These stories about destiny and fate have characters who are trapped, or believe they are trapped, in a predetermined course of events, or are headed for an unavoidable outcome. They might also address the question of free will and whether it is possible for these events to change. The events might be fated by a divine being or some other cosmic force. In some stories, accidents and coincidence play an important part in the plot. Many of Jack London’s stories suggest a fatalistic world-view.
Stories About Destiny or Fate
“The Knowers” by Helen Phillips
The narrator is one of those who wish to know. This upsets Tem, her partner, who says it affects him too. The technology has been mastered and it’s not very expensive. She decides she’s going to do it. When she returns two hours later, Tem is anxious to find out what happened.
This story can be read in the Amazon preview of Some Possible Solutions: Stories.
“Magic” by Katherine Anne Porter
A maid tells her employer the story of a woman who worked in a brothel. She quarreled bitterly with the madam, and said she was leaving, which led to a physical confrontation. (Summary)
This is the fourth story in the paperback sample of Collected Stories and Other Writings.
“King of the Bingo Game” by Ralph Ellison
A black man sits through a movie, waiting for the bingo game to follow. He’s very hungry but knows he can’t ask to share anyone’s food, because things in New York aren’t like back South. He’s unemployed and has no money. He needs to win the bingo jackpot so he can take his sick wife to the doctor. (Summary & Analysis)
“The Outcasts of Poker Flat” by Bret Harte
In an effort to improve their town, the citizens of Poker Flat expel a group of undesirables from their midst. They set out for the next settlement, making a difficult mountain journey. On the way, they meet up with a couple headed for Poker Flat, who share some provisions and direct them to a cabin to rest.
This is the first story in the preview of Big Book of Best Short Stories: Western.
“What Will Happen on October 12th?” by Dino Buzzati
On a quiet evening, a professor sits by his fireplace with a book. He’s annoyed by a fly that continues to land on him. He rolls up a magazine and holds it ready to strike. It turns out the professor’s actions could have extreme consequences for humanity. (Summary)
“The Improbable Imposter Tom Castro” by Jorge Luis Borges
Arthur Orton left London as a young man and went out to sea. He was a jovial and gentle idiot. In Sydney, he became acquainted with a servant, Ebenezer Bogle, a moderate and highly intelligent man. They became friends. In 1865, Bogle saw a report in the paper that gave him an idea.
This story can be read in the preview of Collected Fictions.
“Escape from Spiderhead” by George Saunders
Jeff is an inmate at Spiderhead, a research facility. Along with others, he tests drugs that affect his speech, perception, and feelings for people. He’s there because of a fateful day from his past. (Summary)
“Personal Escort” by Dino Buzzati
A boy notices a man out in a field who seems to be looking right at him. The experience opens his eyes to new possibilities, but he soon stops thinking of the man. Eventually, he reappears. (Summary)
“A Touch of Petulance” by Ray Bradbury
Jonathan Hughes met his fate in the form of an old man while he rode the train home from work. He noticed the old man’s newspaper looked more modern than his own. There was a story on the front page about a murdered woman—his wife. His mind raced.
This story can be read in the preview of Killer, Come Back To Me: The Crime Stories of Ray Bradbury.
“Seven Floors” by Dino Buzzati
Giovanni Corte arrives at a sanatorium on a spring day. He only has a mild case of a particular ailment, but this is the best place for treatment. It’s a pleasant place, seven stories high and like a hotel. He is shown to a room on the top floor. When he talks to a nurse, he finds out that the floors divide residents by the severity of their illness—mild cases on the seventh floor down to hopeless cases on the first floor. (Summary)
The Lightning-Rod Man | Herman Melville
On a very stormy night, a lightning-rod salesman calls on the narrator, warning him of the dangers of lightning. Each strike of lightning makes his pitch more urgent, and he implores the home owner to stand away from the hearth. The narrator isn’t convinced of the value of the lightning-rod, and trusts God with his fate. (Summary)
This is the seventh story in the preview of Classic Short Stories.
“All the Myriad Ways” by Larry Niven
Detective Trimble ponders multiple time-lines—the universe branching off every time a decision is made. There’s an epidemic of suicides and crimes. It’s quitting time, but he doesn’t leave right away. There’s activity in the office, as another man—prominent and wealthy—has jumped off a building.
This story can be read in the preview of Madness from the Inconstant Moon. (20% into preview)
“The Hounds of Fate” by Saki
Martin Stoner is a weary, hungry man wandering aimlessly. He happens upon a farm-house. Thinking he might buy a drink with his last coin, he approaches the door. Before he can knock, he’s greeted by an old man who addresses him in a surprising way.
This story can be read in the preview of The Hounds of Fate: 13 Tales of Terror. (Pg 1)
“I Walk Between the Raindrops” by T. C. Boyle
The narrator and his wife are in Kingman, Arizona, staying at a Motel 6. He goes to the local bar to wait for his wife while she goes antiquing. A woman from the other side of the bar comes over to him, introduces herself, says she has ESP, and asks if he wants to play a game. He gently rebuffs her. She talks to herself and persists in trying to get his attention. He recalls a wild fire disaster, an incident when his wife worked for the Suicide Prevention Hotline, and a time they tried to play matchmaker.
This story can be read in the preview of I Walk Between the Raindrops: Stories. (10% in)
Stories About Fate or Destiny, Cont’d
“The Dune” by Stephen King
Harvey Beecher, a ninety-year-old retired judge, has been visiting a sand dune on a little island for the past eighty years. The dune has lasted despite going through many big storms that could have blown it away. Although he’s lost interest in most other things, this site continues to draw him. He makes the difficult trip and looks at the dune, to see if anything is written there this time.
“Afterlife” by Stephen King
William Andrews dies after a long, painful illness with his family at his bedside. As he passes away, he finds himself in a hallway with a manager’s door at the end. He’s wearing the clothes he died in, and his body is back in reasonable shape. He enters the office of Mr. Isaac Harris. Apparently, William has been here before. Mr. Harris explains the situation, which isn’t exactly reincarnation, and what William’s options are.
When Twilight Falls on the Stump Lots | Charles G. D. Roberts
A young cow gives birth to its first calf. Nearby, a gaunt she-bear hungrily but patiently waits for a chance to strike.
The Killers | Ernest Hemingway
Two hit men, Max and Al, enter a diner to get some food and to wait for their target to arrive. They’re looking for a boxer, Ole Andreson, whom their employer has a grudge against.
Jeannot and Colin | Voltaire
Jeannot and Colin are close friends in childhood. One day Jeannot receives a fancy coat and is taken away to a prosperous life—his father has had a business success. Colin is downcast. Jeannot is thrown into the education of a wealthy boy, which, suspiciously, doesn’t involve learning much.
The Fatalist | Isaac Bashevis Singer
Benjamin Schwartz, a man in a small town, earns the nickname Benjamin Fatalist. He believes that everything in a person’s life, every trifle, is predetermined. There is an attractive young woman in town with many admirers, but she rejects them all. Benjamin tells her it is fated that they should marry.
The Legend of St. Julian the Hospitaller | Gustave Flaubert
After Julian’s birth, his parents are given two prophecies—that he will become a saint, and that he will attain glory in a royal family. As a young man he is given a third prophecy—he will kill his parents.
Read “The Legend of St. Julian the Hospitaller”
Bezhin Meadow | Ivan Turgenev
The narrator, having finished grouse shooting for the day, heads home but gets lost. He ends up in Bezhin Meadow with five boys who are watching some horses. He rests while the boys tell superstitious stories.
A. V. Laider | Max Beerbohm
The narrator goes to a hotel to recover from a bout of influenza, the same hotel he stayed in the previous year for a similar recovery. On the letter-board, he sees an undelivered letter that he had written to A. V. Laider, a man he had talked to last time. He remembers the tragic story that moved him to write to Laider.
Mrs. Bathurst | Rudyard Kipling
The narrator gets the story of Mr. Vickery, a reticent man who deserted the navy. He became infatuated with Mrs. Bathurst, a hotel proprietor known for her generosity.
The Eye | Paul Bowles
Duncan March was a Canadian living in Tangier. He died several years ago. The narrator hears his story and decides to look into his death. Duncan rented a house. He hired a Moroccan night-watchman, dismissed the cook, and hired another cook recommended by the watchman. He soon experienced digestive problems.
“. . . when misfortune overtakes one of their number, the others by mutual consent refrain from offering him aid, and merely sit back to watch, certain that he has called his suffering down upon himself.”
—The Eye
Stories About Fate or Destiny, Cont’d
An Episode of War | Stephen Crane
A lieutenant is dividing the coffee supply for the squads. Suddenly he cries out as if attacked. The other officers see blood on his sleeve.
The Triple Warning | Arthur Schnitzler
A youth is walking to a mountain. When he reaches the edge of a forest a voice warns he will commit murder if he passes through it. He doesn’t see any danger, so he continues. He receives two more prophetic warnings.
On Hope | Spencer Holst
A gypsy has a monkey trained to steal jewelry. One day it brings him The Diamond of Hope, a necklace belonging to the princess. It’s too recognizable to sell, and it’s cursed. Wanting nothing to do with it, the gypsy mails the necklace back to the princess.
The Algorithms for Love | Ken Liu
Elena is on a weekend leave from the institution. She’s going with Brad to a bed-and-breakfast on the conditions that she take her medication every four hours and not be left alone. Elena designs dolls with A.I. that allows them to converse with their owners. The models have become increasingly complex, propelling her company to great success.
Read “The Algorithms for Love”
I’ll keep adding short stories about destiny, fate and free will as I find more.