The Year's Best Science Fiction & Fantasy 7

NIGHTMARE IN TIME by Fredric Brown

Chances are that no one could have composed this short-shortshort horror story except a man who worked as a proofreader for some twenty years, before turning in desperation to writing.

Professor Jones had been working on his time theory for many years.

“And I have found the key equation,” he told his daughter one day. ‘Time is a field. This machine I have made can manipulate, even reverse, that field.”

Pushing a button as he spoke, he said, “This should make time run backward run time make should this,” said he, spoke he as button a pushing.

“Field that, reverse even, manipulate can made have I machine this. Field a is time.” Day one daughter his told he, “Equation key the found have I and.”

Years many for theory time his on working been had Jones Professor.