The bartender says, “We don’t serve time travelers in here!”
Two time travelers walk into a bar…
It’s an old joke, but a good one, and as always in this particular genre, the sequencing is important.
Today’s collection is relatively straightforward: a collection of interesting time-travel stories and temporal mischief. This specially curated list deliberately draws from all genres, and it’s actually pretty fascinating to see the range of styles and themes in circulation.
Some highlights and starting points, in no particular order:
Melissa Pace’s debut thriller
The Once and Future Me, just published in August, features a psychiatric patient in 1954 Virginia who may or may not be a time-traveling secret agent.
Connie Willis’ excellent
Doomsday Book—winner of the prestigious Hugo and Nebula awards—follows a 21st-century Oxford historian in 14th-century England. Or for a more emotional journey, try
Aja Gabel’s
Lightbreakers, which explores the effects of temporal displacement on the human heart.
Several of these books have transcended their genre-fiction origins to become literary touchstones.
Octavia Butler’s
Kindred, say, or
Kurt Vonnegut’s
Slaughterhouse-Five. Some are
little-known gems by
very famous authors. If you’re in the market for unforgettable characters, you might find
Oona Out of Order or
Cassandra in Reverse. Then there’s always that
giant pop culture sensation featuring sexy Scotsmen in kilts. Nothing wrong with that.
Click on the book cover images for more information about each title. You can also use the
Want to Read button to add books to your digital shelf for potential future reading. Or simply time travel to after you’ve read the book and let us know what you think in the Ratings & Reviews section.
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