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IHU
A science fiction short story.
Approaching universal truth from seemingly diametric angles, an astronomer and a philosopher find their paths unexpectedly entangled on the day before an extraordinary event.
Click to Read Sample
*this story also available in the paperback collection
Stories and Essays
Approaching universal truth from seemingly diametric angles, an astronomer and a philosopher find their paths unexpectedly entangled on the day before an extraordinary event.
Click to Read Sample
*this story also available in the paperback collection
Stories and Essays
18 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 1, 2012
12 people want to read
About the author
Cliff Hays
8 books108 followersMusician and author from the USA, primarily influenced by mathematics, science, and philosophy. Has written two science fiction short stories
Dual Void
and
IHU
; one work of mathematics
Bivalent Logic
; two works of epistemology and philosophy of science
Aamrgan
and
On the Preservation of Enthusiasm
; as well as
Essays in Science and Philosophy [2004 - 2009]
(seven essays exploring and explicating various interrelated topics, such as: temporality, gravity, relativity, epistemology, agnosticism, metaphysics, existentialism, consciousness, music, art, physics, and cosmology).
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
July 3, 2020
Which is scarier: science or philosophy?
This fascinating short piece of speculative fiction explores the search for the divine from the points of view of the scientist and the philosopher. An astrophysicist and a philosopher are both searching for what came before the Big Bang. One of them achieves her goal. It seems that when the divine becomes manifest, it will inevitably destroy the thing that threatens its existence.
There are a few points that I don’t quite get, like the bite of the “oasean sable.” A sable is a type of marten native to Russia and Japan, and when you Google “oasean,” you learn it’s a type of massage therapy. I think one should simply ascribe this later part of the story to the growing delusional state of the main character. By the way, “IHU” are the initials of the university that forms the setting of the story.
Postscript to this review: It suddenly came to me in the middle of the night that “oasean” was an adjective for “oasis.” The character is supposed to be in an oasis. If you look “oasis” up in a dictionary, it gives oasitic, oasal, and oasean as adjectives. Nothing to do with massage therapy, I presume. I simply didn’t make the connection.
This fascinating short piece of speculative fiction explores the search for the divine from the points of view of the scientist and the philosopher. An astrophysicist and a philosopher are both searching for what came before the Big Bang. One of them achieves her goal. It seems that when the divine becomes manifest, it will inevitably destroy the thing that threatens its existence.
There are a few points that I don’t quite get, like the bite of the “oasean sable.” A sable is a type of marten native to Russia and Japan, and when you Google “oasean,” you learn it’s a type of massage therapy. I think one should simply ascribe this later part of the story to the growing delusional state of the main character. By the way, “IHU” are the initials of the university that forms the setting of the story.
Postscript to this review: It suddenly came to me in the middle of the night that “oasean” was an adjective for “oasis.” The character is supposed to be in an oasis. If you look “oasis” up in a dictionary, it gives oasitic, oasal, and oasean as adjectives. Nothing to do with massage therapy, I presume. I simply didn’t make the connection.
August 8, 2014
Another great story by Cliff Hays! This one seems like a natural progression from his excellent nonfiction books on science and philosophy. Here he incorporates his understanding of both fields into a tragic but enlightening account of a budding friendship between two women.
The author skillfully combines his interests in astronomy and philosophy into two characters, a philosopher and a cosmologist. Though they see the world in divergent ways they discover that they have similar aims.
However, their uneasy conversations invite the reader to make comparisons: How are the goals of science and philosophy different? How are they the same? Is one approach right and the other wrong? Can the two coexist comfortably, if at all, within the same intellectual framework?
Though the conversations between the women are cordial, subtle tension runs beneath the surface, yet the outward appearance of harmony makes the climax all the more surprising.
Cliff Hays has demonstrated remarkable creativity in transforming his understanding of two different fields into a fictional union. Thanks to the author for sharing his interests in the philosophical and the astronomical in a way that is so wonderfully clever and memorable.
The author skillfully combines his interests in astronomy and philosophy into two characters, a philosopher and a cosmologist. Though they see the world in divergent ways they discover that they have similar aims.
However, their uneasy conversations invite the reader to make comparisons: How are the goals of science and philosophy different? How are they the same? Is one approach right and the other wrong? Can the two coexist comfortably, if at all, within the same intellectual framework?
Though the conversations between the women are cordial, subtle tension runs beneath the surface, yet the outward appearance of harmony makes the climax all the more surprising.
Cliff Hays has demonstrated remarkable creativity in transforming his understanding of two different fields into a fictional union. Thanks to the author for sharing his interests in the philosophical and the astronomical in a way that is so wonderfully clever and memorable.
January 22, 2015
Best described as a striking blend of the cerebral and phantasmagorical, IHU is yet another exceptional short story by the clever author, Cliff Hays! In the beginning, I was genuinely captivated by the emerging bond between the two characters whose diametric approach towards universal truth did not seem to deter them from shared discourse or friendship. Following their initial meeting, however, surreal and emotionally disturbing events began to transpire. While I was left shaken and stunned by those tragic events leading up to the conclusion, I found myself at the end of the story questioning the very nature and meaning of what I had just read! Seriously, the end is mind-blowing!
So, aside from being a fantastic story filled with multiple contemplation points pertaining to life, death, truth, pain, happiness, etc., I thought IHU served as both an expert and artistic illustration of the harmonies and contrasts that can be found between scientific and philosophical methodologies. Assuredly, IHU has earned its place on my all time sci-fi favorites list and I would like to encourage everyone to read this story because it is so awesome!
So, aside from being a fantastic story filled with multiple contemplation points pertaining to life, death, truth, pain, happiness, etc., I thought IHU served as both an expert and artistic illustration of the harmonies and contrasts that can be found between scientific and philosophical methodologies. Assuredly, IHU has earned its place on my all time sci-fi favorites list and I would like to encourage everyone to read this story because it is so awesome!
July 23, 2015
Philosophy meets astronomy in this ambitious short story. Abstract concepts become more concrete when streamed through the viewpoints of two women, one a philosopher who struggles to reach a state of pure meditation and transcendence, and the other an astronomy professor whose work is her sole purpose in life, though she yearns for motherhood, too. When these two women cross paths, things may never be the same--either for them or the world. An enjoyable, thought-provoking read.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews