interesting you should mention Twi-
light Zone. A few weeks ago I happened to catch the end of an old Twilight
Zone episode similar to the story line you described. This involved a
great-great-etc. grandson of President Kennedy. This relative, a historian
and time traveler, got caught up in the tragedy of the assassination and
somehow managed to cause it not to happen. Because a thing once done can't
be undone without repercussions, it turns out Kruschev gets killed instead.
This isn't the end of it, however. The change will eventually lead to a
major confrontation between the super powers and an end to the world. So
the relative goes back to before the assassination, meets with Kennedy, and
explains it all to him. It ends with Kennedy going off to meet his destiny.
--
Larry Kohn