# Recommend a book re time travel **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 19, 2008, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-book-re-time-travel/460616 "2008-08-19T23:39:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sycorax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a4c791/32.png) [@Sycorax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sycorax)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2008, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-book-re-time-travel/460616/1 "2008-08-19T23:39:00Z")
Recommend a long, complex, thoughtful, philosophical, well-written, character-driven book about time travel. Previous books I’ve loved: Connie Willis’s Doomsday Book, Lincoln’s Dreams; and Passage. I started “To say Nothing of the Dog,” but just couldn’t get into it (I think I gave up on it when the protagonist met the guy with the boat and dog); I didn’t know what he was supposed to be doing and it seemed to be just fluff up to that point. If you think it’s worth it, I’m willing to try again. I like some of Barbara Michaels’ books (Vanish with the Rose, Here I Stay, Stitches in Time, Patriot’s Dream). I loved “The Thirteenth Tale” by Diane Setterfield. (No short stories; I know Connie Willis has done a few short stories, but I want to get drawn into something lengthy and complex that will last more than a few days.) Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Sycorax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a4c791/32.png) [@Sycorax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sycorax)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2008, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-book-re-time-travel/460616/2 "2008-08-19T23:45:02Z")
P. S. - I know “The Thirteenth Tale” is not about time travel, but it’s an example of the kind of story I like - complex, paranormal (at least on the surface), and a surprise ending. Of those three authors, Connie Willis is the one I prefer; but I’ve checked online and don’t see anything new from her. ---
**Author:** ![pinkfreud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pinkfreud/32/17603_2.png) [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2008, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-book-re-time-travel/460616/3 "2008-08-19T23:50:44Z")
[Replay](http://www.amazon.com/Replay-Ken-Grimwood/dp/068816112X/), by Ken Grimwood, is a time travel novel of a sort. It involves traveling back to earlier times in one’s own life (repeatedly). This is one of those books that, after you read it, you go around making a nuisance of yourself trying to get all your friends to read it, too. ---
**Author:** ![JR\_Brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d6d6ee/32.png) [@JR\_Brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JR_Brown)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2008, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-book-re-time-travel/460616/4 "2008-08-20T00:10:12Z")
[QUOTE=Sycorax] I started “To say Nothing of the Dog,” but just couldn’t get into it (I think I gave up on it when the protagonist met the guy with the boat and dog); I didn’t know what he was supposed to be doing and it seemed to be just fluff up to that point. [/QUOTE] I’d recommend giving TSNOTD another shot. It may help if you know that, at the point “when the protagonist met the guy with the boat and dog”, _he_ doesn’t know what he’s supposed to be doing either. And the fluff is indispensable; TSNOTD is in part a parody of / homage to PG Woodehouse’s novels, which are pretty much 100% fluff stuffed with fluff and a light fluff coating. JRB ---
**Author:** ![Helena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c68b51/32.png) [@Helena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helena)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2008, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-book-re-time-travel/460616/5 "2008-08-20T00:11:50Z")
I had a little trouble getting into \To Say Nothing of the Dog\, too, but I enjoyed it. I may even read it again one of these days. ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2008, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-book-re-time-travel/460616/6 "2008-08-20T00:17:15Z")
It helps a lot if you are already familiar with Dorothy Sayers’ _Gaudy Night_ and whichever Agatha Christie mystery is mentioned in _To say nothing of the dog_. ---
**Author:** ![Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bc8723/32.png) [@Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2008, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-book-re-time-travel/460616/7 "2008-08-20T00:24:00Z")
You might like _The Door Into Summer_ by Robert Heinlein. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Some\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ad7895/32.png) [@Just\_Some\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Some_Guy)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2008, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-book-re-time-travel/460616/8 "2008-08-20T01:12:03Z")
[QUOTE=dangermom] It helps a lot if you are already familiar with Dorothy Sayers’ _Gaudy Night_ and whichever Agatha Christie mystery is mentioned in _To say nothing of the dog_. [/QUOTE] Not to mention Jerome K. Jerome’s _Three Men in a Boat (to Say Nothing of the Dog)_. ---
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2008, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-book-re-time-travel/460616/9 "2008-08-20T01:15:44Z")
I’ll risk semi-repeating myself - my first post here which got lost. If this is the book I read awhile back, it’ll knock you out. It’s **Time and Again** and it haunted me for weeks afterward. Check the reviews at > **[Amazon.com: Time and Again: 9780684801056: Finney, Jack: Books](https://www.amazon.com/Time-Again-Jack-Finney/dp/0684801051)** > > Amazon.com: Time and Again: 9780684801056: Finney, Jack: Books I’m getting the book again(?) from the library tomorrow. ---
**Author:** ![Glory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7cd45c/32.png) [@Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Glory)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2008, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-book-re-time-travel/460616/10 "2008-08-20T01:16:28Z")
Two of my favorites (I also adore Replay which was already mentioned): [Outlander](http://www.amazon.com/Outlander-Diana-Gabaldon/dp/0385319959/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1219194870&sr=8-1) and [The Time Traveler’s Wife](http://www.amazon.com/Time-Travelers-Wife-Audrey-Niffenegger/dp/015602943X/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1219194930&sr=1-2). ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2008, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-book-re-time-travel/460616/11 "2008-08-20T01:46:05Z")
[The Anubis Gates](http://www.amazon.com/Anubis-Gates-Tim-Powers/dp/0441004016) ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2008, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-book-re-time-travel/460616/12 "2008-08-20T01:49:30Z")
[QUOTE=pinkfreud] [Replay](http://www.amazon.com/Replay-Ken-Grimwood/dp/068816112X/), by Ken Grimwood, is a time travel novel of a sort. It involves traveling back to earlier times in one’s own life (repeatedly). [/QUOTE] That’s what I came in to mention! ---
**Author:** ![SmartAleq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smartaleq/32/163_2.png) [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2008, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-book-re-time-travel/460616/13 "2008-08-20T02:38:22Z")
Oh yeah, “Replay” kicks ALL the ass, go for it. I don’t know how character driven it might be, but David Gerrold’s “The Man Who Folded Himself” is probably about the most thorough exploration of time travel taken to extremes and will likely make your head hurt. In a good way, though. ---
**Author:** ![1Bob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/6de8d8/32.png) [@1Bob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/1Bob)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2008, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-book-re-time-travel/460616/14 "2008-08-20T02:47:01Z")
Hi - I’m a long time lurker but had to sign up to second Jack Finney’s “Time and Again”. Wonderful time travel book, and a great look at New York’s past. Was made into a movie as I recall but as usual the book is better. He also has two books of short stories about time which are also good. I remember reading “Hawksbill Station” by Robert Silverberg and enjoying that many years ago. ---
**Author:** ![633squadron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/6/ee59a6/32.png) [@633squadron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/633squadron)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2008, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-book-re-time-travel/460616/15 "2008-08-20T03:21:40Z")
[QUOTE=Sycorax] Recommend a long, complex, thoughtful, philosophical, well-written, character-driven book about time travel. [/QUOTE] Two: [ol] [li]The Time Machine, by H.G. Wells[/li][li]The Time Traveler’s Wife[/li][/ol] The first because it was the first, it’s very well-written and thought out, and it’s Wells at his best. The second because it’s incredibly well-written, poignant, and caring, and has very little to do with actual time travel. ---
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2008, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-book-re-time-travel/460616/16 "2008-08-20T04:00:03Z")
I’m going to third _Replay_. It’s simply an amazing book. The first time I read it, I read the last page and _immediately_ turned to the first page and started rereading. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2008, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-book-re-time-travel/460616/17 "2008-08-20T12:15:53Z")
Just coming to third the Jack Finney books Time and Again, and From Time to Time. I would list those among the best books I’ve read in my life. ---
**Author:** ![Atrael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Atrael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atrael)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2008, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-book-re-time-travel/460616/18 "2008-08-20T14:15:35Z")
I thought [The Time Ships](http://www.amazon.com/Time-Ships-Stephen-Baxter/dp/0061056480/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1219241670&sr=1-1) was a pretty good follow on to _The Time Machine_. Fairly complex with some hard science in there. I found it an enjoyable read. ---
**Author:** ![Caprese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9a28c/32.png) [@Caprese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caprese)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2008, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-book-re-time-travel/460616/19 "2008-08-20T14:30:09Z")
I’ll echo Jack Finney’s Time and Again, and Niffenegger’s The Time Traveler’s Wife (also that last Willis book, though I agree it helps if you recognize the many references and origins) and I’ll add John Maxim’s [Time Out of Mind](http://www.amazon.com/Time-Out-Mind-John-Maxim/dp/0380730065) ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2008, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-book-re-time-travel/460616/20 "2008-08-20T14:53:09Z")
I’ll second The Time Traveller’s Wife. Great premise, well written, and an all around great read. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-book-re-time-travel/460616.md?page=2)