"Paying It Forward" is a science fiction

Science fiction

Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...

 short story

Short story

A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...

 published in 2003 by Michael A. Burstein

Michael A. Burstein

Michael A. Burstein is an American writer of science fiction. He was born in New York City, and grew up in the neighborhood of Forest Hills in the borough of Queens. He attended Hunter College High School in Manhattan...

. It was nominated for the 2004 Hugo Award for Best Short Story

Hugo Award for Best Short Story

The Hugo Awards are given every year by the World Science Fiction Society for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year. The award is named after Hugo Gernsback, the founder of the pioneering science fiction magazine Amazing Stories, and was once officially...

.

Plot summary

The story is told from an unnamed narrator's point of view, who describes his relationship with a famous science fiction author via a series of email correspondences. The strange thing is that the correspondences don't begin until after the author's death. Throughout many years the narrator receives great wisdom from the deceased author, only learning the truth when he himself is about to die.

External links

• Paying It Forward by Michael A. Burstein at BestScienceFictionStories.com - A short review of the story with resources for finding it.