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Cover of In the Cards

In the Cards

Written by Alan Cogan

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Science FictionShort storiesTime travel

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About this book

"In the Cards" by Alan Cogan is a science fiction narrative written in the mid-20th century. The story delves into the implications of time travel through a device called the Grundy Projector, allowing individuals to peer into their future for personal insight. The book explores the drastic impact of knowing one's future and how this knowledge affects relationships and life decisions. The plot centers around Gerald, who anticipates his marriage to Marge while using the time projector to glimpse their life together two years down the line. Disturbingly, he witnesses a future filled with conflict and despair between them, leading him to question whether to proceed with their wedding. As society becomes engulfed in time projection, Gerald realizes that knowing the future could deterministically dictate people's actions, often leading to self-fulfilling prophecies. Eventually, unable to cope with their predicted fate, Gerald and Marge decide to escape to the past, only to find themselves grappling with new challenges while subtly navigating their predetermined lives. The narrative raises questions about free will, destiny, and how knowledge of the future can profoundly alter human behavior, leaving readers to consider the value of uncertainty in life.

Reading guide

Themes, characters and key ideas in In the Cards, written by Chaptra AI.

  • about 8 hours
  • intermediate
  • Thought-provoking
  • Philosophical
  • Dystopian

Alan Cogan's "In the Cards" is a mid-20th century science fiction novel that explores the profound implications of time travel through the Grundy Projector, a device allowing individuals to glimpse their future. The story centers on Gerald, who uses the projector to foresee a bleak, conflict-ridden future with his fiancée, Marge, leading him to question their impending marriage. As society grapples with the widespread use of this technology, Gerald observes how knowing the future often leads to self-fulfilling prophecies, eroding free will. Ultimately, Gerald and Marge attempt to escape their predetermined fate by fleeing to the past, only to find themselves subtly navigating the very challenges they sought to avoid. The narrative serves as a compelling philosophical inquiry into destiny, personal agency, and the hidden value of life's inherent uncertainties.

“To see the future is not to control it, but perhaps to become its prisoner.”

Key themes

Free Will vs. Determinism
This is the central philosophical question of the novel. The Grundy Projector explicitly forces characters and society to confront whether their actions are truly their own or if they are merely fulfilling a predetermined script. The book suggests that the knowledge of the future itself can become a deterministic force, paradoxically leading individuals to enact the very fate they foresaw, thereby blurring the lines between choice and inevitability.
The Burden of Knowledge
The novel explores the psychological weight and moral dilemmas associated with possessing foresight. While knowledge is often equated with power, "In the Cards" demonstrates how knowing one's future can be a crippling burden, leading to anxiety, despair, and a loss of spontaneity. It highlights the human tendency to try to control outcomes, and the unforeseen negative consequences of such control.
The Value of Uncertainty
Counterbalancing the burden of knowledge, this theme implicitly argues for the essential role of the unknown and uncertainty in human life. The narrative suggests that it is in the absence of absolute foresight that true choice, growth, and the richness of experience reside. Uncertainty allows for hope, surprise, and the genuine struggle that defines human existence and character development.

Worth discussing

How does 'In the Cards' challenge our understanding of free will versus destiny? Can true free will exist if the future is known?

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