[sammas]

Hi. About 20 years ago I read a short story that I think might have been called something like "now positive, now negative". I've been searching online for months, but to no avail.

The story was about a man who was in contact with his future and past selves. One day he loses contact with his future self. Not knowing what has happened, the tension increases until we find he has met a woman, and when he is with this woman his temporal talent is blocked. It turns out the woman oscillates through time uncontrollably and has a pendant that blocks temporal effects.

I am not certain how well I remember the story - it might have been really bad - but if any kind person knows the title or author it will solve a 20 year old mystery for me.

[tdeanatoz@yahoo]

Here's your answer:

(Now+n), (Now-n), Robert Silverberg, (nv) NOVA 2, ed. Harry Harrison, Walker 1972

Available in these books:

UNFAMILIAR TERRITORY, Robert Silverberg, Scribner’s 1973 / Berkeley 1978
INFINITE JESTS, ed. Robert Silverberg, Chilton 1974
BEYOND THE SAFE ZONE, Robert Silverberg, Donald I. Fine 1986 / Warner (1987?)

I would recommend getting BEYOND THE SAFE ZONE if you're interested in reading this story again; it's actually a thick omnibus of 3 previous Silverberg collections: UNFAMILIAR TERRITORY, THE FEAST OF ST. DIONYSUS & CAPRICORN GAMES. Definitely worth the money.

Here's a story description from Silverberg's website, www.majipoor.com:

A man with the telepathic ability to communicate with himself through time uses his power to play the stock market. Everything goes fine until a woman with a power of her own shows up. The title of this story is printed differently in every publication where I've seen it. Sometimes it's in brackets, sometimes not. In the story, plain parentheses are used.

[sammas]

Thankyou thankyou thankyou thankyou! You have managed to prevent my impending madness. Thanks so much for providing me with such a definitive answer so fast. I truly appreciate it.