Unborn Tomorrow by Mack Reynolds

“Unborn Tomorrow” by Mack Reynolds is a science fiction short story written in the late 1950s. The narrative explores the themes of time travel, immortality, and the consequences of altering the past. It humorously examines the absurdity of a detective’s foray into the world of time travelers, highlighting the paradoxes and complexities involved in the idea of changing history. The story follows Simon, a detective who is hired by the eccentric Mr. Oyster to locate time travelers and discover the secrets of eternal youth and immortality. They eventually decide that the vibrant atmosphere of Munich’s Oktoberfest would be the perfect place to find such travelers, as anyone there would blend in with the crowd. However, after a series of misadventures, Simon realizes that instead of valuable knowledge, he only brings back a hangover from drinking the strong local beer. With his humorous and somewhat cynical perspective, Simon concludes that while the allure of time travel and eternal life may be tempting, it ultimately leads to more complications than beneficial outcomes.