The best time travel stories of the 20th century

Paperback, 425 pages

English language

Published Feb. 12, 2005 by Ballantine Books.

ISBN:: 978-0-345-46094-3
OCLC Number:: 54693159

(2 reviews)

LEAP INTO THE FUTURE, AND SHOOT BACK TO THE PASTH. G. Wells's seminal short story "The Time Machine," published in 1895, provided the springboard for modern science fiction's time travel explosion. Responding to their own fascination with the subject, the greatest visionary writers of the twentieth century penned some of their finest stories. Here are eighteen of the most exciting tales ever told, including"Time's Arrow" In Arthur C. Clarke's classic, two brilliant physicists finally crack the mystery of time travel--with appalling consequences."Death Ship" Richard Matheson, author of Somewhere in Time, unveils a chilling scenario concerning three astronauts who stumble upon the conundrum of past and future."A Sound of Thunder" Ray Bradbury's haunting vision of modern man gone dinosaur hunting poses daunting questions about destiny and consequences."Yesterday was Monday" If all the world's a stage, Theodore Sturgeon's compelling tale follows the odyssey of an ordinary joe who winds up backstage."Rainbird" R.A. …

LEAP INTO THE FUTURE, AND SHOOT BACK TO THE PASTH. G. Wells's seminal short story "The Time Machine," published in 1895, provided the springboard for modern science fiction's time travel explosion. Responding to their own fascination with the subject, the greatest visionary writers of the twentieth century penned some of their finest stories. Here are eighteen of the most exciting tales ever told, including"Time's Arrow" In Arthur C. Clarke's classic, two brilliant physicists finally crack the mystery of time travel--with appalling consequences."Death Ship" Richard Matheson, author of Somewhere in Time, unveils a chilling scenario concerning three astronauts who stumble upon the conundrum of past and future."A Sound of Thunder" Ray Bradbury's haunting vision of modern man gone dinosaur hunting poses daunting questions about destiny and consequences."Yesterday was Monday" If all the world's a stage, Theodore Sturgeon's compelling tale follows the odyssey of an ordinary joe who winds up backstage."Rainbird" R.A. Lafferty reflects on what might have been in this brainteaser about an inventor so brilliant that he invents himself right out of existence."Timetipping" What if everyone time-traveled except you? Jack Dann provides some surprising answers in this literary gem.. . . as well as stories by Poul Anderson - L. Sprague de Camp - Jack Finney - Joe Haldeman - John Kessel - Nancy Kress - Henry Kuttner - Ursula K. Le Guin - Larry Niven - Charles Sheffield - Robert Silverberg - Connie WillisBy turns frightening, puzzling, and fantastic, these stories engage us in situations that may one day break free of the bonds of fantasy . . . to enter the realm of the future: our future.From the Trade Paperback edition.

2 editions

Leaf 🍂 reviewed The best time travel stories of the 20th century by Ray Bradbury

Review of 'The best time travel stories of the 20th century' on 'Storygraph'

4 stars

I think I have to give an addendum to my rating. The research in this book was great, tons of fun. It was easy to get swept up in Morley's exuberance about the buildings, the people, the rural young New York he found himself surrounded in. At times the details are almost too fine, but he can be forgiven. I'm sure if I wrote an account of my trip to 1880s New York it'd be just as involved.

The plot, being a bit of a mystery, worked well too. If in doubt, nothing gets a plot moving like a good hunded-year-old mystery.

I often felt that Morley had extremely rose-tinted views of absolutely everything—the food was better (he managed to avoid flour cut with sawdust or days old meat or food-borne illness, this was all prior to any food regulatory body) the beer was better, everything. No horse poop. No …

I think I have to give an addendum to my rating. The research in this book was great, tons of fun. It was easy to get swept up in Morley's exuberance about the buildings, the people, the rural young New York he found himself surrounded in. At times the details are almost too fine, but he can be forgiven. I'm sure if I wrote an account of my trip to 1880s New York it'd be just as involved.

The plot, being a bit of a mystery, worked well too. If in doubt, nothing gets a plot moving like a good hunded-year-old mystery.

I often felt that Morley had extremely rose-tinted views of absolutely everything—the food was better (he managed to avoid flour cut with sawdust or days old meat or food-borne illness, this was all prior to any food regulatory body) the beer was better, everything. No horse poop. No cholera or typhoid or tuberculosis, the lucky man. Poverty gets mentioned, several times, but it still feels awfully distant than the easy privilege he falls into when he shows up.

And maybe this is a symptom of the time period they were written in... But though there were very well developed, interesting female characters with intelligence and personality, and though Morley purported to view them as equals, he described them so patronizingly. Like extremely capable children. Made me twitchy.

Leaf 🍂

rated it

June 4, 2012

Subjects

Time travel -- Fiction
Science fiction, American
Science fiction, English
Fantasy fiction, American
Fantasy fiction, English