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Max the Magnificent
You are correct -- this was a classic
Max the Magnificent
Another classic -- short but great -- I have it in his anthology "Earth is Room ...
What’s the best time-travel book/film ever?
Clive Maxfield
3/21/2011 7:52 PM EDT
I guess I should really start off by being honest and letting you know up front that there’s an underlying motive for this blog, which starts with the fact that I was just reading the April 2011 issue of Discover Magazine.
As part of a review of the forthcoming movie Source Code (scheduled to open on April), the reviewer mentioned two films of which I was previously unaware.
One of these films was Donnie Darko. The leader on Amazon starts off saying: “During the presidential election of 1988, a teenager named Donnie Darko sleepwalks out of his house one night, and sees a giant, demonic-looking rabbit named Frank, who tells him the world will end in 28 days, 6 hours, 42 minutes, and 12 seconds.”
My initial reaction was “Do I really want to see yet another film about demonic-looking rabbits?” (I’ve still not recovered from “the incident” [grin]), but there are a whole bunch of reviews for this film and they all score very highly. Also, the Director's Cut version was only $13.16, so I thought “What the heck?” and ordered it. (For some reason, the Original Cut sells for $39.95, which I thought was over the top, but if you’ve seen both versions I’d love to hear your views as to which one is the one to see.)
But that's not what I wanted to talk to you about (grin). The other film was Primer, which was described (in Discover Magazine) as follows: "Despite its puny $7,000 budget, Shane Carruth’s 2004 cult classic stitched together one of the trippiest movie versions of time travel. Be prepared to watch it several times to decipher the convoluted time line.”
Now I have to say that this one really caught my eye, because I very much enjoy stories about time travel. But when I bounced over to check it out on Amazon I saw that it had a mixed bag of reviews – some folks love it while others loath it. Also, it costs $52.98, which is a price that brings tears to my eyes (and these are not tears of happiness). So I thought I’d ask around to see if anyone whose opinion I respected (that would be you, because as a reader of Programmable Logic Designline you’ve already shown yourself to be a discerning, highly-intelligent individual) had seen this film and – if so – what was your impression?
So, excluding Primer (about which I am still a little sketchy), what was your favorite time travel story of all time? I’ve not seen The Time Traveler’s Wife so I really cannot comment on that. I really liked Millennium (the movie), although that was really more of a mystery-thriller than a time travelling tale.
Of course H.G. Wells’ Time Machine is absolutely brilliant – both in book and movie form. Personally, with regard to the movie, I prefer the Original 1960s version starring Rod Taylor, but I also very much enjoyed the effects in the 2002 Remake starring Guy Pearce.
And who amongst us could forget A Sound of Thunder – the short story by Ray Bradbury, which was first published in Collier’s magazine in 1952. According to the Wikipedia, as of 1984, this was the most re-published science fiction story of all time. The idea is that a hunting party from 2055 travel back into the past on a guided safari to kill a Tyrannosaurus Rex. I’m drastically simplifying this, but one of the hunters leaves the designated path and kills a butterfly – when the party returns to their own time they discover that the demise of the butterfly have triggered many changes… (Someone made a film about this, but it was so bad that I don’t want to sully your eyes with a description of it here.)
Now, if we are talking about a time traveling story that (to the best of my knowledge) only ever appeared in written form, I would have to say that my all-time favorite was The End of Eternity by Isaac Asimov. This is too convoluted to go into here (you’ve either read it or you haven’t), but I thought that everything about this book was very clever and thought-provoking – especially the twist at the end. The mystery to me is why no one ever made this into a movie … if they did I would be queuing outside the cinema clamoring to be let in...
But I’m sure that I’m forgetting a bunch of really amazing books and films … help me out here … which time travelling tale would you vote “#1 Of All Time”?
As part of a review of the forthcoming movie Source Code (scheduled to open on April), the reviewer mentioned two films of which I was previously unaware.
One of these films was Donnie Darko. The leader on Amazon starts off saying: “During the presidential election of 1988, a teenager named Donnie Darko sleepwalks out of his house one night, and sees a giant, demonic-looking rabbit named Frank, who tells him the world will end in 28 days, 6 hours, 42 minutes, and 12 seconds.”
My initial reaction was “Do I really want to see yet another film about demonic-looking rabbits?” (I’ve still not recovered from “the incident” [grin]), but there are a whole bunch of reviews for this film and they all score very highly. Also, the Director's Cut version was only $13.16, so I thought “What the heck?” and ordered it. (For some reason, the Original Cut sells for $39.95, which I thought was over the top, but if you’ve seen both versions I’d love to hear your views as to which one is the one to see.)
But that's not what I wanted to talk to you about (grin). The other film was Primer, which was described (in Discover Magazine) as follows: "Despite its puny $7,000 budget, Shane Carruth’s 2004 cult classic stitched together one of the trippiest movie versions of time travel. Be prepared to watch it several times to decipher the convoluted time line.”
Now I have to say that this one really caught my eye, because I very much enjoy stories about time travel. But when I bounced over to check it out on Amazon I saw that it had a mixed bag of reviews – some folks love it while others loath it. Also, it costs $52.98, which is a price that brings tears to my eyes (and these are not tears of happiness). So I thought I’d ask around to see if anyone whose opinion I respected (that would be you, because as a reader of Programmable Logic Designline you’ve already shown yourself to be a discerning, highly-intelligent individual) had seen this film and – if so – what was your impression?
So, excluding Primer (about which I am still a little sketchy), what was your favorite time travel story of all time? I’ve not seen The Time Traveler’s Wife so I really cannot comment on that. I really liked Millennium (the movie), although that was really more of a mystery-thriller than a time travelling tale.
Of course H.G. Wells’ Time Machine is absolutely brilliant – both in book and movie form. Personally, with regard to the movie, I prefer the Original 1960s version starring Rod Taylor, but I also very much enjoyed the effects in the 2002 Remake starring Guy Pearce.
And who amongst us could forget A Sound of Thunder – the short story by Ray Bradbury, which was first published in Collier’s magazine in 1952. According to the Wikipedia, as of 1984, this was the most re-published science fiction story of all time. The idea is that a hunting party from 2055 travel back into the past on a guided safari to kill a Tyrannosaurus Rex. I’m drastically simplifying this, but one of the hunters leaves the designated path and kills a butterfly – when the party returns to their own time they discover that the demise of the butterfly have triggered many changes… (Someone made a film about this, but it was so bad that I don’t want to sully your eyes with a description of it here.)
Now, if we are talking about a time traveling story that (to the best of my knowledge) only ever appeared in written form, I would have to say that my all-time favorite was The End of Eternity by Isaac Asimov. This is too convoluted to go into here (you’ve either read it or you haven’t), but I thought that everything about this book was very clever and thought-provoking – especially the twist at the end. The mystery to me is why no one ever made this into a movie … if they did I would be queuing outside the cinema clamoring to be let in...
But I’m sure that I’m forgetting a bunch of really amazing books and films … help me out here … which time travelling tale would you vote “#1 Of All Time”?
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Max the Magnificent
3/21/2011 8:09 PM EDT
Come on, you know that you're bursting to tell me about the ones I missed...
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Duane Benson
3/22/2011 2:08 AM EDT
You've picked some good ones. I haven't read The End of Eternity for probably 25 years, but it's still fairly fresh in my memory. I'd put that very high on my list of time travel books/movies, if not number one. I think I'll hunt down a copy and read it again.
A Sound of Thunder is very good as well. I just re-read that one a few months ago while revisiting a couple of Bradbury short story collections.
The movie that comes to mind is rather predictable and campy, but I liked it. The Final Countdown. The U.S.S Nimitz gets sucked into a time vortex, arriving off Hawaii on the Eve of the Pearl Harbor attack.
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Max the Magnificent
3/22/2011 10:45 AM EDT
There was a short-ish story I once read where we start with a young guy (call him #1) who sees a circular portal into another world.
Then another guy appears (call him #2) saying he's a later version (that is older) of #1 and saying not to go through the portal.
Then another guy appears (call him #3) saying he's a later version of #2 and telling #1 NOT to go through the portal.
There's a bit of a scuffle and #1 gets pushed through the portal.
Anyway, the bottom line is that we follow #1 as he eventually becomes #2 and then #3 and eventually #4 (who I didn't mention because it's a bit of a surprise).
Does anyone know the name of that story and the author?
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zeeglen
3/22/2011 11:53 AM EDT
Sounds like the character "Diktor" in "By His Bootstraps" by Robert A. Heinlein.
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Max the Magnificent
3/22/2011 11:58 AM EDT
That's the one!!! Thank you so much. I have all of Heinlein's books -- I'm going to re-read that story as soon as I finish with the webinar that I'm currently moderating as I pen these words...
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Max the Magnificent
3/22/2011 10:48 AM EDT
A friend of mine just sent me a message saying: "I quite like Timeline by Michael Crighton, if only for his explanation of how the Young's Slits experiment works at low light levels because someone in a nearby parallel universe is also doing the experiment."
I'd forgotten about Timeline, but it is a good book.
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CHOONG 9W2CEI
3/24/2011 2:09 AM EDT
There are only 2 I have watched:
1. Back to the Future series
2. Samurai Commando Mission 1549 (Japanese movie)
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ThermalHunter
3/24/2011 11:00 AM EDT
Chris Marker's "La Jetee". Re-made as Terry Gilliams "Twelve Monkeys"
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Max the Magnificent
3/24/2011 5:25 PM EDT
Yes, that was a good one -- although a tad "dark" for my taste
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swohler
3/24/2011 4:17 PM EDT
Primer is based on a great premise, but the movie could have been so much better. Perhaps given a bigger budget? The concepts will take you a few minutes to grasp, and it will definitely make you think. Given that, it is available on Netflix if you have that, unfortunately it is only on DVD and not instant queue.
Speaking of Michael Crichton, one of his best and often unmentioned works is Sphere, of which they made a film starring Dustin Hoffman. As with all book adaptations, the book is better, but the movie is still entertaining.
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Max the Magnificent
3/24/2011 5:25 PM EDT
I do have a Netflix account -- I don't mind ordering the DVD from them -- I can't believe I didn't think of that myself.
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Alan42
3/25/2011 3:37 PM EDT
The best Time Travel story I ever read was Lest Darkness Fall.
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Max the Magnificent
3/25/2011 4:01 PM EDT
I'd never heard of that, but I just Googled it and found an Entry on the Wikipedia (http://bit.ly/i5hinF).
I also looked it up on Amazon -- I just purchased the Kindle edition for $9.99, so that's what I'll be reading this weekend (isn't technology wonderful?)
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Max the Magnificent
3/29/2011 9:14 AM EDT
I'm currently in the middle of reading "Lest Darkness Fall" L. by Sprague de Camp -- it's very interesting -- it involves a guy from "our time" being transported back to Ancient Rome.
The opposite might be "Pebble in the Sky" by Isaac Asimov which involves a guy from "our time" being transported to Earth in the far distant future.
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Bruce1234
3/26/2011 8:57 AM EDT
No Time Machine book list is complete without mention of Connie Willis, winner of ten Hugo Awards and six Nebula Awards. "Fire Watch", "Doomsday Book" and the recent "Blackout/All Clear" explore the theme of altering the past to change the present. Of course the idea is ridiculous prima face, but it makes a good framework for a discussion of predestination and the nature of Man.
It is important for us techs to pay attention to the consequences of the application of technology (H. G. Wells did this best).
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Max the Magnificent
3/26/2011 1:29 PM EDT
I just added all of these to my "Wish List" on Amazon
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ThomB
3/26/2011 3:49 PM EDT
How about Kurt Vonnegut's "Slaughterhouse-Five"? Both the film and the book.
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Max the Magnificent
3/26/2011 4:05 PM EDT
I hate to say this, but I was never a big fan of Kurt Vonnegut -- I know other folks like him, but I just find it hard to get into his books...
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ghfarmer
3/28/2011 9:35 AM EDT
The Weapon Shops of Isher by van Vogt is a time travel story of sorts. I don't know if I would classify it as "best ever" but it is definitely a time travel story from a unique perspective.
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Max the Magnificent
3/29/2011 9:11 AM EDT
I'd forgotten about this one also -- I haven't read that for more than 30 years -- I'll have to keep my eyes open for a second-hand copy.
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Jeffer
3/28/2011 1:38 PM EDT
Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure had one of the best time travel paradox scenes ever.
Heinlein's Time Enough For Love had a few well handled time travel components.
Ian Wallace's Croyd was a time travel master and a really fast read.
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Max the Magnificent
3/29/2011 9:10 AM EDT
Believe it or not I've never seen Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure. As you say, Heinlein's Time Enough For Love had a bit of time travel, although that wasn't the focus of the book. And I'd never even heard of Ian Wallace's Croyd -- I'll have to look that up...
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Chandles
3/29/2011 7:25 AM EDT
"Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency" by Douglas Adams - very clever and very funny.
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Max the Magnificent
3/29/2011 9:08 AM EDT
That was a good one -- I'd forgotten all about it -- did you also read "The Long Dark Teatime of the Soul"?
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Max the Magnificent
3/29/2011 9:16 AM EDT
What about Terry Gilliam's fantasy film "Time Bandits" -- I guess it was aimed at a younger audience, but I liked it.
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LitFreak
3/31/2011 7:39 PM EDT
The Philadelphia Experiment (1984) is a film by Stewart Raffill, which follows a couple of Navy seals who get sucked into a time vortex and into the future due to a large experiment gone wrong (i just like how a whole village gets teleported hehe)
I watched it because it had relevance to the T.V. series LOST, and it isn't bad for the time it was made.
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pomartel
7/8/2011 4:46 PM EDT
Several people mentioned short stories as well as book/movie. Heinlein's "All you Zombies" is definitely up there.
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Max the Magnificent
7/11/2011 10:00 AM EDT
I thought I'd read all of Heinlein but I don't remember this one - -I just bounced over to Amazon and ordered a book of his short stories that contains this one -- thanks for the suggestion...
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OmegaMan
7/11/2011 10:58 AM EDT
As far as movies, "The Butterfly Effect" with Ashton Kutcher was a pretty good time-travel story about changing the past and how that has unexpected effects on the future.
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Max the Magnificent
7/11/2011 3:07 PM EDT
I remember when this came out, but for some reason I never got to see it -- I'll check to see it it's on NexFlix -- otherwise I've just added it to my "Wish List" on Amazon
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Max the Magnificent
11/21/2011 10:41 AM EST
I just discovered a nee Heinlein book I'd never heard about called "The Door Into Summer" (http://amzn.to/v1P53a). I think it's just been re-discovered and published -- it seems to be available only in electronic format -- I also found it in the iTunes Store and downloaded it to my iPad
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windhorn
12/9/2011 2:37 PM EST
How can you leave out the whole "1632" series by Eric Flint et al?
There's also "The Girl, the Gold Watch, and Everything" by John D MacDonald which has a sort of time travel in it (only forward though).
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Max the Magnificent
12/9/2011 2:47 PM EST
I must admit that I'd forgotten about the "1632" series ... I did start reading the first one (which is sitting on the shelf behind me in my office) but I ground to a halt because I wasn't enjoying the writing (or something ... I no longer recall)
Re "The Girl, the Gold Watch, and Everything" - -I just looked it up on Amazon -- this looks to be a good one even though it's only available second hand -- I've added it to my ever-growing Wish List on Amazon...
...I can't wait for some money to come in (there are good months and bad months) so I can actually lay my sticky fingers on all of the juicy books I have lined up in my wish list...
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windhorn
12/9/2011 2:45 PM EST
...and what was the other series similar to 1632 where the island of Nantucket was transported back to the pre-Columbian era?
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Max the Magnificent
12/9/2011 2:50 PM EST
I don't know... but now you have me intrigued...
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Max the Magnificent
12/9/2011 2:53 PM EST
Two more books just popped into my mind -- there was "Timeline" by Michael Crichton and "Mammoth" by John Varley...
...both of these are good reads that I would happily recommend.
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Steve Trimberger
12/22/2011 12:48 PM EST
I have a rule about SciFi: When they start time-travelling or alternate realities (which usually follows) the series is dead. [Star Trek] Enterprise introduced time travel in the very first episode! QED. They had all of space to explore and that wasn't enough for the first hour?!
But I digress.
The best time-travel film is "Groundhog Day". A very close second is "12:01". Both for the humor. You can't take yourself too seriously when doing time travel.
"Millenium" the book was better than the movie and "The Phildelphia Experiment" the book, NOT the movie, was also excellent.
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Max the Magnificent
12/22/2011 12:55 PM EST
I must admit that I loved Groundhog Day -- I have the 12:01 DVD sitting at home waiting for me to find the time to watch it.
I also loved Millenium the movie (I never read the book -- but I'm a huge fan of John Varley so I just added it to my Wish List on Amazon). Similarly I only saw the movie version of The Philadelphia Experiment...
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cshore
1/5/2012 12:16 PM EST
Can't believe noone has mentioned Asimov's immortal scientific paper "The Endochronic Properties of Resublimated Thiotimoline". Chase it down if you can. Wonderful stuff.
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Max the Magnificent
1/5/2012 3:26 PM EST
You are correct -- this was a classic
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cshore
1/5/2012 12:21 PM EST
Or, Asimov again and another short story, "The Immortal Bard".
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Max the Magnificent
1/5/2012 3:25 PM EST
Another classic -- short but great -- I have it in his anthology "Earth is Room Enough"
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