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Cover of ...And It Comes Out Here

...And It Comes Out Here

Written by Lester Del Rey

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Science FictionShort storiesTime travel

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About this book

"...And It Comes Out Here" by Lester Del Rey is a science fiction short story published in the early 1950s. The narrative explores complex concepts of time travel and self-reference, revolving around the themes of invention and causality. The story raises philosophical questions about the nature of existence and the potential consequences of meddling with time. The plot follows Jerome Boell, an engineer who invents a time machine, allowing him to revisit his past and ultimately create a paradox. After meeting his older self, he embarks on a journey to the future, where he retrieves an atomic generator that he will later claim to have invented. As the narrative unfolds, the distinctions between creator and creation blur, leading to the realization that Boell's inventions and the timeline's events are intricately connected in a loop that defies conventional understanding. The story grapples with the implications of such a timeline, leaving readers to ponder who truly is the inventor and what this means for the nature of knowledge and progress.

Reading guide

Themes, characters and key ideas in ...And It Comes Out Here, written by Chaptra AI.

  • about 1 hours
  • intermediate
  • mysterious
  • thought-provoking
  • paradoxical

Lester Del Rey's "...And It Comes Out Here" is a seminal 1950s science fiction short story that delves into the intricate paradoxes of time travel and self-reference. It centers on Jerome Boell, an engineer who invents a time machine, only to find himself entangled in an ontological loop where he is both the inventor and the beneficiary of his own future self's actions. The narrative meticulously blurs the lines between creator and creation, as Boell retrieves an atomic generator from the future that he will ostensibly invent in the past, thus questioning the very origin of knowledge and invention. The story is a profound exploration of causality, determinism, and the philosophical implications of a closed timelike curve, leaving readers to ponder the nature of existence within a self-sustaining temporal paradox.

“"It came out here, of course. Where else could it come from?"”

Key themes

Causality and Paradox
The central theme of the story, exploring the bootstrap or ontological paradox where an object or information exists without a true origin, being sent back in time to become its own past. Boell's time machine and atomic generator are prime examples, creating a closed causal loop that defies linear understanding.
Invention and Knowledge
The story profoundly questions the source and nature of invention and knowledge. If an invention like the atomic generator is simply 'found' in the future and then 'created' in the past, it blurs the distinction between discovery and invention, and challenges the concept of original thought or creation. It asks who truly deserves credit for an invention that has no singular starting point.
Free Will vs. Determinism
As Boell realizes he is part of an inescapable temporal loop, the story raises questions about whether his actions are truly free or if he is simply fulfilling a predetermined destiny. His choices, while seemingly his own, are revealed to be necessary components of the loop's existence, suggesting a deterministic universe where events must unfold in a specific way.

Worth discussing

How does Del Rey's story challenge our conventional understanding of linear time and causality?

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