Message from a Time Traveler

Dan Simmons - Official Web Site ^ | April 1, 2006 | Dan Simmons

[Trampled by Lambs]

three words that refer to people, places, or events that everyone from the Time Traveller's time would recognize as significant, but anyone in our time would be baffled by.

Bingo! Something along the lines of "Atlanta, Seattle, Houston"... or three equivalent places that were destroyed by Islam in some huge attack that shocked the world. The author left them intentionally vague.

No, I don't think so. He says:

"It was not the horrors of his revelations about my grandchildren that had shaken me the most deeply, shaken me to the core of my core, but rather the the Time Traveler’s last three words."

So the words had to have meant something specific to him.

[Knitting A Conundrum]

Suspect it would be cities that he didn't mention monuments destroyed. That would leave Seattle out, cause he mentions the space needle, but he doesn't mention anything in NYC or LA that I noticed...

[Slip18]

"They're all dead, Dave." My favorite line. Have the whole series on DVD. LOL!

[Bear_in_RoseBear]

Quoting the story:

“ Enjoy these last days and months and years of your slumber, Grandfather,” said the scarred old man. “Your wake-up call is coming soon.”

The Time Traveler said three last words and was gone.

So I suspect that from the tone of the conversation, the author recognized the three words as a prophecy of what would come, the "wake-up call". Perhaps some great atrocity committed in the name of Islam, the name of a city (or cities) destroyed, or the date when it would happen.

He knows when and/or where it will happen, but doesn't want to say for fear of being labelled a nut or a racist.

[Slip18]

I did share with one FReeper. So there. Another poster in here guessed it, but then guessed another guess. Double guess, not fair.

[SlowBoat407]

Statue of Liberty

[Slip18]

Twilight Zone episode. It was great!

[null and void]

Good-bye Philadelphia...

[Knitting A Conundrum]

Thought of that too...but I don't think it would haunt him enough...

[Slip18]

Another Red Dwarf nut! LOL!

[archy]

So I think the words are on that order, three words that refer to people, places, or events that everyone from the Time Traveller's time would recognize as significant, but anyone in our time would be baffled by.

Anyone from our time, but not necessarily by someone from before our time. Rember, the three words have to be instructive, and offer an effective course for tipping the eventual outcome...or else they're of no use.

My bet? Hellroaring Jake Smith.

[calljack]

Why exactly do you have the answer and nobody else.
So far as I can tell, your main clue has been discredited.
Three times vs I will not say in this article.
What's up?

[Doomonyou]

doink

[Slip18]

Try to take away our guns, and you're dead and everyone else with you!

[Slip18]

I read the article twice because I remembered the three words coming up more than once. And it makes sense.

[Sam Cree]

" Enjoy these last days and months and years of your slumber, Grandfather,' said the scarred old man."

Has anyone guessed yet that the three words were:

"I'm your grandson"?

[JDoutrider]

Ping!

[Junior_G]

What three words?

[Slip18]

"Rember, the three words have to be instructive, and offer an effective course for tipping the eventual outcome...or else they're of no use."

You've got it.

[Slip18]

Two other posters came up with the three words, too. Not just me.