Hatrack River Writers Workshop: time

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Posted by electricgrandmother (Member # 2713) on :

I'm working on rewriting something I wrote last year that involves time, time travel, etc.

Does anyone have any suggestions for books on time, time travel, etc.? Both non-fiction and fiction would be appreciated.

Posted by tchernabyelo (Member # 2651) on :

Clifford Simak has written a few pieces dealing with time travel, and usually manages to mix a thoughtful take on the paradoxes of the subject with a genuine individual story that you can care about.

At the other end of the scale, pretty much, Steven Baxter has some time travel wackiness going on in his books (Timelike Infinity et al).

What else. Hmm. Gregory Benford's "Timescape". Joe Haldeman's "The Forever War" deals with aspects of differential timeflow, if I recall correctly (I haven't read it but it's often quoted as a fine work). And Patrick Tilley's "Mission", which is an extraordinary work of imagination anyway, does have some interesting time paradox elements, although you only discover them at the very end...

There are doubtless thousands more. I have no idea of a good general overview. What are the specific aspects of time and time travel that are relevant to the piece you're working on?

Posted by Elan (Member # 2442) on :

Don't forget to check out publications like: Scientific American http://www.sciam.com/

A search on "time travel" on that site resulted in 1486 documents. Each one gives you a one or two paragraph synopsis; the entire article is available for a modest price. ($7.95 per magazine)

Posted by hopekeeper (Member # 2701) on :

I made my own time theory.

Although quite minor to the story, it is an essential explaination of something which happens later...

Posted by Robyn_Hood (Member # 2083) on :

I'll recommend "Guns of the South" by Harry Turtledove. This is an alternate history that uses time travel to change the events of the American civil war. While Turtledove does talk briefly about the time travel machine itself, he uses a lot of handwavium, but you don't care because the rest of the story is compelling and and reallistic.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0345384687/ref=pd_sxp_f/103-8238256-8826213?v=glance&s=books

Posted by Jeraliey (Member # 2147) on :

If you want to get really technical, but stay out of physics, go here: http://plato.stanford.edu/contents.html#t and click "T". Scroll down till you hit the time theory stuff.

My major was focused on stuff like that. Fun, huh?

Posted by autumnmuse (Member # 2136) on :

The novels of the Company, by Kage Baker, are great about time travel, and also immortality. The first one is called In the Garden of Iden. I highly recommend her work.

Posted by Ransom (Member # 2712) on :

While I have very little experience in time travel literature, the thing that got me interested was actually a video game: The Journeyman Project, a trilogy of games produced by Presto Studios. You can get them from Presto for a pretty decent price.

While little imagination is shown in the time travel itself, and, indeed, there's a huge discrepency between the second game and the third, what I love about these games is their ability to immerse you in an atmosphere. The greatest joy of time travel fiction, in my opinion, isn't the crazy science behind it, or the genius of an author in coming up with paradoxes, but the idea of getting to experience what once was and never will be again. I don't really want to step into a small machine that punctures space-time - heck, you couldn't even pay me to walk through a portal - but I would give anything to have a conversation with Leonardo da Vinci, or Benjamin Franklin, or Geoffrey Chaucer. Keep this spirit alive in your work, and you will succeed.

Posted by Spaceman (Member # 9240) on :

See if you can find a copy of David Gerrold's "The Man Who Folded Himself." It's the ultimate mess-with-the-timeline story. Change history, go back and talk yourself out of changing history because you didn't like the result. That kind of thing.

Posted by wbriggs (Member # 2267) on :

The Man Who Folded Himself, David Gerrold. Explores, I think, every time paradox the author could cram into the story.

"On Rotating Cylinders and the Possibility of Global Causality Violation," Larry Niven.

"The Flight of the Horse," Larry Niven. Probably in the same collection, "Death in a Cage," and the one in which the future people erase their civilization by accidentally destroying Henry Ford's prototype automobile.

To Say Nothing of the Dog, Connie Willis. Hilarious, and shows one version of time travel. The same version, in a serious (and seriously good) book: The Doomsday Book, Connie Willis.

Pastwatch: The Redemption of Christopher Columbus, Orson Scott Card.

The End of Eternity, Isaac Asimov.

If you haven't read some of these, you have some delightful times ahead!

I'll add, in film: Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure.

Posted by Jeraliey (Member # 2147) on :

All You Zombies, by Heinlein. Easily my favorite time-travel story.

Posted by electricgrandmother (Member # 2713) on :

tchernabyelo:

Thanks for your reply and suggestions.

In terms of my story, I have gone from a theory that's related to things like Hopi concepts of time. I'm interested, however, in how it's been done before by other writers and what some other ideas are, for now and for the future as well.

Posted by electricgrandmother (Member # 2713) on :

Elan:

Great suggestion! Thanks. And I can actually go over to my local university library and read their copies of SA. YAY!

Posted by electricgrandmother (Member # 2713) on :

hopekeeper:

If you'd like to, would you share your theory with us? I'm certainly interested.

Posted by electricgrandmother (Member # 2713) on :

Jeraliey:

Thanks! What a great resource.

And I don't mind getting into the physics stuff. (If I get too far in, my husband was a physics major for a long time before he realized there was a more stable income with computer science. He can dig me out. )

Posted by electricgrandmother (Member # 2713) on :

Thanks for your suggestions everyone! It looks like I have a lot of great readng ahead of me.

Posted by Crotalus (Member # 2345) on :

Ransom!

I love Buried in Time! I found the first one too simple and the third I didn't care for the melieu. The thing about the second that I liked was the history lesson you got as you unraveled clues. While the third was more developed technology wise (as it came out later), it just wasn't as strong a story as BIT. A question: DOes anyone know of any computer games that are comparable to Buried in Time? Or is it simply an anamolous gem?

Posted by electricgrandmother (Member # 2713) on :

Crotalus,

My husband suggests Buried in Time 2 and the Myst series of games.

Let me know if you'd like more suggestions. I can ask him or any number of his gamer friends ;D.

Posted by Crotalus (Member # 2345) on :

Yeah, I think BIT is the 2 part of the Journey Project, so i think we're talking about the same thing there. (Mayans, Leonardo's studio, some French castle, does all that sound familiar?) I played Myst too. Would like something a little more updated, but with the same level of excellence as far as storyline is concerned. Thanks!

Posted by Spaceman (Member # 9240) on :

quote:
my husband was a physics major for a long time before he realized there was a more stable income with computer science

I have a physics degree and I work as an engineer in semiconductors.

Posted by electricgrandmother (Member # 2713) on :

Spaceman,

My husband was also taking where we live and will probably live into consideration . There's jobs for physicists, but a lot more variety and more better paying ones for computer scientists .

And he also worked with semiconductors. Well, in a round about way. He did programming for a semiconductor production company.

[This message has been edited by electricgrandmother (edited July 17, 2005).]

Posted by electricgrandmother (Member # 2713) on :

Crotalus,

I'll see if anyone has any suggestions.