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The Old Equations
A married couple face eight years of separation as the husband goes off on a deep space mission. They knew it would be difficult, but they weren't prepared for the cruelty of the unknown. Coming to terms with new equations and ways of looking at the future is difficult enough, but can any relationship prevail when the only tie to the present starts to break down?
"An astonishing debut." -- John Joseph Adams, host, Geeks Guide to the Galaxy
This debut novelette by Jake Kerr is a modern classic of science fiction. Nominated for the Nebula Award, the Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award, and the StorySouth Million Writers Award, it immediately established Kerr as a modern force in science fiction's humanist tradition.
"Heartwrenching."
SF Revu
"An astonishing debut." -- John Joseph Adams, host, Geeks Guide to the Galaxy
This debut novelette by Jake Kerr is a modern classic of science fiction. Nominated for the Nebula Award, the Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award, and the StorySouth Million Writers Award, it immediately established Kerr as a modern force in science fiction's humanist tradition.
"Heartwrenching."
SF Revu
48 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 1, 2011
55 people want to read
About the author
Jake Kerr
59 books38 followersAfter fifteen years as a music industry journalist Jake Kerr's first published story, "The Old Equations," was nominated for the Nebula Award from the Science Fiction Writers of America and was shortlisted for the Theodore Sturgeon and StorySouth Million Writers awards. His stories have subsequently been published in magazines across the world, broadcast in multiple podcasts, and been published in multiple anthologies and year's best collections.
A graduate of Kenyon College, Kerr studied fiction under Ursula K. Le Guin and Peruvian playwright Alonso Alegria. He lives in Dallas, Texas, with his family and a menagerie of pets.
A graduate of Kenyon College, Kerr studied fiction under Ursula K. Le Guin and Peruvian playwright Alonso Alegria. He lives in Dallas, Texas, with his family and a menagerie of pets.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
February 26, 2015
Let’s get the science-y portion of the review out the way before I review this novelette, and I’m trying to simplify this as much as I can, so you get a general idea. The basis of this story builds on the idea that Albert Einstein died before he could put forth and advocate his complete theory of relativity. Because of this, in the year 2193, he’s considered a minor thinker who had ideas that stimulated scientific thought, but didn’t challenge thought. Some people even consider Einstein a bit of a crackpot. (Nerd note: Einstein’s teacher, Hermann Minkowski, actually put forth the theory and Einstein built on it.)
You’re asking: “What’s the point, Tiara?” The point, my friends, is this. Without the theory of relativity, you don’t get space-time continuum. Without space-time continuum, you don’t get the theory that time slows for people as they approach the speed of light. That means, without the theory of relativity, a person wouldn’t be aware that time is progressing much, much slower for them in space than it is on earth because they’re traveling at such an immense speed. For a rough example without any mathematical basis and just to give a general working idea, 8 hours on earth would be only 1 hour for a person moving in space. This is also touched on in the story just not in as much detail as I gave you.
Einstein's theory of relatively hasn't been discovered in this story. When they realize something weird is happening during James space mission. They revisit Einstein’s old theories and figure out that the mission will only take James 5 years, but 41 years will have progressed on earth by that time. They refuse to about mission.
It’s funny to think a story like this one would be so utterly heartbreaking, but it is. James and Kate (the couple in this story) begin this story with Kate trying to reassure herself that 10 years would be no time. However, even in James’ first year away from earth, he managed to miss so much life as seen when Kate updates him on their friends and family. They believe they’d get to live all the life James missed once he returned, but then, science happens. I actually teared up a little bit reading this as James and Kate tried to exchange their last messages to one another on a communication system that had been giving them problems since the beginning of the mission and was rapidly breaking down.
There’s just so much going on emotionally in this little story that hits hard and fast. Kate’s desperate need to “see” James’ words while he reassures her that he’ll always love her no matter what, that he’ll still want to hold her and be with her despite the fact that he’ll only be in his mid-thirties and she’d be nearing her 70s when he returns. The grim explanations from his coworkers on what was happening and how he’d just become a sort of focus point for this “new theory.”
My main problems come from the science part of the story and having a little trouble suspending belief where it’s concerned. While Einstein’s early death certainly presents an interesting conundrum, I don’t know if I can truly believe that no one at all in the scientific community couldn’t have come up with the theory by 2193, especially working on the fact that that theory wasn’t Einstein’s in totality and apparently, there was enough data out there on it for someone to have expounded upon earlier.
Also, it’s a little unclear whether space travel, even short space travel, has happened before this point. I’m going to assume it hasn’t since they still haven’t figured out time-space continuum, and it seems like, if space had been traveled even briefly before this point in the story, they’d have some working idea that something was going on with the time stream before sending James into space.
Despite that, this is one of those stories that will stay on my mind for quite a while as I contemplate James and Kate’s future. Can you even begin to imagine coming home after spending 5 years in space to an earth that has aged 41 years in your absence?
You’re asking: “What’s the point, Tiara?” The point, my friends, is this. Without the theory of relativity, you don’t get space-time continuum. Without space-time continuum, you don’t get the theory that time slows for people as they approach the speed of light. That means, without the theory of relativity, a person wouldn’t be aware that time is progressing much, much slower for them in space than it is on earth because they’re traveling at such an immense speed. For a rough example without any mathematical basis and just to give a general working idea, 8 hours on earth would be only 1 hour for a person moving in space. This is also touched on in the story just not in as much detail as I gave you.
Einstein's theory of relatively hasn't been discovered in this story. When they realize something weird is happening during James space mission. They revisit Einstein’s old theories and figure out that the mission will only take James 5 years, but 41 years will have progressed on earth by that time. They refuse to about mission.
It’s funny to think a story like this one would be so utterly heartbreaking, but it is. James and Kate (the couple in this story) begin this story with Kate trying to reassure herself that 10 years would be no time. However, even in James’ first year away from earth, he managed to miss so much life as seen when Kate updates him on their friends and family. They believe they’d get to live all the life James missed once he returned, but then, science happens. I actually teared up a little bit reading this as James and Kate tried to exchange their last messages to one another on a communication system that had been giving them problems since the beginning of the mission and was rapidly breaking down.
There’s just so much going on emotionally in this little story that hits hard and fast. Kate’s desperate need to “see” James’ words while he reassures her that he’ll always love her no matter what, that he’ll still want to hold her and be with her despite the fact that he’ll only be in his mid-thirties and she’d be nearing her 70s when he returns. The grim explanations from his coworkers on what was happening and how he’d just become a sort of focus point for this “new theory.”
My main problems come from the science part of the story and having a little trouble suspending belief where it’s concerned. While Einstein’s early death certainly presents an interesting conundrum, I don’t know if I can truly believe that no one at all in the scientific community couldn’t have come up with the theory by 2193, especially working on the fact that that theory wasn’t Einstein’s in totality and apparently, there was enough data out there on it for someone to have expounded upon earlier.
Also, it’s a little unclear whether space travel, even short space travel, has happened before this point. I’m going to assume it hasn’t since they still haven’t figured out time-space continuum, and it seems like, if space had been traveled even briefly before this point in the story, they’d have some working idea that something was going on with the time stream before sending James into space.
Despite that, this is one of those stories that will stay on my mind for quite a while as I contemplate James and Kate’s future. Can you even begin to imagine coming home after spending 5 years in space to an earth that has aged 41 years in your absence?
May 2, 2021
This debut novelette by Jake Kerr can be read for free on the website of Lightspeed Magazine (click here).
It was written in 2011 and nominated for the Nebula Award and the Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award.
James (30) and Kate (28) are a young and happily married couple.
But how will they cope with years of separation when James goes off on a deep space mission?
What makes this story really interesting, is the form in which it's presented.
We only get to read the messages that are written between James and the people he left behind on earth.
As the communication system is a bit unstable, there are some rules: the messages must be short (and once the character limit is reached they're automatically transmitted ) and there's a schedule to be followed. The even days are totally reserved to the ground team to handle the technical aspects of the space mission. Only on odd days James is allowed to communicate with his wife Kate.
Although the events are quite predictable and the use of different (short) names for the same persons may be a bit confusing in the beginning, the story manages to grab the reader's attention and let him/her sympathize with the characters. Thus the author will certainly strike a chord with certain readers.
It definitely resonated with me more than I expected.
It was written in 2011 and nominated for the Nebula Award and the Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award.
James (30) and Kate (28) are a young and happily married couple.
But how will they cope with years of separation when James goes off on a deep space mission?
What makes this story really interesting, is the form in which it's presented.
We only get to read the messages that are written between James and the people he left behind on earth.
As the communication system is a bit unstable, there are some rules: the messages must be short (and once the character limit is reached they're automatically transmitted ) and there's a schedule to be followed. The even days are totally reserved to the ground team to handle the technical aspects of the space mission. Only on odd days James is allowed to communicate with his wife Kate.
Although the events are quite predictable and the use of different (short) names for the same persons may be a bit confusing in the beginning, the story manages to grab the reader's attention and let him/her sympathize with the characters. Thus the author will certainly strike a chord with certain readers.
It definitely resonated with me more than I expected.
May 25, 2012
I like writers who push the envelope and are adventurous. SF is not an easy genre to write in. Not only do you have to suspend disbelief on the science but also must get the right pitch on the human part of the story. I like writers who try and put in the effort to get it right knowing that the reading demographic is broad with all sorts of extreme outlyers. For me, “Old Equations” is well worth the read, easily a 4 out of 5. It encourages you to read it all the way through to find out what the author has prepared to resolve the initial premise. And it stakes out real estate in your mind well after the reading with followup questions and ideas.
May 29, 2012
Short story, read online.
Interesting premise: what if Einstein died early and no one else discovered the theory of relativity, but we still pressed on with a deep space mission program. Interesting use of time codes in the story to demonstrate the time dilation. But in the end, I couldn't suspend my disbelief enough to buy the fact that relativity wasn't developed by someone else in Einstein's absence.
Interesting premise: what if Einstein died early and no one else discovered the theory of relativity, but we still pressed on with a deep space mission program. Interesting use of time codes in the story to demonstrate the time dilation. But in the end, I couldn't suspend my disbelief enough to buy the fact that relativity wasn't developed by someone else in Einstein's absence.
August 29, 2014
GREAT short story. Although since the beginning I got the point of the story, it is really enjoyable to get to know how the story itself goes through. For such a short story it gave me shivers at almost every paragraph :) I want more!!!!!!!
July 10, 2022
[เปิดเผยโครงเรื่องส่วนสำคัญ] เป็นเรื่องสั้นวิทยาศาสตร์สไตล์ "what if" หรือ "จะเป็นอย่างไรถ้าโลกไม่เป็นอย่างที่มันเป็นเพราะเหตุการณ์บางอย่างในอดีตเปลี่ยนไป" เป็นเหตุการณ์ในปี 2193 ของ possible world ที่ไอน์สไตน์ตายระหว่างสงครามโลกครั้งที่ 1 และไม่มีใครสนใจเปเปอร์เกี่ยวกับทฤษฎีสัมพัทธภาพของเขาเลย (Kerr บรรยายด้วยถ้อยคำ "a crackpot theoretical physicist from 200 years ago named Albert Einstein") ทำให้ตลอดสองร้อยปีของฟิสิกส์ขาดความคิดเกี่ยวกับสัมพัทธภาพไป ไม่รู้ว่าปริมาณเวลาเปลี่ยนไปตามกรอบอ้างอิง เป็นต้น เป็นโลกที่ก้าวหน้าด้วยควอนตัมฟิสิกส์ล้วน ๆ สามารถใช้ quantum entanglement เพื่อการสื่อสารทางไกลระหว่างโลกกับยานสำรวจอวกาศได้ (ทำยังไงก็ไม่รู้นะครับ แต่คงไม่ใช่แค่การส่ง information ผ่านการวัดสถานะทางควอนตัม เพราะคงติด no-go theorem) ในเรื่องนี้ เราได้อ่านเพียงข้อความสื่อสารระหว่างยานอวกาศซึ่งมีภารกิจ 10 ปี กับโลก แล้วเกิดเหตุการณ์ประหลาดเกี่ยวกับเวลาที่ไม่สอดคล้องกัน จนนำไปสู่การค้นพบว่าภารกิจยาวนานกว่าที่คิดไว้ตอนแรกเมื่อมองผ่านสายตาของคนบนโลก และสั้นกว่าเมื่อมองผ่านสายตาของยาน ประเด็นจึงเป็นความสัมพันธ์ระหว่างสามี (บนยาน) ภรรยา (บนโลก) ที่เพิ่งรู้ความจริงข้อนี้
setting ที่ชวนให้เรานึก (นอกตัวบท) ถึงโลกที่ควอนตัมไม่ผ่านการทุบตีจากไอน์สไตน์โดยตัวของมันเอง ก็ท้าทายจินตนาการแล้ว
setting ที่ชวนให้เรานึก (นอกตัวบท) ถึงโลกที่ควอนตัมไม่ผ่านการทุบตีจากไอน์สไตน์โดยตัวของมันเอง ก็ท้าทายจินตนาการแล้ว
June 4, 2021
A great short sci-fi story, fast-paced and emotion-packed.
August 6, 2023
I liked this quite a bit, although I would have preferred more of a conclusion than we got.
I'm not completely sure I buy the premise completely (they decided he could travel faster than the speed of light without apparently ever testing it to see if that was possible in any way? Really?), but it was intriguing and watching everyone deal with the fallout of discovering time was going to be moving quite differently than they expected was heartrending.
I'm not completely sure I buy the premise completely (they decided he could travel faster than the speed of light without apparently ever testing it to see if that was possible in any way? Really?), but it was intriguing and watching everyone deal with the fallout of discovering time was going to be moving quite differently than they expected was heartrending.
March 5, 2017
This short story is an outstanding take on an alternate future in which Einstein's Theory was relegated to the crackpot pile, and the first attempt at superluminal space travel reveals the surprise of relativity.
Read as part of the Lightspeed Magazine Sampler Issue that you can get for free here.
Read as part of the Lightspeed Magazine Sampler Issue that you can get for free here.
September 8, 2014
Thought-provoking and stuck with me, even though I don't tend to be a Sci-fi reader. I don't like endings like that, though. Might need to discuss with the author over drinks in a dark bar in a small college town...
April 17, 2015
The Old Equasions is the story of the longest of long distance relationships. I enjoyed it and would like to see more of the story. It is written in the style of a communication log, but that didn't hold back the plot or character development in the least. Well written and worth the price!
August 27, 2012
5/6/12 Loved this story. Can't stop thinking about it
August 11, 2014
Amazing short story!!!
August 25, 2014
The ending didn't.
September 9, 2014
Interesting idea. Didn't enjoy the dialog.
Want to read
January 5, 2015Free 01-05-15 (Sci-fi short)
http://smile.amazon.com/Old-Equations...
http://smile.amazon.com/Old-Equations...
March 6, 2016
A neat, dramatic way to experience relativity. (Listened to podcast)
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews