Foo - Favorite/Classic time-travel stories??

What are some classic (or just "your favorite") time-travel stories? Whether movie or book. Not just "any you can think of", but ones that are truly classic or that you truly love.

Just curious....the Terminator show got me thinking about it, because time-travel stories have always been one of my absolute favorites.

First ones that come to mind

Classics Books:
The Time Machine - HG Wells
A Wrinkle In Time - Madeleine L'Engle

Movies:
The Terminator (original, accept no substitutes)
Somewhere in Time (loved that movie)



What others?

http://www.impawards.com/1985/posters/back_to_the_future.jpg

I liked all 3 of them. :)

I liked all 3 of them. :)

Your picture did not allow hot linking it seems. Properties show it was "Back to the Future".

I agree...those were hella fun movies too. :beer:

Time after Time, with a hot, young Mary Steenburgen

Time after Time, with a hot, young Mary Steenburgen

Don't think I know that one. I may have to look it up.

The Final Countdown. The USS Nimitz goes back to WWII. With a little tweeking this movie could have been huge, it's pretty good as it is.

Time after Time, with a hot, young Mary Steenburgen

Nevermind my previous comment....I just looked it up. I have seen that movie. That was the 70's modernization update of the HG Wells "The Time Machine" movie. The one with the Jack the Ripper chase.

The Final Countdown. The USS Nimitz goes back to WWII. With a little tweeking this movie could have been huge, it's pretty good as it is.

good call

The Final Countdown. The USS Nimitz goes back to WWII. With a little tweeking this movie could have been huge, it's pretty good as it is.

I have heard the title.....and it sounds vaguely familiar. I'm not sure if I've seen that or not.

Timecop is pretty good.

Final Countdown (WWII, time-travel, ships/planes, and lots of good-lookin' men in uniform! What's not to love?)
Somewhere In Time (Chris Reeve and Jane Seymour; an "ok" film based on a really good book, Bid Time Return.)

What's the Mel Gibson movie where he is a pilot that is forgotten in a sleep experiment??? Not totally time travel, but kind of and a decent movie.

What's the Mel Gibson movie where he is a pilot that is forgotten in a sleep experiment??? Not totally time travel, but kind of and a decent movie.

Forever Young. Good movie, but not time travel.

Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure

H. Beam Piper's Paratime Series

Asimov's Sound of Thunder too. It's the origin of the concept in Physics called the Butterfly Effect ;)

Kate and Leopold.

H. Beam Piper's Paratime Series

Asimov's Sound of Thunder too. It's the origin of the concept in Physics called the Butterfly Effect ;)

I might have to check those out....though I'd be leary on the Asimov one. I've read a few of his books and just think he's highly overrated.

I might have to check those out....though I'd be leary on the Asimov one. I've read a few of his books and just think he's highly overrated.

I enjoy his works, quite a bit actually. but he can be dry and can be very "technical"...I really enjoyed his i-robot series while I found foundation, off. Personally, I look at his works like founding father type stuff. Not fantastic literature, but has its place due to how it affected every piece of work that came after it.

I also enjoyed, the butterfly effect (the first one)...good story.

Anything not involving Captain Janeway!

Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure

+1

The whole concept is ludicrous and laughable, so I can only enjoy a movie that's totally farcical.

Note to screenwriters: Faster than the speed of light is not the same thing as faster than the speed of time. Therefore, only The Planet of the Apes' underlying premise is even remotely plausible.

+1

The whole concept is ludicrous and laughable, so I can only enjoy a movie that's totally farcical.

Note to screenwriters: Faster than the speed of light is not the same thing as faster than the speed of time. Therefore, only The Planet of the Apes' underlying premise is even remotely plausible.

I just watched the marathon on that movie last weekend. God I still love it all. I think its probably my 15th time watching it.

Any of the Gilligan's Islands that involved time traveling dream sequences.

Danger, Dinosaurs (http://www.amazon.com/Danger-Dinosaurs-Richard-MARSTEN/dp/B000GHK2LE), Richard Marsten

I read this almost 40 years ago, and haven't been able to find it for a long time.

Marshall Will and Holley on a routine expedition
Met teh greatest earthquake ever known
High on a rapids it grabbed their tiny raft
and plunged them down a thousand feet below
to the Laaaaaaaaannd of the Looosssstt.

On the popular front that one episode of Star Trek where saving the nice lady would result in a truely hellish future was worthwhile.

"The Time Machine" deserves a place simply because of the time it was written, e.g. first.

There are several by Heinlein that are classics.

All You Zombies and By His Bootstraps, the G and R(X?) time loop stories.
The Door into Summer. One of very few that 'creates' time travel and more or less answers the question of why it never gets used very much.
Elsewhen - Perhaps not time travel, but perhaps the root of the alternate reality story.
Farnhams Freehold. Doesn't seem like time travel very much, but two cases in it and what a difference a stick shift makes. Two different (? or is the second just a controlled version of the first) ways of time travel. Why the second might not get used is left for the reader to figure out.

I generally don't like time travel stories for the reasons Zorro pointed out.

That said, 12 Monkeys was a good story and the issue issue of causation was treated pretty well.

I also have a soft-spot for Donnie Darko.

I enjoy his works, quite a bit actually. but he can be dry and can be very "technical"...I really enjoyed his i-robot series while I found foundation, off. Personally, I look at his works like founding father type stuff. Not fantastic literature, but has its place due to how it affected every piece of work that came after it.

I also enjoyed, the butterfly effect (the first one)...good story.

I think it was the technical side of it that I liked. They seemed to me very dry (storywise) until the "good scenes", and then they unfolded like pop fiction. Agreed he is an icon in the genre, but IMO, much other worthy names are more important.

Anybody who churns out something like 300+ books is either not putting their best effort out, or they have a team of writers doing the writing for them. Either way, I'm not impressed.

For old sci-fi (founding father type stuff), I'll take Bradbury, Heinlen or Ellison over Asimov any day of the week.

Farnham's Freehold (1964) and The Number Of The Beast (1980), both by Robert Heinlein.

FF is often viewed as racist, but i think its supposed racism is a commentary on how dumb racism itself is. if that makes any sense.

The Proteus Operation (1985), by James P. Hogan.

time travel screws up the history of World War Two - resulting in what we know as our history.

The Guns of the South (1992), by Harry Turtledove.

not a time travel novel per se, but the center plot device is time-traveling Afrikaner white supremacists.

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986).

A Connecticut Yankee In King Arthur's Court (1889), by Mark Twain.

Groundhog Day (1993)!

That said, 12 Monkeys was a good story and the issue issue of causation was treated pretty well.How could I have forgotten 12 Monkeys. It's one of my fave all-time movies. I've go the DVD.

A Connecticut Yankee In King Arthur's Court (1889), by Mark Twain.
LOL...I forgot about that one. I read it when I was a kid.

On the popular front that one episode of Star Trek where saving the nice lady would result in a truely hellish future was worthwhile.



The City on the Edge of Tomorrow, long live Edith Keller. Very likely one the best Star Trek's ever.

I might have to check those out....though I'd be leary on the Asimov one. I've read a few of his books and just think he's highly overrated.

I've pretty much enjoyed Asimov. But a lot of that may be me. I don't have trouble with the technical part and often read for the idea, as opposed to the prose. I think he is a much better idea man than story teller.

His story "The Immortal Bard" is rather a interesting variation of time travel. The time machine involved can pull people from the past into today for a while, but that is all. An interesting limitation. Also interesting as a story because the story is totally not adventure.

There is another TT related story that might Be Asimov or could be someone else. The basic idea was viewing the past. Tackeons was the means I think. In any case the equipment needed to do this was very simple, yet very suppressed.

Oh I just remembered the title - "The Dead Past". Now That I have given that I'll only say very different, very depressing (if it were true).

Farnham's Freehold (1964) and The Number Of The Beast (1980), both by Robert Heinlein.

FF is often viewed as racist, but i think its supposed racism is a commentary on how dumb racism itself is. if that makes any sense.

The Proteus Operation (1985), by James P. Hogan.

time travel screws up the history of World War Two - resulting in what we know as our history.

The Guns of the South (1992), by Harry Turtledove.

not a time travel novel per se, but the center plot device is time-traveling Afrikaner white supremacists.

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986).

A Connecticut Yankee In King Arthur's Court (1889), by Mark Twain.

Groundhog Day (1993)!

Farnhams Freehold is a classic example of idiot readers/ reviewers. Having some characters that are racist does not amke a work racist. That some of these characters may have good qualities does not make a work racist.

What is really funny is that those who find Farnhams Freehold racist usually say the same about Heinlein, somehow managing to ignore "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress". Family foto anyone and finding out that Tiny (6 foot plus and solid, could have been shorty) is black only as he dies a hero. And also ignore Starship Troopers, where he again leads us down the path, though this time regarding the ethnic group that speaks Tagalog.

the racism commentary is usually leveled because Heinlein's posited future society is ruled by cannibalistic black Muslims who have enslaved the whites, not just because the white characters use the "n" word a lot...

combined with Joseph's dialogue in the text, i really think Heinlein was attempting to not only draw a comparison to the white-dominated society of his day, but craft a warning about the perils of oppression (whatever the chosen justification)...

I think it was the technical side of it that I liked. They seemed to me very dry (storywise) until the "good scenes", and then they unfolded like pop fiction. Agreed he is an icon in the genre, but IMO, much other worthy names are more important.

Anybody who churns out something like 300+ books is either not putting their best effort out, or they have a team of writers doing the writing for them. Either way, I'm not impressed.

For old sci-fi (founding father type stuff), I'll take Bradbury, Heinlen or Ellison over Asimov any day of the week.

Not overly defending him, but remember many many many of his works were culminations of short stories of his own and other authors. He did not write 300 books, also, his books were generally on the small side of tiny in many cases, being 9 to 12 short stories making a book rather than a large number of chapters creating a novel.

Again not trying to defend him until you like him, I understand your point ;)

Not overly defending him, but remember many many many of his works were culminations of short stories of his own and other authors. He did not write 300 books, also, his books were generally on the small side of tiny in many cases, being 9 to 12 short stories making a book rather than a large number of chapters creating a novel.

Again not trying to defend him until you like him, I understand your point ;)
OK....I don't want to keep it going or anything. I base a lot of this on a bookstore I used to frequent as a teen. It had an entire Asimov display which had about 50 different books (all were normal sized as I remember). It was years later I remember seeing something about him having 300+ books to his credit.

Now that I think of it...there may be a deeper reason I dislike Asimov (which ironically now is a moot point). I used to be a really Holy Roller Christian type. Back in those days I recall reading a short story of his which was designed to be quite sac-religious and it quite annoyed me at the time. It compared the "bright star" that announced the birth of Jesus as a sun in a distant galaxy going supernova and killing an entire benevolent species. I'm not a a Holy Roller anymore (closer to opposite in fact), but this really affected/bothered at the time I read it.

Maybe its less about Asimov and his writing after all.....not positive, but just "maybe".

Depending on how much we can bend the rules of the thread, "Slaughterhouse-Five" and "Timequake" can be considered time travel books. Or at least they both use time travel as plot elements to pretty much discuss the same issues of free will and both of which I enjoyed very much.

time traveler's wife

just read Haldeman's "The accidental time machine"

I'll have to check the bookshelf when I get home

Now that I think of it...there may be a deeper reason I dislike Asimov (which ironically now is a moot point). I used to be a really Holy Roller Christian type. Back in those days I recall reading a short story of his which was designed to be quite sac-religious and it quite annoyed me at the time. It compared the "bright star" that announced the birth of Jesus as a sun in a distant galaxy going supernova and killing an entire benevolent species. I'm not a a Holy Roller anymore (closer to opposite in fact), but this really affected/bothered at the time I read it.

Maybe its less about Asimov and his writing after all.....not positive, but just "maybe".

Ah so fitting for decisions made by those in that frame of mind....


The work in question is "The Star" it was won a Hugo in 1956 and.......

It was written by Clarke!

You dumped on the wrong giant!


Edit: Now if you had a time machine you could go back and slap yourself up the side of the head and get your authors straight.

Oh and one more story to add to the list. Implied time travel/viewing. "Who's Cribbing" by Jack Lewis. (D@mn I love google once I get title or author I have everything!)

Austin Powers - The Spy Who Shagged Me.

Ah so fitting for decisions made by those in that frame of mind....


The work in question is "The Star" it was won a Hugo in 1956 and.......

It was written by Clarke!

You dumped on the wrong giant!

LOL :roflmao:


It's still a valid statement, but I mentioned the wrong story. It was one about "Automatic Computers". People became so advanced they stopped with bodies of flesh and blood and were more ethereal. They had built a super computer called the AC (automatic computer) which controlled everything. The final line of the story was "The AC said let there be light, and there was light" or something like that.

A quick google shows this story to be called "The Last Question" by Asimov.
http://psxtavi.wordpress.com/the-last-question-by-isaac-asimov/

SB-129 - Sponge Bob Squarepants FTW!

http://spongebob.wikia.com/wiki/SB-129

Ah so fitting for decisions made by those in that frame of mind....BTW....I agree 110% with that. I consider that the "naive days of my youth". I'm glad I "outgrew" that mind set.

LOL :roflmao:


It's still a valid statement, but I mentioned the wrong story. It was one about "Automatic Computers". People became so advanced they stopped with bodies of flesh and blood and were more ethereal. They had built a super computer called the AC (automatic computer) which controlled everything. The final line of the story was "The AC said let there be light, and there was light" or something like that.

A quick google shows this story to be called "The Last Question" by Asimov.
http://psxtavi.wordpress.com/the-last-question-by-isaac-asimov/

I remember that one. But doesn't Asimov make up for it with his story that explains how the 7 days of creation really were 7 literal 24 hour days for God, yet billions of years for the universe? Seems that even for God this was a big job and he was 'running' back and forth a lot, and really fast, so fast relativistic time differences were more than just significant! They were huge.


And should Clarke get hit for his other heritical work:

The Nine Billion Names of God

I remember that one. But doesn't Asimov make up for it with his story that explains how the 7 days of creation really were 7 literal 24 hour days for God, yet billions of years for the universe? Seems that even for God this was a big job and he was 'running' back and forth a lot, and really fast, so fast relativistic time differences were more than just significant! They were huge.


I love that relationship defined. It literally blew my mind when I first read it.

I remember that one. But doesn't Asimov make up for it with his story that explains how the 7 days of creation really were 7 literal 24 hour days for God, yet billions of years for the universe? Seems that even for God this was a big job and he was 'running' back and forth a lot, and really fast, so fast relativistic time differences were more than just significant! They were huge.I don't recall the details of the story too well. It seems to my memory that he was basically implying that God after all was just a computer invented by men.