Time Travel... In Non-Fiction

Perhaps the first reference to Time Travel in non-fiction can be found in:

Trouble with time travel

written by noted astrophysicist Paul Davies. His bestseller How to Build a Time Machine summarizes main-stream ideas as of 2003.


Another interesting reading is:

Time Travel and Other Mathematical Bewilderments by Martin Gardner. When first published, 1987, this book was rated for ages 6 and up. Surprising for a book on time travel and mathematics!


Cosmic Time Travel: A Scientific Odyssey
Written by award-winning science writer Barry Parker this book was first published in 1991 and was current at that time. As you may guess, the release of Back to the Future in 1985 may have been the catalyst for the publication of these books.

Time Machines This book written by Paul Nahin and released in 1993 is perhaps more technical than the previous two but still in the wake of the Back to the Future franchise (Back to the Future Part II was released in 1989 and Back to the Future Part III was released in 1990). See also Time Travel



Time Travel: Fact, Fiction and Possibility This little known book was released in 1996 and has almost nothing to do with the previous three.


Carl Sagan's Universe One of the essays included in this book released in 1997 is "Do the Laws of Physics Permit Wormholes for Interstellar Travel and Machines for Time Travel?" written by noted theoretical astrophysicist Kip S. Thorne. Yes, the same Kip S. Thorne behind the film Interstellar:

Parsing the Science of Interstellar with Physicist Kip Thorne

What's New in Black Holes? 'Interstellar' Physicist Kip Thorne Tells All

also see:

The Science of Interstellar




In Search of the Edge of Time: Black Holes, White Holes, Wormholes This controversial book was published in 1999. A few comments:

The prospects for time travel

Prospects for time travel

The prospects for time travel

The prospects for time travel

Time: A Traveler's Guide Another attempt at summarizing what was known about time travel in 1999. The book talks extensively about clocks and it is still well-liked today.


Time Travel in Einstein's Universe: The Physical Possibilities of Travel Through Time Published more than a decade after the release of the last installment of the Back to the Future franchise, renowned astrophysicist J. Richard Gott wrote this fascinating bestseller.


And here I finish this short stroll through Time Travel in non-finction since the late 70s (the release of the first Star Wars film) until the beginning of the 21st century.
For references prior to the 70s you can always try the
Time Travel Agency Enjoy!