In 1972, sci-fi
writer and publisher Lester del Rey launched a challenge to three well-known
authors of the genre: Poul Anderson, Robert Silverberg and Gordon R. Dickson. All
three should write a novella on a specific topic: the effect of an undeniable miracle
(the sun standing still) on human society. The three authors responded to the
challenge, and the three stories were published jointly in a book entitled The day the sun
stood still. In this post we shall consider the first of the
three, written by Poul Anderson, whose title is A chapter of Revelation.
In a
post in his blog, Pablo (a.k.a. sinopinionespropias)
specifies which, in his opinion, should be the characteristics of an undeniable
miracle:
1.
It must be a prophecy.
2.
Its materialization
should not depend on people.
3.
Your probability must
be negligible and calculable.
4.
It must be as concrete
as possible.
5.
It must maintain the
same demonstrative force with the passage of time.
6.
It must make sense at
all times.
