The Voices of Time (short story)
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The Voices of Time is a dystopian science fiction short story by J. G. Ballard. It was first published in 1960. It is an early example of the Inner Space type of story which drove the New Wave movement in the 1960's. Its primary theme is one which was common in the New Wave, that of entropy and the breakdown of all things.
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[edit] Plot summary
In a sense, the story has little or no plot. Instead we follow a scientist, Powers, who is in a state of mental and physical decline. He works at a research clinic in a landscape of hills and dry salt lake beds, somewhat like the deserts of California. He has done research into [[from other galaxies. It has been estimated that when the countdown reaches zero, the Universe will have just ended. Kaldren grabs Powers by the arm and warns him:
- You're not alone, Powers, don't think you are. These are the voices of time, and they're all saying goodbye to you ... every particle in your body, every grain of sand, every galaxy carries the same signature ... you know what the time is now, so what does the rest matter?
Powers has for some time been recreating Whitby's mandala on a grand scale, using concrete on an old artillery range. Having performed some procedure on himself, he goes to it one last time, lost in a wash of sound only he can hear, coming from the rocks, the ancient hills, and the very stars themselves. At the center of the structure, turning toward the great galaxies that broadcast Kaldren's countdowns, he feels a stream of time coming to bear him away, and gives himself up to it.
His body is found by Coma, just as Whitby's was found earlier. Whitby's lab is in chaos as the life-forms have mutated and run riot, and it is obvious that Powers has used the equipment on himself. Kaldren secludes himself in his house.
[edit] References to real places, events and science
Ballard's story is more psychological than scientific, so some inaccuracies are inevitable. One concerns the countdowns that Kaldren collects. He says that the actual numbers are much longer than the ones with which he harasses Powers, which are 24-digit numbers. According to Kaldren, the actual ones received have "50 million digits". In fact, a countdown to the death of the Universe would use much shorter numbers. Even if the shortest possible unit of time, the Planck time, was used, the life of the Universe could be expressed with as few as four hundred digits. The current age of the Universe, in units of the Planck time, is thought to be a 61-digit number.
One of the background stories involves the experiences of a group of astronauts who landed on the moon. They sent back messages describing meetings with beings from Orion who revealed the truth about the Universe to them, and were never heard from again. The name used for the astronauts is the "Mercury Seven". The actual astronauts for Project Mercury were announced in 1959, the year before this story was published. It is likely that Ballard simply co-opted the name. If he did not, then we must assume a coincidence of cosmic proportions.
[edit] Interesting connection
In the Charles and Ray Eames video "The Powers of Ten," a copy of "The Voices of Time" rests on the picnic blanket in the starting scene.
[edit] External links
- The Voices of Time publication history at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database
- The Terminal Collection: JG Ballard First Editions
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