Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with fiction and timetravel

The name of the book is: ?

oceanjesse — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 15:39:18 -0800

Fiction filter: A science fiction book I recall reading in my youth involved a cabin or shed in which time goes by several times faster inside rather than outside. Something like a week goes by after spending the night in this room. I recall the main character finding old biscuits from a military era as well. What is the title and author of this book? I can't for the life of me recall.

LIBERTARIAN ENGINEER SAVES THE WORLD

The Whelk — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 10:36:36 -0800

Give your best examples of the SF/ Survivalist/ Wish Fullfillment sub-genre "libertarian engineers do everything better" or "objectivist superman saves history". More specifically ones where someone is the last man on earth/sendt back in time and constructs a free market utopia through sheer smarts and rationality ( with himself on the top of it, of course). Cricitisms and analysis of this genre are also very much welcome.

Historical fiction for kids

MeghanC — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 20:47:14 -0800

My daughter's birthday is coming up, and I'm looking for book recs. Lately, she's fascinated by time travel and, to a lesser extent, World War II. I'd love to buy her some books about these subjects, but am sort of stuck on what, exactly, to buy. She's turning eight, and is reading at slightly above grade level--books aimed at the 8-10 crowd will generally be okay, though she still shies away from the ones that look too hard.

She's a bit of a fragile flower, so for WWII, I'd prefer books that are (1) fiction, and (2) do not mention gas chambers. (Concentration camps are okay, so long as it doesn't get graphic.) Her interest seems to mostly be what happened to children who lived in affected areas--the kids who were sent out of London during the Blitz, for example, prompted a good forty minutes of discussion last night. The only thing that I've come up with in this category is Primrose Day by Caroline Haywood, and that's based on my memories of reading it as a child, which may not be accurate. Surely there are others, right?

For time travel, we're open to just about anything, but would prefer things with strong female characters. Something close to historical accuracy in the time travel would be nice, as well. (Not, obviously, that all time travel is in the past, or that I'm only looking for historical time travel--traveling to the future is good, too!)

Books that she's reading include the Junie B. Jones books, Franny K. Stein books, Clarice Bean, and the Weird School series. She's reading all of these--with the occasional exception of Clarice Bean--fluently, even on her first read, so I'm not too worried about a slight increase in reading level.

Stuff that's still a little too advanced includes things like Ella Enchanted, The Mysterious Benedict Society, and Harry Potter.

Also, we're more than happy to read more advanced stuff to her (so, you know, if you have the best suggestion ever, have at it,) but she prefers to read on her own and then talk about the books, thus the search to find things on her current reading level.

Know any good read-only time travel stories?

bjork24 — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 12:47:11 -0800

Can you recommend any good stories/books that deal with unobtrusive time travel tourism? Tourists from the future going back in time to view historical events, or catch a glimpse at a historical person, but not interacting or interfering in any way, shape, or form... read-only time travel, if you will.

Roll Call: Who's come unstuck in time?

Ambrosia Voyeur — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 10:16:06 -0800

Help with my homework filter!! I want to compile a list of time travelers from literature, television and cinema. I am looking for a couple specific attributes. I want to know a few things about the time traveler:

1. Who are they? Gender, age, situation in native historical setting?
2. What is their mode of conveyance or displacement in time? Is it used deliberately?
3. What goals are met by their time travel?
4. Do they die? Are they dead already?

So, for example, Hermione Granger is a girl at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry in Harry Potter and the Prizoner of Azkaban, whose time travel device is a magic "time turner," inscribed with the words “my use and value unto you are gauged by what you have to do” and “I mark the hours every one nor have I yet outrun the sun.” The device is worn around the neck like a necklace, and turned, one ring within another, and a tiny hourglass at the center, to travel back in time only, at one hour per turn. She uses it to take additional classes to excel in her studies, and also, later, to solve a mystery.

Stories about sending signals to the past

clockworkjoe — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 12:21:11 -0800

Is there any time travel fiction based on the idea of only sending signals/information into the past? I'm interested in the idea presented in John Carpenter's Prince of Darkness film. Several of the characters receive a subconscious signal from the future to warn them of the end of the world. What else has been done with this idea of time travel?

Alternative history literature

dead_ — Wed, 14 Dec 2005 07:43:08 -0800

Help me find alternative history books Anything will do. Time-traveling type of stuff would be neat. Let me know what's good.

Good fiction for traveling?

Robot Johnny — Thu, 10 Jun 2004 11:01:13 -0800

Who can recommend some good time travel fiction? (Yes, I'm a geek)