There was also this: http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.cgi?1044 http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.cgi?1044 It was assumed that the universe would eventually

There was also this: http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.cgi?1044 http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.cgi?1044 It was assumed that the universe would eventually stop contracting and end up in a "big crunch". The plot is basically "bussard ramjet spacecraft gets its engines stuck and goes faster and faster until the universe ends and a new one expands". Ignoring for narrative purposes there not being anywhere "outside" of a contracting universe.