Shadows of Eternity, by Gregory Benford

[Anthology]

★★★★☆ Fun technical problem in a cool setting

(SF) There’s something about the recordings from probes sent to nearby stars that Rachael is determined to figure out, even though her teachers keep warning her not to waste her time if she wants to graduate. (8,293 words; Time: 27m)

Recommended By: NClarke+2

Although this was originally published in the UK in 2017, the first US Publication was in March 2018, so it should be eligible for the 2019 Hugo Awards at the 2019 WorldCon, to be held in Dublin.

"Shadows of Eternity," by Gregory Benford [bio] (edited by Nick Gevers), appeared in Extrasolar (RSR review), published on March 1, 2018 by PS Publishing.

Mini-Review (click to view--possible spoilers)

Pro: Rachael’s enthusiasm is contagious. We too really want to know what happened to those probes, and Prefect’s continual efforts to discourage her are annoying—until we understand that it was all an act. Then it’s very satisfying that she’s rewarded for her hard work and her original discovery.

Con: It’s hard to believe that humanity quit sending out new probes once we started getting broadcasts from beacons left by dead civilizations. In particular, you’d think someone would want to follow up on worlds that actually had life on them.

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Gregory Benford Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline

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