The Fate of Nations by James Morrow

“The Fate of Nations” is a 2003 science fiction short story by James Morrow. It is about a fan who finally explains to his wife why sports are so important to the galaxy.

Non-Spoiler Summary In A Nutshell:

“The Fate of Nations” follows the wife of Dennis, a man who is growing more and more addicted to watching all kinds of sports. His wife starts out tolerant, but eventually demands that Dennis see a counselor to help battle his ever-increasing problem. While there, the counselor and Dennis decide to let her in on a major galactic secret involving sporting events.

The first signs of trouble were subtle. I’m thinking especially of Dennis’s decision to become a Boston Bruins fan and a Philadelphia Flyers fan simultaneously, an allegiance that served no evident purpose beyond allowing him to watch twice as much hockey as before. I also recall his insistence on replacing our coffee cups and drink tumblers with ceramic mugs bearing the New England Patriots logo. Then there was Dennis’s baseball-card collection, featuring the 1986 Red Sox starting lineup. Wasn’t that a hobby more suited to a ten-year-old?

It soon became clear that Dennis was battling a full-blown addiction. The instant he got home from work, he plunked himself in front of the tube and started watching ESPN, ESPN2, or ESPN3. Dozens of teams enlisted his loyalty, not merely the Boston franchises. He followed the NFL, the NHL, the NBA, and Major League Baseball. Our erotic encounters were short and perfunctory, bounded by the seventh inning stretch. Whenever we went on vacation, Dennis brought his portable Sony along. Our trips to Martha’s Vineyard were keyed to the All-Star Game. Our winter sojourns in Florida centered around the Stanley Cup.

My Two Cents:

• The good:

• A finely pointed humorous piece that all sports fans will appreciate!
• Short and funny science fiction is a great combination! Take a few minutes to ease some of the stress in your life by reading “The Fate of Nations”.

• The bad:

• Hmm… not much. The only thing I can think of is that if you are NOT a sports fan then it’s possible you might not enjoy this story as much – but even that’s a long shot.

Fact Sheet:
• Page Count: 5
• Word Count: 1,655
• “The Fate of Nations” garnered the following awards:

• Although this short story didn’t win any awards, the book in which it is collected, The Cat’s Pajamas & Other Stories, did place 14th on the 2005 Locus Poll for best collection.

Where you can find “The Fate of Nations”:

• This short story first appeared online at SciFiction on May 14, 2003.
• “The Fate of Nations” is included in James Morrow’s collection of short stories The Cat’s Pajamas & Other Stories.
• You can still read this fine short story online for free at the old SciFiction.

Some Interesting Links:

• Did you know that Ray Bradbury also published a collection of short stories in a book called The Cat’s Pajamas? Bizarre, I know. Check out this review of both Bradbury’s and Morrow’s books of the same name.
• Thanks to Free SF Reader for pointing me to this great short story. If you haven’t checked out this wonderful web site then do so now!
• James Morrow is a self-described “scientific humanist” who has written several novels and short stories. Learn more about him at Wikipedia.

Craving More Stories?
If you enjoyed this story then you might also like In The Pound, Near Breaktime, about what the world would be like if unwanted animals were intelligent enough to talk, by Kent Brewster.

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