The Worlds of Joe Shannon

by Frank M. Robinson

"Sure I remember," I says. "What's this got to do with it?"

"What if people could choose the type of world they wanted to live in?"

I looks at him blankly. "I don't get it."

He fishes around for his pipe and lights up. "How big's the universe, Harry?"

"Now son, I got no idea how big the universe is and I says so. All I know is that it's big."

"Most scientists say the universe is infinite," Joe explains. "And if it's infinite, then it must have an infinite number of worlds in it. An actual world to match whatever kind of world you can dream up, let's say. All you have to do is step into the Paradise booth, put on the cap, visualize the kind of world you want to live in so it shows on the screen, and off you go!"

"You're kidding," I says feebly. "You don't really mean it."

He taps me on the chest with his finger and says: "Yes, I do really mean it, Harry. I've tried it and it works!"

And there I thought I had him. "If you went off to another world," I says slyly, "just how did you get back?"

"Built myself another machine," he says promptly.