This is the 19th in a deep-dive series on the stories in Rick’s newest book, Random Precision. The following blog includes spoilers.
The idea of quantum dice isn’t mine. I read a thought piece (I think it was in Scientific American) about quantum dice as a way to illustrate quantum mechanics—in this case, how that feeds into alternate realities. I’ve always been drawn to multiverse tales for the same reason I enjoy time travel stories: the idea that you can change your reality to something else. Larry Niven’s “All The Myriad Ways” does an outstanding job with this concept. (And the ending of “A Throw of the Dice” takes a small inspiration from that story.)
Of course, the twist here is that Trevor Gaine has been rewriting his reality all along, without dabbling in quantum mechanics. He does it simply by not being accountable for it—running away from it, in fact. But the simple truth is, his sins (like ours) are destined to find him out. At some point, we must be accountable to our past, our present and our future.
I placed this story in Tucson because I’d recently visited there, though I didn’t visit any such bars. As for the London pub, applause for anyone who catches the classic Monty Python reference!
The idea of quantum dice isn’t mine. I read a thought piece (I think it was in Scientific American) about quantum dice as a way to illustrate quantum mechanics—in this case, how that feeds into alternate realities. I’ve always been drawn to multiverse tales for the same reason I enjoy time travel stories: the idea that you can change your reality to something else. Larry Niven’s “All The Myriad Ways” does an outstanding job with this concept. (And the ending of “A Throw of the Dice” takes a small inspiration from that story.)
Of course, the twist here is that Trevor Gaine has been rewriting his reality all along, without dabbling in quantum mechanics. He does it simply by not being accountable for it—running away from it, in fact. But the simple truth is, his sins (like ours) are destined to find him out. At some point, we must be accountable to our past, our present and our future.
I placed this story in Tucson because I’d recently visited there, though I didn’t visit any such bars. As for the London pub, applause for anyone who catches the classic Monty Python reference!
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