: Re: 20 Minutes into the Future - problem with setting the period I have just finished a short story, set in what is known as 20 Minutes into the Future - a time frame that's only a little into

@Sent2472441

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I'm not sure what you want is possible.

You can set the time to be a bit ahead of right now. And do it by outright stating the date as the story begins, mentioning the date organically in the story, or, as you state, by alluding to events that haven't actually happened (yet or at all).

Or you can set the time to be a bit ahead of whenever the reader is reading it. You would have to say this directly.

Monday. Three months from today.

The disadvantage here is that any tech or cultural references or references to events all become dated after a time. Even names of countries change. 20 years from now, it's going to be really confusing.

Your best bet is perhaps to set the narration well into the future. Enough that it's obvious there's been a generational shift from now. Then be clear that the narrator is telling a story from the protagonist's (earlier) childhood.

You can establish the protagonist's time either by giving it as the story begins or with a reference to technology that doesn't exist yet. This gives the reader a hint as to how far in the future we're talking.

Another method is to refer to "the change." Our society hasn't had "the change" (or name it something a bit more interesting) and so it will be obvious that this is something yet to come.

Avi spilled through the front door, dropping his backpack on the
floor. He stopped, turned, and picked it up, pausing for a second to
let his fingers rest on the picture of his dad on the wall. Dad's
frozen pose began to move. Arms pointing at something beyond the
frame, Avi couldn't remember what. He made his way to the kitchen
and, as he reached to open the fridge, a message from his mom glowed
on the door.

You can give his age now or in the flashback, or both. You can mention 11 years have passed since "The Change" (or whatever you call it). And you can give the current year if you wish, but the tech mentions should set it in the future but less than 30 years (to give a guess as to what you're looking for).

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