Time travel is such a Pandora’s box for authors... or it can just be “go with it.” It largely depends on the tone for me. If I’m supposed to take your book super serious, I’ll be thinking it all through. The MCU? Eh whatever. Captain America make hammer go SLAM! So fun is priority.
Endgame actually has some of the most confounding and rigorous time travel physics and potential consequences for the future. KANG! It doesn’t do paradoxes. Name drops actual physics theories like the Deutsche proposition and the Möbius strip. Apart from superheroes, its biggest stretch is superhero billionaire super-engineer genius ALSO solving time travel in quantum mechanics theoretical physics overnight! Love it but man!
@@DanielGreeneReviews I know, right? The trailer had been out for a while, and I had it about 80% figured out. About a thrid of the way into the movie, I was like... "if this happens, then this other thing happened, then that thing already happened... oh. Okay. We can go home now." XD
I always understood Prisoner of Azkabaan to be one time line. I never got the idea that there was a previous timeline before Hermione and Harry went back in time to "change" everything. It was always that way. They had always done the things they did. That's why Dumbledore knew that they had done things, and told them to go back and do them.
I actually prefer this type of time travel because the theory is self sufficient. You don't need a gigantic always-growing multiunivers to support all those possibilities. Idk why but I always worry about the world's hard drive in that kind of story and it makes me anxious
The way I've always understood the "closed loop" model is "it's already happened, therefore it's destined to happen." There were only ever 2 instances of Harry and Hermione, we were just viewing the same sequence of events from 2 different perspectives, and whatever Harry and Hermione do or don't do is bound to play into whatever they've already seen. you might have 15 instances of one character all in a room, but eventually that character will have to come back and experience the same conversation 15 times from 15 different perspectives. That's my understanding at least. Take it for what it's worth.
I think the love for Harry Potter 3 was more about the Marauders than time travelling. However it was a closed loop which was nice, compared to the other book we shall not name.
Dumbledore: "I'm sorry we can't bring back your parents, Harry." Also Dumbledore: "This time turner will be great for letting Hermione do extra homework and rescuing Buckbeak."
@@MrZefmiller presumably the time turner has existed longer than Harry has. Dumbledore could have used it at the time, so to speak. Hermione would have had a normal class load without the time turner, Buckbeaker would have died without the time turner (and Dumbledore knew it). Saying "it wouldn't work because it didn't" is the kind of inconsistent fatalism that makes time travel not worth the effort.
@@christianwalters2047 So the reason we know that the time turner can't change the past is because the characters experience the effects of the time travel before the cause. This means it's a self consistent closed loop. Everything that Harry and Hermione did happened before they traveled to the past. This actually helps explain why no one uses the time turner to fight Voldemort or to fight Grindelwald. The time turner can only accomplish tasks that the time turner has already accomplished. Which is a little timey-whimy me to think about, but that is structurally how it works.
@@MrZefmiller I'm sorry, I don't mean to sound like I'm arguing with you. I don't recall if all that is explicitly set out in the books, but it hardly matters -- this is exactly why time travel is such a problematic issue. Is it ever spelled out that the time turner can only dump you into the past?
My favorite time travel rules are that you can’t change anything because you’ve already changed it, and so it’s always been that way. If you go back to change something, you’re completing a loop. It’s almost as if you were supposed to change time to begin with even though you technically didn’t change anything.
@@robertlewis6915 Awesome! I like it BECAUSE I like my gut being punched (figuratively). So it should come as no surprise that my favorite Shakespeare work is Othello. It's like, "OW!! But thanks, I needed to cry." Don't worry, I'm fine, I just have a thing for tragedies. Which, it is also no surprise that my favorite Star Wars movie is Rogue One.
@@alyssap9233 First time I read it was for a class too. I think... I DID do it fo a class, though I've been through it a few times that I'm not sure which one was the first. Ah, Sandy...
Mary Pope Osbourne is still adding books to her Magic Tree House Series. I loved them as a kid and her approach to teach kids about history and mythological lore is great.
The way Merphy began the video by saying she'd talk about her experiences with time travel kind of made it sound like she was claiming that she herself is actually a time traveler. That was extremely funny to me.
The single best execution of complicated time travel is done in the Netflix series Dark. It is so fascinating and so complex, but so well done and explained. It is really bizar and will break your mind
Yes.... But..... Spoiler: There was a fixed rule: No free will. U can't change anything in the loop. Then at the Claudia just somehow gets an idea that she should not have and can change stuff now. I hate people living Claudia because she 'figured' it out even tho she should not be able to. Ugh hated the ending.
@@havewissmart9602 spoiler: . . . . I know what you mean, but a) one could argue that Claudia also never had free will either. Maybe it was always her role to bring the two timelines back together. Or b) she had the ability to change something because most of the others were never supposed to exist, so they were just stuck in the loop. And of the few people that rightfully existed she was the only one to figure out how to get out of it. Or c) maybe everyone in that universe could have changed things, but were too dumb and she was the only one who was smart enough.
@@legumesss spoiler a) Except for the fact that the timeline did really change with her knowledge(Adam doesn't kill eve this time, there are three Jonas' as Adam comes back to that time, everyone vanishes etc) I think we can be sure that the ending is a new timeline altogether that Claudia created. B) there hasn't been any indication that the people who exist only within the loop or people outside the loop are any different. They all seem have no free will. There should not be any distinction. Also Jonas is smart enough to understand the loophole Claudia gives so I don't think this is right. C) Yes.... This is the one I will fight till my death. Claudia Stans use this argument to show she is the best. But... This world is on a loop for who knows how many times. WHY IS THIS LOOPS CLAUDIA SO MUCH SMARTER???? Were the previous loops' claudias all dumb idiots? What changed in this iteration? Why was it in this loop that the world changed. It makes zero sense. They never why there is a change this time. What is so unique. Look I am ranting a lot. I know what prolly happened was they needed a way the break the loop for the finale, so they used Claudia who was always meant to be smarter and cooler than Adam and Eve. But in the end she is a plot device. IT DON'T MAKE NO SENSE!!
YES. I came here to comment about Dark and I see someone has already brought it up! :) (Spoiler...) ... The exact thing that Merphy didn't like about Harry Potter 3 are dealt with in Dark. And that's exactly why it works in Dark, in my opinion. They don't gloss over the fact of this wild endless time loop. It's a major theme. And therefore it's satisfying, and doesn't just leave you frustrated like "wait... we are expected to believe that this is how time works... is no one going to talk about the implications of this!?!" xD
@@Dhor16 I think it's because the idea of an infinite time loop is also something that occurs in time-travel fiction, Groundhog Day being the most well-known example in the West. It's where you relive the experience over and over again until you manage to break out of the loop somehow. Typically (but not always), you carry the knowledge from the previous loop into the new one.
I love time travel no matter how it is used. Love the wibbly wobbly and fun kind, love the abstract and confusing part but I also like when it's the main plot. One of my favourite time travel stories is the Blackout/All Clear Duology by Connie Willis. Which is also part of a bigger series but I've only read those two (so far). It's very similar to Timeline because it's about historians from the future who find a way to travel to the past in order to study history. So instead of reading books they study history by visiting and observing it in person. I looooooved this premise. In this duology several students go on assignments to different parts of WWII in the UK and they do their thing but when it's time to return to their time, they can't. So they are stuck in WWII and not only have to survive that but also search for a way to get back home and they live in the constant fear that every minute they spend in the past they may accidently alter it. So the focus is not on the time travel but on the different characters, the different aspects of WWII they witness and the tension of the situation. What I liked the most (besides the amazing characters) were the aspects of the war the books focus on. Because it's not the big events everyone learns/knows about but mostly specific details of everyday life and the people that lived then.
Prisoner of Azkaban was my first real approach to the concept of time travel, and for a while I stood upon the idea that Dumbledore was conscient about the real impacts of Sirius reaching to Harry, and his feelings of protection regarding his godfather, so the main reason Hermione had permission to use the time turner was not only she could attend more classes, but that everything would eventually result in the fate of Sirius (as well as Buckbeak), requiring a time travel.
I love the time travel in HP3. I saw it as a single closed loop. My favorite Doctor Who time travel is of course Blink, but I love Doctor Who because they have fun with the rules of time travel. The Doctor always loves being unpredictable.
I am a little obsessed with time travel in books and movies. Many people think I hate time travel stories because I always end up picking apart what did not work or was not consistent within the bounds of the story's "rules", but I really do like the idea and keep looking for stories that use it well. One of my favorites in the last few years was 'The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August'. It is definitely not your standard kind of time travel and I really enjoyed it for being new to me in the time travel "genre". It also managed to get me looking to read anything else by that author.
In my comment I said "big fan" but a little obsessed is more like it, thank you. Dark is my absolute favorite, the mystery element in "1st 15 lives..." kept me hooked, in addition to the slow reveal of the mechanics and the world.
Merphy you need to give Capaldi a second chance! The 12th Doctor and Clara have the deepest and most complex relationship that I've ever seen on Dr who imo. Their love for each other is as precious as it is toxic. It is so toxic and I love it so much because it felt so real and actually suited what a relationship with someone like the Doctor and living that kind of lifestyle would be like
When you said you thought you didn't like time travel at first, you made me realize why a lot of readers, especially on the web platforms, don't even care to spare a second look. I started writing a time travel fantasy with portal magic last year and it is my favorite but all my other works on these platforms get more attention... I felt discouraged and stopped writing before the climax scene. It made me feel so much better after hearing this. :)
I highly recommend the movie "The girl who lept through time", it's a beautiful anime movie about a girl who suddenly finds out that she can relive a day multiple times.
No one will see this, but I’m obligated to say- between this video and Brandon Sanderson lectures, I’ve been inspired to write a time heist (or at least plan one out for later) and it’s a beautiful thing
The stepping on a butterfly and ruining the world is from "A Sound of Thunder" by Ray Bradbury. A few other classic time travel books I liked are: _The Time Machine_ by H.G. Wells _The End of Eternity_ by Isaac Asimov _Lest Darkness Fall_ by L. Sprague de Camp _The Time-Traveler's Wife_ by Audrey Niffenegger _The Anubis Gates_ by Tim Powers _Doomsday Book_ by Connie Willis (part of a series) _The Stars My Destination_ by Alfred Bester _Behold the Man_ by Michael Moorcock _The Light Brigade_ by Katherine Hurley.
Time travel when done well can be so interesting and fun, but it's very easy to do wrong as well which is why I'm always hesitant with stories involving time travel, even though I really like the concept
Kindred sounds kind of like Outlander. In Outlander the ability to time travel is genetic and is done by touching special circle stones. Jumps are always about 200 years so a nurse from the 1940’s is sent back to the 1700’s. The books are HUGE but sooooooo good! I bet you would like the Time Traveler’s Wife too.
I really get a kick out of the Chronicles of St Mary’s series by Jodi Taylor where historians examine “history in contemporary time.” (It’s really time travel). I find the humor very fun to read. Mostly the time travel is just a tool to allow adventures, the time line can be changed but nearly everyone tries to not do that.
This is how you lose a time War reminded me of the movie Lake House, a romantic drama where two people communicate through the mailbox 2 years apart while living in the same house. It’s pretty good.
Merphy!!!! You NEED to see or read “Your Name”. It’s a short manga and there’s a movie. It’s absolutely beautiful and is kind of related to your video (I won’t say too much because it’s spoilers). It’s GREAT! ❤️ By the way, I LOVE time travel when it’s done correct (with as few plot holes as possible, because it seems to be a hard thing to accomplish). Some examples are: Dark (it’s a time travel MESS, but it’s amazing), Interstellar, and the one I just recommended, Your Name :)
I second this, great characters, great storylines (mind bending but great and make sense when you think about them a little), great use of time travel and you can tell that the writers knew exactly from the beginning where the story was going, how long they needed and where it would end.
I loved 11/22/63! But yes there was a tedious part towards the middle of the book. I am always attracted to time travel, but it can be done well or it goes disastrously.
As soon as I hear time travel, I’m in. I love hard hard time travel, I’m obsessed with how it could theoretically work. The end of Harry Potter 3 is my favorite part of the entire series because of the time travel aspect
I usually do not like time travel in books BUT the best time travel I've ever seen in fantasy is the Licanius Trilogy. You don't even know it's time travel for a while if you didn't go in knowing. it's very well handled.
This is so funny because I remember so many times I've asked for time-travel recommendations from you on your Instagram recommendation requests! I think I love some mystery or soft-magic to the Time Travel, but more than anything, I love experiencing history through a character's modern lens. 😊
You might be interested by the Oxford Time Travel series by Connie Willis. In this series, time travel is used as a tool by historians to better study history. Doomsday Book and To Say Nothing of the Dog are really really good.
I've loved time travel books ever since I read Outlander. My favorite aspect is seeing how a character's modern sensibilities clash with social norms of the past. I really need to pick up Kindred! I've had it on my TBR forever, and it sounds amazing.
I really like time travel however comes because I interpret it different ways and I love that take. My favourite trilogy (Ruby Red, Sapphire Blue and Emerald Green written by Kerstin Gier) has time travel and it's simply amazing and really well developed.
Like you said, there are different types of structures to time travel. The one in Harry Potter is the idea of a fixed timeline. It tends to fit the externalist view of the universe. This is the idea that all moments in time are equally real. Think of time like driving down a road; if you take the wrong exit on the interstate, you may loop back to the same moment. You can retrace those steps because that section of interstate doesn't cease to exist when you leave it. Obviously it's more complicated with time, but think of everyone in those past moments as the interstate itself, a configuration of matter that has yet to evolve (or turn into) their future self, or in the context of the interstate, the piece of road down from where you already were. The difficulty of imagining this is that you have a picture of only the current piece of interstate you are on as existing, but you have to think of it like the entirety of the interstate existing. Personally, these are my favorite kinda of stories bc I think it best reflects how reality is. If you're interested in reading more time travel, consider the anthology by Jeff and Ann Vandeermeer, The Time Travelers Almanac.
These past few months, I have been really obsessed with time travel stories. Also trying to make some time to dive into a good time travel series. Really enjoyed this video. The time stamps are here for you to enjoy too. with a bit of my commentary. couldn't resist. 0:00 intro 1:07 Book of the Month (Sponsor) Start of Discussion 2:38 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban 3:44 this is where her brain goes nuts. This is how I felt when I really thought about the story. 5:07 Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, ( why is it even here) 5:17 Doctor Who 6:36 11/23/63 8:21 This is How You Lose the Time War (very wibbly wobbly) 9:12 Timeline 10:04 Kindred. (she really is obsessed with it. ) 12:38 What we have learned. 16:15 Do you like time travel in your entertainment? 17:12 outro. Let's get messier with Merphy Napier. 💚💚
I think I agree. I haven't read very many time travel stories but I like the idea of using time travel to get somewhere. I also like the idea that time travel might not change history but could ease events into being. Maybe future people could reassure past people that some things will be alright.
@@jersy6406 Not similar but something that popped in my mind is "Toby Streams the Universe" by Maya Lassiter. Also, time travel sort of - but one of my all-time favorites - "The Anubis Gates" by Tim Powers.
I love hard time travel: experiencing the authors idea of how it would work, toying with paradoxes and seeing the psychological impacts it has on the time traveler. I also like novels like Kindred and Doomsday Book were it's mostly historical fiction but realistically places a modern person into these settings, because it often creates powerful stories. However, it can be pretty disappointing if something is sold to me as time travel and then they just go places have some whacky adventures instead of using the potential of time travel.
I am a fan of time travel as long as it has consequences, and if it is explained why it can’t be used to just righten everything. And I definitely hate the way it was handled in the Cursed Child.
It's awesome when done well, but as you expressed, it's really hard to make it work. There are so many automatic paradoxes that can occur, but when you find a writer who has obviously thought their way through all the obvious traps, it can be absolutely wonderful. And I completely agree that approaching it with a looser tone as a means of conveying confusion and tension is much more effective than making it the end-all-be-all of the story, because at least for me, that just adds anxiety and confusion for the reader, rather than the characters.
I had to add several of those books to my TBR! I haven't read any time travel books (though I do own Timeline) but I LOVE Doctor Who. Several of these books sound absolutely amazing! And I love your books. I love this style where you sit down and rant about something because you do it very clearly and just in a nice way. (:
*The Illuminae Files* has an interesting time travel plot. The audiobook is AMAZING (full cast! amazing sound design!) but get the physical book as well, as it's multimedia.
When I was a kid, I watched Back to the future about a million times. Until the tape got stocked in the VHS player. Then I freaked out. Haven't been into time travel ever since.
Time travel is one of my favorite tropes when the character goes back to a real historical moment in time, like in 11/22/63 or The Doomsday Book. I think it has a lot more to do with my love of history than the concept of time travel itself.
Kindred is easily my favorite book that I've read since the start of 2021, and I've read a lot of books. It's actually just incredible and I'm obsessed. I can't wait for your review on it!
i had such fun time watching this video. i love doctor who, and i love how to lose a time war. and the comparison between hard magic and hard time travel actually quite works for me.
Going to have to try and read some of these books suggestions so thank you for adding to my tbr list please stay safe love from John in Australia ❤️❤️❤️
I am a huge fan of Time Travel. If you read "The Man Who Folded Himself", it will blow your brain away. I literally felt like I was on some sort of weird drug high after reading it. My favorite time travel trope is the single person who keeps repeating the same day over and over, like Groundhog Day. There are a lot of these now. One of the best is Edge of Tomorrow. Other good ones are Endless, Synchronic, Resolution, Donnie Darko, Naked is funny, Happy Death Day and Happy Dearh Day 2 U are tongue in cheek funny. Source Code is also a good time travel movie. As for books, I love Time After Time, and especially like the whole Time Scout Series by Robert Asprin and Linda Evans with my favorite in that series being Wagers Of Sin. I found myself cheering out loud for the hero in that book!
The Stephen King book sounds exactly like an old episode of Twilight Zone where a guy keeps trying to go back in time to prevent tragic world events but he never succeeds because you can’t change the past. Rod Serling is the master of story telling!
I haven't read any of the books Merphy talked about, but I was reminded of that same Twilight Zone' episode. That thing actually bugs me. I actually believe time travel to be logically impossible, and I think I can see why people would write stories that way, but what is the in-world mechanism? Time-cops make sense, and there was an episode of 'Doctor Who' in which critters would eat the universe unless things were returned to normal, but why would a gun misfire just because it was pointed at Hitler? There was another episode involving the Lincoln assassination in which Lincoln dies, but minor changes happen. but how does time know what changes are OK and which aren't? I know this reads like I'm upset, but this just bugs me.
I was reminded of a Red Dwarf episode titled "Tikka to Ride" where the Red Dwarf team goes back in time and accidentally prevents the JFK assassination, but have to then try to undo their own interference because of how it changes history for the worst. One of my favorite episodes. If you haven't seen it, I'll just say that they come up with a creation solution.
Hey Merphy! Absolutely love your channel, you've made me check out so many great books! Mistborn, First Law, and last but never the least, The Gentlemen Bastards! Love all of them!
I loved this delve into the time travel theme. I have not considered how much I like time travel, so I guess that is something I will be consciously considering that going forward....
One of the best examples for time traveling in my opinion is All Our Wrong Todays by Elan Mastai. The science and mechanics are explained a lot, BUT in a very entertaining way that makes it soft and hard at the same time if that makes sense? Like the rules are scientifically established but the protagonist doesn't dwell on them because he is not a scientist. Plus I found the premise really interesting because here our timeline is the worse one and the protagonist comes from a sort of utopian society. Anyway, I think if you enjoy time travel this one is worth checking out.
There’s a series I like a lot (re:zero) where the main character can return from death. Basically, every time he is killed, he comes back to life in a different timeline before he’s killed. The cool part of it, the author can and kills every character you like many times. Every time the main character dies, you can feel his pain. Amazing series!
I fell like another book that is talked about very much is Outlander. I think this a good time travel book they explain it a little bit but most of the book is about Claire living between the two time lines.
I know you're not a show person, but I still think you should watch Dark on Netflix! It's 3 seasons wrapped up neatly, so very easy to commit to. It's amazing in my opinion but I would love to hear your thoughts on it.
Great vid! Thanks, Merph. This topic has always interested me because it is done so often and in so many ways. If you like history, and time travel media that teaches you a bit about history, I'd recommend the NBC show Timeless. They travel to times in history and learn things and meet people that are usually lesser known, which I find really interesting and cool. I frequently fact checked after episodes, and (with a couple annoying exceptions) the direct factoids they portray as the truth are typically true. The idea is that someone has invented a time machine, and then it was stolen. The government assembles a team to follow him back in history with a spare time machine they have and stop the thief (with unknown motives and end goals, he has a fascinating backstory), killing him if need be, before he irreparably changes the past. Each week its like stopping him from committing a crime and meeting neat people in history. And the main trio of characters have great chemistry and there's some nice character work there. And, to answer your questions before you can ask them (lol) the way time travel works and the mechanics of it aren't dwelt upon too much here. Basically, if person A time travels to the past and changes something, then returns to their own present time, and person B stays behind in their own time the whole time, when person A returns to the present they'll remember the way things originally were and notice how things have changed. Person B, however, won't have been aware of any change and for them it will be like the "new" way things are has just always been reality. Example: in one episode, the thief/criminal abducts John Wilkes Booth and assassinates President Lincoln himself. Afterwards, when the team returns to the present, those in their time tell them it's always been an unnknown gunman who killed Lincoln, but they know it was supposed to be John Wilkes Booth. They're the only ones who remember this, however, and any research they do doesn't mention him. Anyway, that's all explained in the first episode then they don't harp on the details or physics of how it works too much later. And there's a really cool connection between one of the main characters and the reason the time travel junk started happening in the first place. She realizes her family is connected to. . . things. all that to say: you may not like it since it is a show (you prefer books) and because you could make the same argument that "wasn't it always that way, then?" But I think it's less bad than Potter since they can't go to a time they've already existed. So they won't be avoiding themselves or realize "it was always us that did this, so we have to do it now, too." BUT If you like Kindred, so you like history and connections, and Doctor Who, so shows that are fun and feature good chemistry with time travel, you really might like it and I'd love to hear your thoughts if you do! It's a little known show so I like to mention it where I can. Anyway, thanks for coming to my Ted Talk and I am SO sorry it's this long. . . . !
This is a great video. I just eat up time travel in all it's forms. I can't get enough. The time it bugs me most is when it just serves the immediate plot so much so that it doesn't really make sense.
My favourite time travel story is Time and Time Again by Ben Elton. It does an interesting thing with the mechanics of the time travel in that it's a one-way trip back to the past, because once you go back everything after the point you travelled to is basically erased from existence. The main character is trying to prevent the first world war, so a lot of good alternate history stuff for people who are into that. It also has one of the most well delivered twists I've read in a book because the reader is able to work it out before the characters based off an offhand comment. So it's a definite recommend.
I'm currently reading This is How You Lose the Time War. I described it as abstract and wasn't sure that was the right word but now you've said it too, I'm going to continue to call it abstract!
I’m the opposite. I love when the time travel is the main plot and find it disappointing when it’s just a tool. I love the time travel concept used in HP3. Closed time loop I would call it.
In one of my favoutite books (I think it's called Mrs. Perigrines home for children or something simillar in English), time traveling is used to make the protagonist travel to a place, where one day during WW2 is repeated over and over again, only that some special people aren't affected by it, and he is among them. He than has to decide if he wants to stay with his family, or help the others in their mysterious world. It's realy hard to explain the book without spoilering too much, but it's good!
If you're looking at the very specific patterns of the beats of the time travel, I think I would say that the POA movie deals slightly differently with the time travel than the book does. The movie tries to make it less paradoxical, but the book kind of lets it be and doesn't try to explain how it would be possible, beyond saying "be careful you could ruin things"
There's a famous Richard Matheson novel called Bid time return that has gone slightly forgotten but it does time traveling in a very unique way. It's about a man who falls in love with a girl in a photograph and uses self hypnosis to travel back to the XIXth century to meet her. I read it too young and didnt appreciate it enough but I always liked how orignal the time travel was in this one. I dont think it's been done like this since.
I’m so excited that you’re loving Kindred! I read it for the first time recently, and oh my god. It’s so so so good. I’m a really slow reader, but I was so hooked that I devoured it in, like, two days. I want to read more Octavia Butler, but I just haven’t figured out where I want to start yet.
I do like time-travel actually, I haven't read many, but I do like it typically when I see it. That being said I like there to be whimsy in my books so if you were to push time-travel and whimsy together I would be here for it. And thanks for the description of Kindred, that sounds very up my alleyway. I am quite interested in this series and I'll be interested in what you'll talk about next.
I liked the Doctor Who reference! 😃 Word studies in books can be fun! I've done a few. I can see what you say about convoluted time travel. 'Dark' on Netflix has bootstrap paradoxes on top of more bootstraps. The plot was really hard to follow, but I found the story incredible fun, and interesting.
Time travel is such a Pandora’s box for authors... or it can just be “go with it.” It largely depends on the tone for me. If I’m supposed to take your book super serious, I’ll be thinking it all through. The MCU? Eh whatever. Captain America make hammer go SLAM! So fun is priority.
You should watch Tenet.
Endgame actually has some of the most confounding and rigorous time travel physics and potential consequences for the future. KANG! It doesn’t do paradoxes. Name drops actual physics theories like the Deutsche proposition and the Möbius strip. Apart from superheroes, its biggest stretch is superhero billionaire super-engineer genius ALSO solving time travel in quantum mechanics theoretical physics overnight! Love it but man!
@@PJ-gb5hi or The Arrival. Watch it yesterday. I watched it tomorrow.
@@PJ-gb5hi I don’t get why people think Tenet is confusing! It all is pretty well explained.
@@DanielGreeneReviews I know, right? The trailer had been out for a while, and I had it about 80% figured out. About a thrid of the way into the movie, I was like... "if this happens, then this other thing happened, then that thing already happened... oh. Okay. We can go home now." XD
Thank you merph for always giving the cursed child the attention it deserves 😆😆😆🤣🤣
Wait, What? it deserves no attention other than when you are roasting it.
Edit: Oh shoulda watched the video first 😅😅
This comment wins the internet. 🏆
The exact type and amount, too! Masterful 🙌
I always understood Prisoner of Azkabaan to be one time line. I never got the idea that there was a previous timeline before Hermione and Harry went back in time to "change" everything. It was always that way. They had always done the things they did. That's why Dumbledore knew that they had done things, and told them to go back and do them.
Same, I always saw it that way too. It's a bit of a bootstrap paradox
me too, and i always liked it exactly because it was one timeline that you can't change
Thank you, I was just about to comment this. I don't understand how Merphy explained it or where she got multiple never-ending loops from
Agreed. I actually love how it all fits together so neatly.
I actually prefer this type of time travel because the theory is self sufficient. You don't need a gigantic always-growing multiunivers to support all those possibilities.
Idk why but I always worry about the world's hard drive in that kind of story and it makes me anxious
When she said cursed child, I was like "hey! It's not even canon. Why are you counting fanfiction?" But then she said skip! KWEEN
Unfortunately JK said it is cannon, but I will continue to treat it as though it is truly cursed and not cannon
It’s officially canon but I’d say it’s an alternate timeline (ghost noises) 👻
The way I've always understood the "closed loop" model is "it's already happened, therefore it's destined to happen." There were only ever 2 instances of Harry and Hermione, we were just viewing the same sequence of events from 2 different perspectives, and whatever Harry and Hermione do or don't do is bound to play into whatever they've already seen. you might have 15 instances of one character all in a room, but eventually that character will have to come back and experience the same conversation 15 times from 15 different perspectives. That's my understanding at least. Take it for what it's worth.
Closed time loops make the best stories and are the most scientifically accurate. Wish authors would go with it more often
@@eliasgibson4743 I find it funny that now we're assigning "scientific accuracy" to time travel.
@@eliasgibson4743 i like block time, it doesnt always have to be a closed time loop either, it can just be unchanging timelines.
I think the love for Harry Potter 3 was more about the Marauders than time travelling. However it was a closed loop which was nice, compared to the other book we shall not name.
Dumbledore: "I'm sorry we can't bring back your parents, Harry."
Also Dumbledore: "This time turner will be great for letting Hermione do extra homework and rescuing Buckbeak."
@@christianwalters2047 The Time Turner couldn't save Harry's parents, because they died. The time turner can't change the past.
@@MrZefmiller presumably the time turner has existed longer than Harry has. Dumbledore could have used it at the time, so to speak.
Hermione would have had a normal class load without the time turner, Buckbeaker would have died without the time turner (and Dumbledore knew it).
Saying "it wouldn't work because it didn't" is the kind of inconsistent fatalism that makes time travel not worth the effort.
@@christianwalters2047 So the reason we know that the time turner can't change the past is because the characters experience the effects of the time travel before the cause. This means it's a self consistent closed loop. Everything that Harry and Hermione did happened before they traveled to the past. This actually helps explain why no one uses the time turner to fight Voldemort or to fight Grindelwald. The time turner can only accomplish tasks that the time turner has already accomplished. Which is a little timey-whimy me to think about, but that is structurally how it works.
@@MrZefmiller I'm sorry, I don't mean to sound like I'm arguing with you. I don't recall if all that is explicitly set out in the books, but it hardly matters -- this is exactly why time travel is such a problematic issue.
Is it ever spelled out that the time turner can only dump you into the past?
My favorite time travel rules are that you can’t change anything because you’ve already changed it, and so it’s always been that way. If you go back to change something, you’re completing a loop. It’s almost as if you were supposed to change time to begin with even though you technically didn’t change anything.
You should watch Dark on Netflix.
So Prisoner of Azkaban time travel :p
In theory, that's my least favorite type of time travel (because I want free will), but I've seen it used very well.
The closed time loop is also my favorite.
Free will still applies in this time travel. Tenet explains this very good in the inverted bullet infodump scene.
I love how the Netflix series Dark handles its time Travel. Its such a messy and clean take on the trope.
THIS!!!! I absolutely loved Dark. One of my favorite shows ever. The way they handled time travel, or more the effects of time travel, was amazing.
👍🏿
absolutely stan how you just skipped over the cursed child :D
"cursed child... moving on." XD
A Connecticut Yankee in King Author's Court is another rollicking time-travel book!
I love how she didn't even bother trying to explain it😂😂😂
I love that book. One of the few good books I had to read for my APLit class
I hate that book.
It's funny in the first half and then punches you in the gut without rhyme or reason.
@@robertlewis6915 Awesome! I like it BECAUSE I like my gut being punched (figuratively). So it should come as no surprise that my favorite Shakespeare work is Othello. It's like, "OW!! But thanks, I needed to cry." Don't worry, I'm fine, I just have a thing for tragedies. Which, it is also no surprise that my favorite Star Wars movie is Rogue One.
@@alyssap9233 First time I read it was for a class too. I think... I DID do it fo a class, though I've been through it a few times that I'm not sure which one was the first. Ah, Sandy...
When I was little I looved the Magic Tree House series and that was my first exposure to time travel books. I still hold very good memories :')
Those books were so fun back in the day. Doubt that they hold up.
@@cybersketcher1130 Probably, just because I've grown up
Mary Pope Osbourne is still adding books to her Magic Tree House Series. I loved them as a kid and her approach to teach kids about history and mythological lore is great.
@@cheyannelencioni1389 yeees totally agree, I looved learning so many interesting things about history
@@cybersketcher1130 I've looked at a few in my adult life. They are still pretty solid. Simple, yes, but solid. At least, that's my opinion.
The way Merphy began the video by saying she'd talk about her experiences with time travel kind of made it sound like she was claiming that she herself is actually a time traveler. That was extremely funny to me.
Kindred sounds interesting- def need to add it to TBR
This is a time travel video so I gotta shout this out. The video has been out for an hour and this comment is already a day old. Something is afoot!
@@JCbeMe I just used my time machine (Merphy’s Patreon tier with early release videos) see you in the Shire tomorrow
I keep meaning to read Kindred because I personally loved "Wild Seed", by the same author.
The single best execution of complicated time travel is done in the Netflix series Dark. It is so fascinating and so complex, but so well done and explained. It is really bizar and will break your mind
Yes....
But.....
Spoiler:
There was a fixed rule: No free will. U can't change anything in the loop. Then at the Claudia just somehow gets an idea that she should not have and can change stuff now. I hate people living Claudia because she 'figured' it out even tho she should not be able to.
Ugh hated the ending.
@@havewissmart9602 spoiler:
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I know what you mean, but a) one could argue that Claudia also never had free will either. Maybe it was always her role to bring the two timelines back together.
Or b) she had the ability to change something because most of the others were never supposed to exist, so they were just stuck in the loop. And of the few people that rightfully existed she was the only one to figure out how to get out of it.
Or c) maybe everyone in that universe could have changed things, but were too dumb and she was the only one who was smart enough.
@@legumesss spoiler
a) Except for the fact that the timeline did really change with her knowledge(Adam doesn't kill eve this time, there are three Jonas' as Adam comes back to that time, everyone vanishes etc) I think we can be sure that the ending is a new timeline altogether that Claudia created.
B) there hasn't been any indication that the people who exist only within the loop or people outside the loop are any different. They all seem have no free will. There should not be any distinction. Also Jonas is smart enough to understand the loophole Claudia gives so I don't think this is right.
C) Yes.... This is the one I will fight till my death. Claudia Stans use this argument to show she is the best. But... This world is on a loop for who knows how many times. WHY IS THIS LOOPS CLAUDIA SO MUCH SMARTER???? Were the previous loops' claudias all dumb idiots? What changed in this iteration? Why was it in this loop that the world changed. It makes zero sense. They never why there is a change this time. What is so unique.
Look I am ranting a lot. I know what prolly happened was they needed a way the break the loop for the finale, so they used Claudia who was always meant to be smarter and cooler than Adam and Eve. But in the end she is a plot device.
IT DON'T MAKE NO SENSE!!
YES. I came here to comment about Dark and I see someone has already brought it up! :) (Spoiler...)
...
The exact thing that Merphy didn't like about Harry Potter 3 are dealt with in Dark. And that's exactly why it works in Dark, in my opinion. They don't gloss over the fact of this wild endless time loop. It's a major theme. And therefore it's satisfying, and doesn't just leave you frustrated like "wait... we are expected to believe that this is how time works... is no one going to talk about the implications of this!?!" xD
I wouldn't call Dark flawless, but it's definitely my favorite time travel story ever.
In Harry Potter and the PoA, it is an infinite loop, which means the time can not be changed, it was already like that in the first place.
Technically called a closed loop, not an infinite loop.
@@robertlewis6915 OK, the gist is the same though
@@Dhor16 I know, I agree with your point, just not your terminology.
@@Dhor16 I think it's because the idea of an infinite time loop is also something that occurs in time-travel fiction, Groundhog Day being the most well-known example in the West. It's where you relive the experience over and over again until you manage to break out of the loop somehow. Typically (but not always), you carry the knowledge from the previous loop into the new one.
I love time travel no matter how it is used. Love the wibbly wobbly and fun kind, love the abstract and confusing part but I also like when it's the main plot.
One of my favourite time travel stories is the Blackout/All Clear Duology by Connie Willis. Which is also part of a bigger series but I've only read those two (so far).
It's very similar to Timeline because it's about historians from the future who find a way to travel to the past in order to study history. So instead of reading books they study history by visiting and observing it in person. I looooooved this premise. In this duology several students go on assignments to different parts of WWII in the UK and they do their thing but when it's time to return to their time, they can't. So they are stuck in WWII and not only have to survive that but also search for a way to get back home and they live in the constant fear that every minute they spend in the past they may accidently alter it. So the focus is not on the time travel but on the different characters, the different aspects of WWII they witness and the tension of the situation. What I liked the most (besides the amazing characters) were the aspects of the war the books focus on. Because it's not the big events everyone learns/knows about but mostly specific details of everyday life and the people that lived then.
Prisoner of Azkaban was my first real approach to the concept of time travel, and for a while I stood upon the idea that Dumbledore was conscient about the real impacts of Sirius reaching to Harry, and his feelings of protection regarding his godfather, so the main reason Hermione had permission to use the time turner was not only she could attend more classes, but that everything would eventually result in the fate of Sirius (as well as Buckbeak), requiring a time travel.
The way King makes the past into an antagonist in 11/22/63 is fantastic
I love the time travel in HP3. I saw it as a single closed loop. My favorite Doctor Who time travel is of course Blink, but I love Doctor Who because they have fun with the rules of time travel. The Doctor always loves being unpredictable.
I like it when it makes senses and isn't something that is easy.
I am a little obsessed with time travel in books and movies. Many people think I hate time travel stories because I always end up picking apart what did not work or was not consistent within the bounds of the story's "rules", but I really do like the idea and keep looking for stories that use it well.
One of my favorites in the last few years was 'The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August'. It is definitely not your standard kind of time travel and I really enjoyed it for being new to me in the time travel "genre". It also managed to get me looking to read anything else by that author.
In my comment I said "big fan" but a little obsessed is more like it, thank you.
Dark is my absolute favorite, the mystery element in "1st 15 lives..." kept me hooked, in addition to the slow reveal of the mechanics and the world.
Chrono Trigger is my personal favorite time travel story.
Merphy you need to give Capaldi a second chance! The 12th Doctor and Clara have the deepest and most complex relationship that I've ever seen on Dr who imo. Their love for each other is as precious as it is toxic. It is so toxic and I love it so much because it felt so real and actually suited what a relationship with someone like the Doctor and living that kind of lifestyle would be like
When you said you thought you didn't like time travel at first, you made me realize why a lot of readers, especially on the web platforms, don't even care to spare a second look. I started writing a time travel fantasy with portal magic last year and it is my favorite but all my other works on these platforms get more attention... I felt discouraged and stopped writing before the climax scene. It made me feel so much better after hearing this. :)
I highly recommend the movie "The girl who lept through time", it's a beautiful anime movie about a girl who suddenly finds out that she can relive a day multiple times.
My favourite execution of time travelling trope is definitely “life is strange”
No one will see this, but I’m obligated to say- between this video and Brandon Sanderson lectures, I’ve been inspired to write a time heist (or at least plan one out for later) and it’s a beautiful thing
The stepping on a butterfly and ruining the world is from "A Sound of Thunder" by Ray Bradbury.
A few other classic time travel books I liked are:
_The Time Machine_ by H.G. Wells
_The End of Eternity_ by Isaac Asimov
_Lest Darkness Fall_ by L. Sprague de Camp
_The Time-Traveler's Wife_ by Audrey Niffenegger
_The Anubis Gates_ by Tim Powers
_Doomsday Book_ by Connie Willis (part of a series)
_The Stars My Destination_ by Alfred Bester
_Behold the Man_ by Michael Moorcock
_The Light Brigade_ by Katherine Hurley.
Doctor Who is my favourite show of all-time so I'm always looking out for good time travel stories. Very interested in reading Timeline.
Check out Connie Willis’ ‘Black Out’ and ‘All Clear’
Character work, complexity and stakes of the highest order!
Time travel when done well can be so interesting and fun, but it's very easy to do wrong as well which is why I'm always hesitant with stories involving time travel, even though I really like the concept
Kindred sounds kind of like Outlander. In Outlander the ability to time travel is genetic and is done by touching special circle stones. Jumps are always about 200 years so a nurse from the 1940’s is sent back to the 1700’s. The books are HUGE but sooooooo good! I bet you would like the Time Traveler’s Wife too.
Kindred is amazing!!! Glad you added it to this discussion, I haven’t read anything else like it.
I really get a kick out of the Chronicles of St Mary’s series by Jodi Taylor where historians examine “history in contemporary time.” (It’s really time travel). I find the humor very fun to read. Mostly the time travel is just a tool to allow adventures, the time line can be changed but nearly everyone tries to not do that.
I love this series!
Doomsday Book by Connie Willis! She has several time travel books but this one lays the foundation for the rest. So so good!
Just watched Girl Who Leapt Through Time and then Merphy uploads this.... I feel like time travel is following me around today...
This is how you lose a time War reminded me of the movie Lake House, a romantic drama where two people communicate through the mailbox 2 years apart while living in the same house. It’s pretty good.
I’m so excited you’re reading kindred!! One of my favorite books of all time
I read Kindred in a college literature class. Great book.
"The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August" is one to check out. Its less of a sci-fi, and more of a Groundhog's Day type time travel.
Merphy!!!! You NEED to see or read “Your Name”. It’s a short manga and there’s a movie. It’s absolutely beautiful and is kind of related to your video (I won’t say too much because it’s spoilers). It’s GREAT! ❤️
By the way, I LOVE time travel when it’s done correct (with as few plot holes as possible, because it seems to be a hard thing to accomplish). Some examples are: Dark (it’s a time travel MESS, but it’s amazing), Interstellar, and the one I just recommended, Your Name :)
I recommend watching netflix's Dark (2017). it's all about time travel and actually it's one of the best serieses that i've ever watched in my life.
I second this, great characters, great storylines (mind bending but great and make sense when you think about them a little), great use of time travel and you can tell that the writers knew exactly from the beginning where the story was going, how long they needed and where it would end.
I loved 11/22/63! But yes there was a tedious part towards the middle of the book. I am always attracted to time travel, but it can be done well or it goes disastrously.
As soon as I hear time travel, I’m in. I love hard hard time travel, I’m obsessed with how it could theoretically work.
The end of Harry Potter 3 is my favorite part of the entire series because of the time travel aspect
I usually do not like time travel in books BUT the best time travel I've ever seen in fantasy is the Licanius Trilogy. You don't even know it's time travel for a while if you didn't go in knowing. it's very well handled.
I am here for any type of time travel!! It is the one trope that I am trash for.
This is so funny because I remember so many times I've asked for time-travel recommendations from you on your Instagram recommendation requests! I think I love some mystery or soft-magic to the Time Travel, but more than anything, I love experiencing history through a character's modern lens. 😊
You might be interested by the Oxford Time Travel series by Connie Willis. In this series, time travel is used as a tool by historians to better study history. Doomsday Book and To Say Nothing of the Dog are really really good.
I've loved time travel books ever since I read Outlander. My favorite aspect is seeing how a character's modern sensibilities clash with social norms of the past.
I really need to pick up Kindred! I've had it on my TBR forever, and it sounds amazing.
I really like time travel however comes because I interpret it different ways and I love that take. My favourite trilogy (Ruby Red, Sapphire Blue and Emerald Green written by Kerstin Gier) has time travel and it's simply amazing and really well developed.
Like you said, there are different types of structures to time travel. The one in Harry Potter is the idea of a fixed timeline. It tends to fit the externalist view of the universe.
This is the idea that all moments in time are equally real. Think of time like driving down a road; if you take the wrong exit on the interstate, you may loop back to the same moment. You can retrace those steps because that section of interstate doesn't cease to exist when you leave it.
Obviously it's more complicated with time, but think of everyone in those past moments as the interstate itself, a configuration of matter that has yet to evolve (or turn into) their future self, or in the context of the interstate, the piece of road down from where you already were.
The difficulty of imagining this is that you have a picture of only the current piece of interstate you are on as existing, but you have to think of it like the entirety of the interstate existing.
Personally, these are my favorite kinda of stories bc I think it best reflects how reality is. If you're interested in reading more time travel, consider the anthology by Jeff and Ann Vandeermeer, The Time Travelers Almanac.
I've got a video of some great time travel books on my channel. I discuss several of the books you mentioned here
I like all time travel books.
Predestination. An amazing time travel movie for hard time travel fans
5:26 omigosh omigosh omigosh I have that same exploding TARDIS too!
This is why I watch you Merphy.
I recommend The Time Traveler's Wife. You are going to cry but very good.
These past few months, I have been really obsessed with time travel stories. Also trying to make some time to dive into a good time travel series.
Really enjoyed this video. The time stamps are here for you to enjoy too. with a bit of my commentary. couldn't resist.
0:00 intro
1:07 Book of the Month (Sponsor)
Start of Discussion
2:38 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
3:44 this is where her brain goes nuts. This is how I felt when I really thought about the story.
5:07 Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, ( why is it even here)
5:17 Doctor Who
6:36 11/23/63
8:21 This is How You Lose the Time War (very wibbly wobbly)
9:12 Timeline
10:04 Kindred. (she really is obsessed with it. )
12:38 What we have learned.
16:15 Do you like time travel in your entertainment?
17:12 outro. Let's get messier
with Merphy Napier. 💚💚
I think I agree. I haven't read very many time travel stories but I like the idea of using time travel to get somewhere. I also like the idea that time travel might not change history but could ease events into being. Maybe future people could reassure past people that some things will be alright.
Check out "The Man Who Folded Himself" by David Gerrold. Time travel is very much a part of what is happening but I love the way it works.
I adore that book. Any recs for similar books?
@@jersy6406 Not similar but something that popped in my mind is "Toby Streams the Universe" by Maya Lassiter. Also, time travel sort of - but one of my all-time favorites - "The Anubis Gates" by Tim Powers.
@@tiantuatara Thanks :)
I love hard time travel: experiencing the authors idea of how it would work, toying with paradoxes and seeing the psychological impacts it has on the time traveler. I also like novels like Kindred and Doomsday Book were it's mostly historical fiction but realistically places a modern person into these settings, because it often creates powerful stories.
However, it can be pretty disappointing if something is sold to me as time travel and then they just go places have some whacky adventures instead of using the potential of time travel.
Really a sucker for time travel. I can't really write it yet in my stories but I read it so much. I enjoy reading it and seeing it on screen.
I am a fan of time travel as long as it has consequences, and if it is explained why it can’t be used to just righten everything. And I definitely hate the way it was handled in the Cursed Child.
It's awesome when done well, but as you expressed, it's really hard to make it work. There are so many automatic paradoxes that can occur, but when you find a writer who has obviously thought their way through all the obvious traps, it can be absolutely wonderful. And I completely agree that approaching it with a looser tone as a means of conveying confusion and tension is much more effective than making it the end-all-be-all of the story, because at least for me, that just adds anxiety and confusion for the reader, rather than the characters.
Watch DARK series on Netflix, I loved the way time travel is shown in it.
I'm so happy that you talked about Crichton's Timeline! It's one of my favorite books to reread and just have fun with.
I had to add several of those books to my TBR! I haven't read any time travel books (though I do own Timeline) but I LOVE Doctor Who. Several of these books sound absolutely amazing! And I love your books. I love this style where you sit down and rant about something because you do it very clearly and just in a nice way. (:
*The Illuminae Files* has an interesting time travel plot. The audiobook is AMAZING (full cast! amazing sound design!) but get the physical book as well, as it's multimedia.
When I was a kid, I watched Back to the future about a million times. Until the tape got stocked in the VHS player. Then I freaked out. Haven't been into time travel ever since.
Time travel is one of my favorite tropes when the character goes back to a real historical moment in time, like in 11/22/63 or The Doomsday Book. I think it has a lot more to do with my love of history than the concept of time travel itself.
Kindred is easily my favorite book that I've read since the start of 2021, and I've read a lot of books. It's actually just incredible and I'm obsessed. I can't wait for your review on it!
i had such fun time watching this video. i love doctor who, and i love how to lose a time war. and the comparison between hard magic and hard time travel actually quite works for me.
Going to have to try and read some of these books suggestions so thank you for adding to my tbr list please stay safe love from John in Australia ❤️❤️❤️
I am a huge fan of Time Travel. If you read "The Man Who Folded Himself", it will blow your brain away. I literally felt like I was on some sort of weird drug high after reading it. My favorite time travel trope is the single person who keeps repeating the same day over and over, like Groundhog Day. There are a lot of these now. One of the best is Edge of Tomorrow. Other good ones are Endless, Synchronic, Resolution, Donnie Darko, Naked is funny, Happy Death Day and Happy Dearh Day 2 U are tongue in cheek funny. Source Code is also a good time travel movie. As for books, I love Time After Time, and especially like the whole Time Scout Series by Robert Asprin and Linda Evans with my favorite in that series being Wagers Of Sin. I found myself cheering out loud for the hero in that book!
The Stephen King book sounds exactly like an old episode of Twilight Zone where a guy keeps trying to go back in time to prevent tragic world events but he never succeeds because you can’t change the past. Rod Serling is the master of story telling!
I haven't read any of the books Merphy talked about, but I was reminded of that same Twilight Zone' episode. That thing actually bugs me. I actually believe time travel to be logically impossible, and I think I can see why people would write stories that way, but what is the in-world mechanism? Time-cops make sense, and there was an episode of 'Doctor Who' in which critters would eat the universe unless things were returned to normal, but why would a gun misfire just because it was pointed at Hitler?
There was another episode involving the Lincoln assassination in which Lincoln dies, but minor changes happen. but how does time know what changes are OK and which aren't? I know this reads like I'm upset, but this just bugs me.
I was reminded of a Red Dwarf episode titled "Tikka to Ride" where the Red Dwarf team goes back in time and accidentally prevents the JFK assassination, but have to then try to undo their own interference because of how it changes history for the worst. One of my favorite episodes. If you haven't seen it, I'll just say that they come up with a creation solution.
You'd probably love reading the Magic Treehouse books to your kids. I loved them when growing up and are a more easy introduction into Time Travel.
Just wanted to say thanks because I just finished the audiobook of Kindred after seeing your video and it was such a good book!
You might like the Oxford Time Travel series by Connie Willis. It treats time travel as an academic pursuit.
Yes, those are great! "To Say Nothing of the Dog" is my favorite time travel book.
The Time Traveler's Wife is a book that stayed with me for SO long. I LOVED it. Humor, love, and pathos.
Hey Merphy! Absolutely love your channel, you've made me check out so many great books! Mistborn, First Law, and last but never the least, The Gentlemen Bastards! Love all of them!
I loved this delve into the time travel theme. I have not considered how much I like time travel, so I guess that is something I will be consciously considering that going forward....
I don't about time travel books but DARK really used the time travel concept very efficiently and made an outstanding show out of it !
don't know*
One of the best examples for time traveling in my opinion is All Our Wrong Todays by Elan Mastai. The science and mechanics are explained a lot, BUT in a very entertaining way that makes it soft and hard at the same time if that makes sense? Like the rules are scientifically established but the protagonist doesn't dwell on them because he is not a scientist. Plus I found the premise really interesting because here our timeline is the worse one and the protagonist comes from a sort of utopian society. Anyway, I think if you enjoy time travel this one is worth checking out.
There’s a series I like a lot (re:zero) where the main character can return from death. Basically, every time he is killed, he comes back to life in a different timeline before he’s killed.
The cool part of it, the author can and kills every character you like many times. Every time the main character dies, you can feel his pain. Amazing series!
I fell like another book that is talked about very much is Outlander. I think this a good time travel book they explain it a little bit but most of the book is about Claire living between the two time lines.
The Martha Jones and Doctor quotes made me smile 😊
I like hard time travel. But it has to be interesting, explicable, and functional. It can be very hard to find time travel I enjoy.
The Man Who Folded Himself by David Gerrold. Classic time travel novel.
I am a schmuck for time travel. I love this trope with passion.
I know you're not a show person, but I still think you should watch Dark on Netflix! It's 3 seasons wrapped up neatly, so very easy to commit to. It's amazing in my opinion but I would love to hear your thoughts on it.
Great vid! Thanks, Merph. This topic has always interested me because it is done so often and in so many ways.
If you like history, and time travel media that teaches you a bit about history, I'd recommend the NBC show Timeless. They travel to times in history and learn things and meet people that are usually lesser known, which I find really interesting and cool. I frequently fact checked after episodes, and (with a couple annoying exceptions) the direct factoids they portray as the truth are typically true.
The idea is that someone has invented a time machine, and then it was stolen. The government assembles a team to follow him back in history with a spare time machine they have and stop the thief (with unknown motives and end goals, he has a fascinating backstory), killing him if need be, before he irreparably changes the past. Each week its like stopping him from committing a crime and meeting neat people in history. And the main trio of characters have great chemistry and there's some nice character work there.
And, to answer your questions before you can ask them (lol) the way time travel works and the mechanics of it aren't dwelt upon too much here. Basically, if person A time travels to the past and changes something, then returns to their own present time, and person B stays behind in their own time the whole time, when person A returns to the present they'll remember the way things originally were and notice how things have changed. Person B, however, won't have been aware of any change and for them it will be like the "new" way things are has just always been reality. Example: in one episode, the thief/criminal abducts John Wilkes Booth and assassinates President Lincoln himself. Afterwards, when the team returns to the present, those in their time tell them it's always been an unnknown gunman who killed Lincoln, but they know it was supposed to be John Wilkes Booth. They're the only ones who remember this, however, and any research they do doesn't mention him.
Anyway, that's all explained in the first episode then they don't harp on the details or physics of how it works too much later.
And there's a really cool connection between one of the main characters and the reason the time travel junk started happening in the first place. She realizes her family is connected to. . . things.
all that to say: you may not like it since it is a show (you prefer books) and because you could make the same argument that "wasn't it always that way, then?" But I think it's less bad than Potter since they can't go to a time they've already existed. So they won't be avoiding themselves or realize "it was always us that did this, so we have to do it now, too."
BUT If you like Kindred, so you like history and connections, and Doctor Who, so shows that are fun and feature good chemistry with time travel, you really might like it and I'd love to hear your thoughts if you do! It's a little known show so I like to mention it where I can.
Anyway, thanks for coming to my Ted Talk and I am SO sorry it's this long. . . . !
This is a great video. I just eat up time travel in all it's forms. I can't get enough. The time it bugs me most is when it just serves the immediate plot so much so that it doesn't really make sense.
My favourite trope is the time loop. They can be a day long or 30 years. And everything in between.
My favourite time travel story is Time and Time Again by Ben Elton. It does an interesting thing with the mechanics of the time travel in that it's a one-way trip back to the past, because once you go back everything after the point you travelled to is basically erased from existence. The main character is trying to prevent the first world war, so a lot of good alternate history stuff for people who are into that. It also has one of the most well delivered twists I've read in a book because the reader is able to work it out before the characters based off an offhand comment. So it's a definite recommend.
I'm currently reading This is How You Lose the Time War. I described it as abstract and wasn't sure that was the right word but now you've said it too, I'm going to continue to call it abstract!
I’m the opposite. I love when the time travel is the main plot and find it disappointing when it’s just a tool. I love the time travel concept used in HP3. Closed time loop I would call it.
In one of my favoutite books (I think it's called Mrs. Perigrines home for children or something simillar in English), time traveling is used to make the protagonist travel to a place, where one day during WW2 is repeated over and over again, only that some special people aren't affected by it, and he is among them.
He than has to decide if he wants to stay with his family, or help the others in their mysterious world.
It's realy hard to explain the book without spoilering too much, but it's good!
If you're looking at the very specific patterns of the beats of the time travel, I think I would say that the POA movie deals slightly differently with the time travel than the book does. The movie tries to make it less paradoxical, but the book kind of lets it be and doesn't try to explain how it would be possible, beyond saying "be careful you could ruin things"
There's a famous Richard Matheson novel called Bid time return that has gone slightly forgotten but it does time traveling in a very unique way. It's about a man who falls in love with a girl in a photograph and uses self hypnosis to travel back to the XIXth century to meet her. I read it too young and didnt appreciate it enough but I always liked how orignal the time travel was in this one. I dont think it's been done like this since.
I’m so excited that you’re loving Kindred! I read it for the first time recently, and oh my god. It’s so so so good. I’m a really slow reader, but I was so hooked that I devoured it in, like, two days. I want to read more Octavia Butler, but I just haven’t figured out where I want to start yet.
I do like time-travel actually, I haven't read many, but I do like it typically when I see it. That being said I like there to be whimsy in my books so if you were to push time-travel and whimsy together I would be here for it. And thanks for the description of Kindred, that sounds very up my alleyway.
I am quite interested in this series and I'll be interested in what you'll talk about next.
I liked the Doctor Who reference! 😃
Word studies in books can be fun! I've done a few.
I can see what you say about convoluted time travel. 'Dark' on Netflix has bootstrap paradoxes on top of more bootstraps. The plot was really hard to follow, but I found the story incredible fun, and interesting.
I love time travelling. Is my favourite trope.
I recommend love and Gravity is really good.