Short story about astronomers accidentally ending the universe
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I read a short story I believe vaguely around 2003 in a print magazine. A group of astronomers sends a laser to bounce off a planet circling Alpha Centauri or some similarly close star. But it turns out the universe is a simulation, the planet is outside the bounds of the simulation, and the laser breaks the program and the universe collapses around us.
If it helps, I believe it may have been in the same issue of whatever print magazine that was which also had a novella about aliens who come to Earth and turn out to be essentially movie directors who try to manipulate us into a nuclear war so they can get good special effects (sounds silly the way I describe it, but was not comedic).
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up vote
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I read a short story I believe vaguely around 2003 in a print magazine. A group of astronomers sends a laser to bounce off a planet circling Alpha Centauri or some similarly close star. But it turns out the universe is a simulation, the planet is outside the bounds of the simulation, and the laser breaks the program and the universe collapses around us.
If it helps, I believe it may have been in the same issue of whatever print magazine that was which also had a novella about aliens who come to Earth and turn out to be essentially movie directors who try to manipulate us into a nuclear war so they can get good special effects (sounds silly the way I describe it, but was not comedic).
story-identification short-stories
edited 21 hours ago
Jenayah
11.2k46088
asked 22 hours ago
CaptainKoloth
13325
New contributor
CaptainKoloth is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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4
Just a side comment: The story you summarized from memory in the second paragraph of your post sounds something like Larry Niven's "War Movie," one of many short stories collected in the volume titled The Draco Tavern. But if the one you remember was of novella length, and if it was published in the early 2000s in the same magazine as the story Stephen Collings is offering in his Answer, then the resemblance is probably coincidental. (Or the Niven story from the early 1980s may have directly inspired the other story that you remember reading two decades later.)
– Lorendiac
20 hours ago
Print magazine where? What country? What language?
– Lightness Races in Orbit
19 hours ago
That was almost definitely not an accident. At least for the one guy that had a theory about it.
– phyrfox
19 hours ago
add a comment |
up vote
26
down vote
favorite
up vote
26
down vote
favorite
I read a short story I believe vaguely around 2003 in a print magazine. A group of astronomers sends a laser to bounce off a planet circling Alpha Centauri or some similarly close star. But it turns out the universe is a simulation, the planet is outside the bounds of the simulation, and the laser breaks the program and the universe collapses around us.
If it helps, I believe it may have been in the same issue of whatever print magazine that was which also had a novella about aliens who come to Earth and turn out to be essentially movie directors who try to manipulate us into a nuclear war so they can get good special effects (sounds silly the way I describe it, but was not comedic).
story-identification short-stories
edited 21 hours ago
Jenayah
11.2k46088
asked 22 hours ago
CaptainKoloth
13325
New contributor
CaptainKoloth is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
I read a short story I believe vaguely around 2003 in a print magazine. A group of astronomers sends a laser to bounce off a planet circling Alpha Centauri or some similarly close star. But it turns out the universe is a simulation, the planet is outside the bounds of the simulation, and the laser breaks the program and the universe collapses around us.
If it helps, I believe it may have been in the same issue of whatever print magazine that was which also had a novella about aliens who come to Earth and turn out to be essentially movie directors who try to manipulate us into a nuclear war so they can get good special effects (sounds silly the way I describe it, but was not comedic).
story-identification short-stories
story-identification short-stories
edited 21 hours ago
Jenayah
11.2k46088
asked 22 hours ago
CaptainKoloth
13325
New contributor
CaptainKoloth is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
edited 21 hours ago
Jenayah
11.2k46088
asked 22 hours ago
CaptainKoloth
13325
New contributor
CaptainKoloth is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
edited 21 hours ago
Jenayah
11.2k46088
edited 21 hours ago
Jenayah
11.2k46088
edited 21 hours ago
Jenayah
11.2k46088
11.2k46088
asked 22 hours ago
CaptainKoloth
13325
New contributor
CaptainKoloth is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked 22 hours ago
CaptainKoloth
13325
asked 22 hours ago
CaptainKoloth
13325
13325
New contributor
CaptainKoloth is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
New contributor
CaptainKoloth is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
CaptainKoloth is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
4
Just a side comment: The story you summarized from memory in the second paragraph of your post sounds something like Larry Niven's "War Movie," one of many short stories collected in the volume titled The Draco Tavern. But if the one you remember was of novella length, and if it was published in the early 2000s in the same magazine as the story Stephen Collings is offering in his Answer, then the resemblance is probably coincidental. (Or the Niven story from the early 1980s may have directly inspired the other story that you remember reading two decades later.)
– Lorendiac
20 hours ago
Print magazine where? What country? What language?
– Lightness Races in Orbit
19 hours ago
That was almost definitely not an accident. At least for the one guy that had a theory about it.
– phyrfox
19 hours ago
add a comment |
4
Just a side comment: The story you summarized from memory in the second paragraph of your post sounds something like Larry Niven's "War Movie," one of many short stories collected in the volume titled The Draco Tavern. But if the one you remember was of novella length, and if it was published in the early 2000s in the same magazine as the story Stephen Collings is offering in his Answer, then the resemblance is probably coincidental. (Or the Niven story from the early 1980s may have directly inspired the other story that you remember reading two decades later.)
– Lorendiac
20 hours ago
Print magazine where? What country? What language?
– Lightness Races in Orbit
19 hours ago
That was almost definitely not an accident. At least for the one guy that had a theory about it.
– phyrfox
19 hours ago
4
4
Just a side comment: The story you summarized from memory in the second paragraph of your post sounds something like Larry Niven's "War Movie," one of many short stories collected in the volume titled The Draco Tavern. But if the one you remember was of novella length, and if it was published in the early 2000s in the same magazine as the story Stephen Collings is offering in his Answer, then the resemblance is probably coincidental. (Or the Niven story from the early 1980s may have directly inspired the other story that you remember reading two decades later.)
– Lorendiac
20 hours ago
Just a side comment: The story you summarized from memory in the second paragraph of your post sounds something like Larry Niven's "War Movie," one of many short stories collected in the volume titled The Draco Tavern. But if the one you remember was of novella length, and if it was published in the early 2000s in the same magazine as the story Stephen Collings is offering in his Answer, then the resemblance is probably coincidental. (Or the Niven story from the early 1980s may have directly inspired the other story that you remember reading two decades later.)
– Lorendiac
20 hours ago
Print magazine where? What country? What language?
– Lightness Races in Orbit
19 hours ago
Print magazine where? What country? What language?
– Lightness Races in Orbit
19 hours ago
That was almost definitely not an accident. At least for the one guy that had a theory about it.
– phyrfox
19 hours ago
That was almost definitely not an accident. At least for the one guy that had a theory about it.
– phyrfox
19 hours ago
add a comment |
1 Answer
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active
oldest
votes
up vote
27
down vote
accepted
This is "Touching Centauri" by Stephen Baxter. Collected in Phase Space, published in 2003. You can read the full text here.
From Wikipedia:
Scientists attempting to use a laser to contact another world inadvertently cause the end of their universe, while everyone struggles with the ultimate nature of their existence. (While snippets of the story are touched upon between each previous story, the full explanation is given here.)
Also published in Asimov's.
edited 13 hours ago
Jenayah
11.2k46088
answered 21 hours ago
Stephen Collings
3,25022140
2
The Internet is an amazing place. Thank you!
– CaptainKoloth
21 hours ago
Stephen Baxter is your go-to writer for "that type" of story!
– Fattie
3 hours ago
add a comment |
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
up vote
27
down vote
accepted
This is "Touching Centauri" by Stephen Baxter. Collected in Phase Space, published in 2003. You can read the full text here.
From Wikipedia:
Scientists attempting to use a laser to contact another world inadvertently cause the end of their universe, while everyone struggles with the ultimate nature of their existence. (While snippets of the story are touched upon between each previous story, the full explanation is given here.)
Also published in Asimov's.
edited 13 hours ago
Jenayah
11.2k46088
answered 21 hours ago
Stephen Collings
3,25022140
2
The Internet is an amazing place. Thank you!
– CaptainKoloth
21 hours ago
Stephen Baxter is your go-to writer for "that type" of story!
– Fattie
3 hours ago
add a comment |
up vote
27
down vote
accepted
This is "Touching Centauri" by Stephen Baxter. Collected in Phase Space, published in 2003. You can read the full text here.
From Wikipedia:
Scientists attempting to use a laser to contact another world inadvertently cause the end of their universe, while everyone struggles with the ultimate nature of their existence. (While snippets of the story are touched upon between each previous story, the full explanation is given here.)
Also published in Asimov's.
edited 13 hours ago
Jenayah
11.2k46088
answered 21 hours ago
Stephen Collings
3,25022140
2
The Internet is an amazing place. Thank you!
– CaptainKoloth
21 hours ago
Stephen Baxter is your go-to writer for "that type" of story!
– Fattie
3 hours ago
add a comment |
up vote
27
down vote
accepted
up vote
27
down vote
accepted
This is "Touching Centauri" by Stephen Baxter. Collected in Phase Space, published in 2003. You can read the full text here.
From Wikipedia:
Scientists attempting to use a laser to contact another world inadvertently cause the end of their universe, while everyone struggles with the ultimate nature of their existence. (While snippets of the story are touched upon between each previous story, the full explanation is given here.)
Also published in Asimov's.
edited 13 hours ago
Jenayah
11.2k46088
answered 21 hours ago
Stephen Collings
3,25022140
This is "Touching Centauri" by Stephen Baxter. Collected in Phase Space, published in 2003. You can read the full text here.
From Wikipedia:
Scientists attempting to use a laser to contact another world inadvertently cause the end of their universe, while everyone struggles with the ultimate nature of their existence. (While snippets of the story are touched upon between each previous story, the full explanation is given here.)
Also published in Asimov's.
edited 13 hours ago
Jenayah
11.2k46088
answered 21 hours ago
Stephen Collings
3,25022140
edited 13 hours ago
Jenayah
11.2k46088
edited 13 hours ago
Jenayah
11.2k46088
edited 13 hours ago
Jenayah
11.2k46088
11.2k46088
answered 21 hours ago
Stephen Collings
3,25022140
answered 21 hours ago
Stephen Collings
3,25022140
answered 21 hours ago
Stephen Collings
3,25022140
3,25022140
2
The Internet is an amazing place. Thank you!
– CaptainKoloth
21 hours ago
Stephen Baxter is your go-to writer for "that type" of story!
– Fattie
3 hours ago
add a comment |
2
The Internet is an amazing place. Thank you!
– CaptainKoloth
21 hours ago
Stephen Baxter is your go-to writer for "that type" of story!
– Fattie
3 hours ago
2
2
The Internet is an amazing place. Thank you!
– CaptainKoloth
21 hours ago
The Internet is an amazing place. Thank you!
– CaptainKoloth
21 hours ago
Stephen Baxter is your go-to writer for "that type" of story!
– Fattie
3 hours ago
Stephen Baxter is your go-to writer for "that type" of story!
– Fattie
3 hours ago
add a comment |
CaptainKoloth is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
CaptainKoloth is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
CaptainKoloth is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
CaptainKoloth is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
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4
Just a side comment: The story you summarized from memory in the second paragraph of your post sounds something like Larry Niven's "War Movie," one of many short stories collected in the volume titled The Draco Tavern. But if the one you remember was of novella length, and if it was published in the early 2000s in the same magazine as the story Stephen Collings is offering in his Answer, then the resemblance is probably coincidental. (Or the Niven story from the early 1980s may have directly inspired the other story that you remember reading two decades later.)
– Lorendiac
20 hours ago
Print magazine where? What country? What language?
– Lightness Races in Orbit
19 hours ago
That was almost definitely not an accident. At least for the one guy that had a theory about it.
– phyrfox
19 hours ago