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Pangborn's paradox

Written by David Mason

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Science FictionShort storiesTime travel

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About this book

"Pangborn's Paradox" by David Mason is a short science fiction tale written in the mid-20th century. The story revolves around a group of academic characters engaged in witty discussions about temporal paradoxes and the theoretical implications of time travel. The narrative explores the philosophical and practical challenges posed by time travel, particularly through the lens of a grand experiment involving the protagonist's grandfather. In this story, the main character Pangborn, a member of the Physics department, proposes to use a temporal transducer to go back in time and kill his grandfather, seeking to demonstrate the paradoxes surrounding existence and causality. The scene shifts to a bar in the past where Pangborn confronts his grandfather, leading to an unexpected turn of events where the grandfather, armed and aware, shoots Pangborn instead. This twist complicates the original assumption about time travel and its consequences, leaving the observers—and readers—intrigued by the implications of the experiment. The narrative culminates in a humorous yet thought-provoking reflection on existence, identity, and the nature of time itself.

Reading guide

Themes, characters and key ideas in Pangborn's paradox, written by Chaptra AI.

  • about 8 hours
  • intermediate
  • humorous
  • philosophical
  • intriguing

David Mason's "Pangborn's Paradox" is a mid-20th century science fiction short story centered on academic characters debating and experimenting with temporal paradoxes. The narrative follows Pangborn, a physicist, who devises an experiment using a temporal transducer to travel back in time and kill his own grandfather, aiming to prove the inherent paradoxes of existence and causality. However, the experiment takes an unexpected turn when, upon confronting his grandfather in the past, Pangborn is shot by the grandfather, who is inexplicably armed and aware of the situation. This twist challenges the initial assumptions about time travel's consequences and leaves both the in-story observers and the reader pondering the nature of causality, free will, and identity. The story concludes with a blend of humor and profound philosophical reflection on the fundamental aspects of time and existence.

“"The very fabric of causality hangs by a thread, gentlemen. It's time we tugged it."”

Key themes

Temporal Paradoxes and Causality
The central theme of the story, exploring the logical contradictions inherent in time travel, particularly the grandfather paradox. The narrative initially sets up Pangborn's attempt to create a direct paradox, only to subvert it with an unexpected outcome that forces a re-examination of how causality might operate under such conditions.
Free Will vs. Determinism
This theme is profoundly explored through the grandfather's actions. Pangborn's experiment is an attempt to demonstrate a deterministic paradox (if he kills his grandfather, he shouldn't exist). However, the grandfather's awareness and active resistance introduce an element of free will or unexpected agency that disrupts the predetermined outcome, challenging a purely deterministic view of time.
The Nature of Time and Reality
Beyond mere paradoxes, the story prompts a deeper inquiry into the fundamental nature of time itself. Is it linear, cyclical, or something more complex? The unexpected twist suggests that reality might have inherent mechanisms to resist logical contradictions, or that our understanding of time is incomplete, leading to a thought-provoking reflection on what constitutes 'existence' when causality is challenged.

Worth discussing

How does Pangborn's experiment challenge our understanding of causality and the grandfather paradox?

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