The Lucky Strike (2009)

by Kim Stanley Robinson

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180	14	160,633	(4.03)	15
Combining dazzling speculation with a profoundly humanist vision, this astounding alternate history tale presents a dramatic encounter with destiny wrapped around a simple yet provocative premise: the terrifying question of what might have happened if the fateful flight over Hiroshima had gone a bit differently. An extensive interview with the author, offering insight into his fiction and philosophies, is also included.… (more)

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A long story about what would have happened if the bombardier had dropped the bomb not on Hiroshima but in the ocean, which is a nice exploration of the idea, though it's a bit short. The second part of the book is an essay on alternate histories, and the third is an excellent interview with Terry Bisson. Well worth the hour or so it takes to read the book. (

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pstevem | Aug 19, 2024 |

I don't always love Kim Stanley Robinson (I thought the Mars trilogy could have been one book, with far less useless words) but Lucky Strike and the other story were just the right mix of good story telling and a wise use of words. There is a lot of depth in a small amount of pages. I really want to give it four and a half stars, but that's not an option (

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bookonion | Mar 10, 2024 |

Alternate history of bombing of Japan. Includes interview with author

ritaer | Oct 24, 2023 |

Interesting alt-history. I also found very interesting the essay(?) after the story, which followed other potential outcomes if events had gone slightly differently. (

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Jon_Hansen | Dec 27, 2021 |

Interesting alt history story, the essay that follows shows a little of the thought process in evaluating historical events, and alt-history. The interview by the fellow author Terry Bisson helps round out knowledge of the author if the reader is new to Robinson. It's a shame after reading this fine short story to see that the author now focuses entirely on novels. I grew up on short story SF and really miss it. (

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kevn57 | Dec 8, 2021 |

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Ayrıntı Bilimkurgu Dizisi (5)

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Contains

The Lucky Strike {novelette} by Kim Stanley Robinson

A Sensitive Dependence On Initial Conditions [short fiction] by Kim Stanley Robinson

A History of the Twentieth Century, with Illustrations [short fiction] by Kim Stanley Robinson (indirect)

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Canonical title

The Lucky Strike

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2009

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World War II (1939 | 1945)

Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki (1945)

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Combining dazzling speculation with a profoundly humanist vision, this astounding alternate history tale presents a dramatic encounter with destiny wrapped around a simple yet provocative premise: the terrifying question of what might have happened if the fateful flight over Hiroshima had gone a bit differently. An extensive interview with the author, offering insight into his fiction and philosophies, is also included.

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