Cassandra (short story)
| "Cassandra" | |
|---|---|
| Author | C. J. Cherryh |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Science fiction, short story |
| Published in | The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction |
| Publication type | Periodical |
| Publisher | Mercury Publications |
| Media type | Print (magazine) |
| Publication date | 1978 |
"Cassandra" is a science fiction short story written by American science fiction and fantasy author C. J. Cherryh. It was first published in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction in October 1978, and won the Hugo Award for Best Short Story in 1979. It was only her second published short story, after "The Dark King" (1977).
Background
C. J. Cherryh is best known for her science fiction and fantasy novels, and the bulk of her work comprises novels. Short story writing is an activity she generally only undertakes upon request or when an idea surfaces that does not lend itself to a novel. Receiving a Hugo Award for this story therefore came as a complete surprise to Cherryh.[1]
This short story is Cherryh's modern take on the Greek mythological figure Cassandra who had the gift of prophecy.[1]
Plot summary
The gift of prescience, rather than a blessing, is a curse for Cassandra that she cannot control. She sees the future all the time and cannot turn it off. She leaves her burning apartment each morning and heads for the bombed-out coffee shop, passing charred corpses on the way. She knows it's going to happen but can do nothing about it. When the bombs do come and fire engulfs the city, her foresight actually saves her, but at what cost? She is the sole beneficiary of her misfortune in an otherwise non-functional existence.
Publication history
- The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, October 1978
- The 1979 Annual World's Best SF, 1979
- Science Fiction Story Reader 13 (German), 1980
- Nebula Winners Fourteen, 1980
- Univers 1980 (French), 1980
- Fantastyka 3(6) marzec 1983 (Polish), 1983
- The Hugo Winners, Volume 4: 1976–1979, 1985
- Visible Light, 1986
- The Dark Void, 1987
- The SF Collection, 1994
- Women of Wonder, the Contemporary Years: Science Fiction by Women from the 1970s to the 1990s, 1995
- The Unexplained: Stories of the Paranormal, 1998
- The Collected Short Fiction of C. J. Cherryh, 2004
Awards and nominations
- 1979 – Hugo Award for Best Short Story: winner[2]
- 1979 – Nebula Award for Best Short Story: runner up[3]
- 1979 – Locus Award for Best Short Story: runner up[4]
- 1999 – Named one of Locus magazine's 50 best science fiction short stories of all time[5]
References
- C. J. Cherryh. The Collected Short Fiction of C. J. Cherryh. DAW Books 2004. ISBN 0-7564-0217-4.
- 1 2 Cherryh, C. J. (2004). "Introduction". The Collected Short Fiction of C. J. Cherryh. DAW Books. p. x. ISBN 0-7564-0217-4.
- ↑ "1979 Hugo Awards". Locus. Retrieved 2012-01-26.
- ↑ "1979 Nebula Awards". Locus. Retrieved 2012-01-26.
- ↑ "1979 Locus Awards". Locus. Retrieved 2012-01-26.
- ↑ "1999 Locus All-Time Poll". Locus. Archived from the original on 2011-06-06. Retrieved 2012-01-26.
External links
- C. J. Cherryh's homepage. Bibliography of C.J. Cherryh.
- Cassandra title listing at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database.
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