By His Bootstraps Robert Heinlein -

Here is a breakdown of the story, its key themes, and its legacy. The story opens with Bob Wilson , a graduate student in history, sitting in his room working on a thesis. A strange, shimmering circular portal (a time gate) appears in mid-air. A bleeding, desperate man stumbles through, claiming he’s from the future and needs help. The man, who calls himself Joe , says he is fleeing from a dictatorial "Duke" who rules a future Earth.

Joe convinces Bob to step through the gate to hide from the Duke's guards. Bob finds himself in a strange, pastoral future world. There, he meets a beautiful, subservient woman named , who belongs to a group of people waiting for a legendary figure called the "Ancestor" to lead them against the Duke. Bob quickly realizes he can manipulate these people using his 20th-century knowledge. by his bootstraps robert heinlein

Bob takes over, becomes the very "Duke" that Joe was fleeing, and builds a dictatorship. Eventually, bored and powerful, he uses the time gate to go back to his own room to retrieve notes he left behind. In his room, he sees a younger version of himself working at the desk. Realizing he can't interfere directly without creating a paradox, he waits, then steps through a second gate to another point in the future. Here is a breakdown of the story, its