Joe Haldeman wrote the best novel on the effects of time dilation with The Forever War and when it is done well, it is a powerful storytelling device. This story translated from Korean by Sophie Bowman is told through a series of letters written by a man to his wife-to-be, as they are both travelling to Earth to get married.

I'm Waiting for You and Other Stories

The writer of the letters is very eager to leave Alpha Centauri to return to Earth for his wedding with his fiancée. She is also travelling home from another star system and they have their journeys planned so they both arrive close to their wedding on Earth. However, with interstellar travel at light speeds - even minor disruptions or delays can mean years in Earth time.

A series of unfortunate events and bad decisions makes their plans go south. Months becomes years and years becomes decades for the poor guy. The letters gets increasingly more sad and desperate to read.

As the time difference becomes even greater the story evolves into something larger than the simple marriage story it began with. It goes unexpected places and while the letter format continues, it kept surprising me. A very well written emotional love story.

Read in The Best Science Fiction of the Year - Volume 7, edited by Neil Clarke
Originally published in I’m Waiting for You and Other Stories
Rating: 4