Destiny Times Three / Riding the Torch

by Fritz Leiber, Norman Spinrad

Riding the Torch
by Norman Spinrad
Two thousand spaceships drive through the void, carrying everything that survives of Earth's life, searching for a new home for man - but the endless depths of space hold an ultimate, unfaceable secret...

Destiny Times Three
by Fritz Leiber
The Probability Engine made differing timelines a reality: alternate universes real enough to exist side by side - and to be invaded...

Genres: Science Fiction, Short Stories, Fiction

251 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1978

About the author

Fritz Reuter Leiber Jr. was one of the more interesting of the young writers who came into HP Lovecraft's orbit, and some of his best early short fiction is horror rather than sf or fantasy. He found his mature voice early in the first of the sword-and-sorcery adventures featuring the large sensitive barbarian Fafhrd and the small street-smart-ish Gray Mouser; he returned to this series at various points in his career, using it sometimes for farce and sometimes for gloomy mood pieces--The Swords of Lankhmar is perhaps the best single volume of their adventures. Leiber's science fiction includes the planet-smashing The Wanderer in which a large cast mostly survive flood, fire, and the sexual attentions of feline aliens, and the satirical A Spectre is Haunting Texas in which a gangling, exo-skeleton-clad actor from the Moon leads a revolution and finds his true love. Leiber's late short fiction, and the fine horror novel Our Lady of Darkness, combine autobiographical issues like his struggle with depression and alcoholism with meditations on the emotional content of the fantastic genres. Leiber's capacity for endless self-reinvention and productive self-examination kept him, until his death, one of the most modern of his sf generation.

Used These Alternate Names: Maurice Breçon, Fric Lajber, Fritz Leiber, Jr., Fritz R. Leiber, Fritz Leiber Jun., Фриц Лейбер, F. Lieber, フリッツ・ライバー

Reviews

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. I have only read "Riding the Torch" so my review is based on this novella. A post apocalyptic story of mankind traveling in space in search of a world to replace the now dead Earth. The main character, Jofe D'mahl, is a "sensory artist" whose art allows the audience to experience the artist's work through sensory experiences. When it is announced that a new planet has been found Jofe goes along on the expedition only to make a frightning discovery that will change mankind forever. A superb story. Highly recommended.

Nominee: Hugo (Retro) Award for Best Science Fiction Novel (Destiny Times Three)

[Erin Markel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Both of these stories were really neat twists on two classic concepts: parallel realities, and a space colony looking for a habitable planet. However, they were really difficult to get into and stick with, because they were written for someone who already knew the worlds and the terms, and there wasn't much explanation for a lot of what was going on.

[Drew · Rating 2 out of 5]

Leiber’s Destiny Times Three was cool idea but would have made a better short story. It dragged on too long. Spinrad’s Riding the Torch just didn’t grab me at all.

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

A piece of 1945 Sci Fi that didn't come off feeling silly.