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Must-read Time Travel Books
13
items Time travel is a fun concept that has been reimagined in media, be it as a movie, show, book or game countless times. Sometimes it is genre-defining sometimes convulated, and other times something somewhere in-between. This list features time travel ...
Sections
5
Romance
Science Fiction
Change the Past, Change the Future
Children and Young Adult
Short Stories, novellas, and Collections
Romance
If you can't find the love of your life in this time, maybe they're in the past and future. Hop into time machine, its time to find your love!
Newlywed Dana is celebrating her 26th birthday when she is suddenly transported to the antebellum South. There, Rufus, the son of a plantation owner is drowning and Dana saves him. She is thrust to the present and back to the past abruptly, and each ...
This is a very well-crafted time travel story by Octavia E. Butler, one of the greatest science fiction minds of all time. What more is there to say? What makes this novel shine too are the seamless transitions to the past and present (not something ...
This is a very well-crafted time travel story by Octavia E. Butler, one of the greatest science fiction minds of all time. What more is there to say? What makes this novel shine too are the seamless transitions to the past and present (not something ...
Kindred by Octavia E. Butler, Paperback
Note: There are currently nine books in this series (with a tenth in the works). Outlander can be considered the quintessential time travel romance series. It has also sparked a fantastic liveaction series.
In the first book, readers see Claire Randall on a second honeymoon with her husband in the aftermath of World War II only to slip back in time to 1743. While there she meets Jamie Frazier, a larger than life Scotsman. As their lives become more inte...
In the first book, readers see Claire Randall on a second honeymoon with her husband in the aftermath of World War II only to slip back in time to 1743. While there she meets Jamie Frazier, a larger than life Scotsman. As their lives become more inte...
Outlander (Outlander Series #1) by Diana Gabaldon
Clare and Henry meet when she is six and she is 36, and then again and again throughout their lives at different ages. You see, henry has a condition where he randomly is pulled into his past or future. This story follows both their lives as they cro...
A well-written time travel story that weaves in some nice transitions between periods and a bit of mystery.
A well-written time travel story that weaves in some nice transitions between periods and a bit of mystery.
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
There are not many time travel books set in the prehistoric era and this book proves more should be. Shay Savage has written a well-thought out time travel romance. Unlike some, it faithfully considers the language and cultural barriers would exist b...
Transcendence by Shay Savage
Science Fiction
Time travel and science fiction often go hand-in-hand.
A time travel novel by the infamous Frederik Pohl and Jack Williamson. In the distant future, a race of turtle-like creatures conquer Earth and they impose their own set of values on humankind and ban destructive technology. Two twin brothers, vying ...
This is a fun time travel novel and out of print. If you can find a copy (it generally sells for a couple bucks used) it is worth your time.
This is a fun time travel novel and out of print. If you can find a copy (it generally sells for a couple bucks used) it is worth your time.
The Singers of Time by Frederik Pohl and Jack Williamson
Change the Past, Change the Future
Time travel can often be imagined as a tool to change an event in the past in order to change the future. Although this can be a slippery slope--will it lead to a worse future or a better one? Or something in-between?
Jake Epping is recruited to prevent the JFK assassination in 1963 and this captivating novel by Stephen King follows his life's journey up to the titular moment.
11/22/63 by Stephen King
A group of archaeologists are transported back in time 600 years. What seems on the surface an archaeologist or historians dream quickly turns into a fight for their life.
Timeline: A Novel by Michael Crichton
The Back to the Future trilogy had a novel series in the 80s and 90s that faithfully adapted the novels. What also stands out about these novels is the fact that they include some author reimagining that make complete sense (although not in the movie...
Sadly with some other time travel novels (such as The Singers of Time by Frederick Pohl) these are out of print and may set you back a bit.
Sadly with some other time travel novels (such as The Singers of Time by Frederick Pohl) these are out of print and may set you back a bit.
Back To The Future (Trilogy)
Children and Young Adult
Ever wonder how cats mysteriously disappear and suddenly reappear as if out of nowhere? Jason finds the reason through his cat Gareth--its because they're traveling through time! This thrilling story sees the two travel to different periods of time (...
This was one of my all-time favorite books as a child and helped kickstart my love of time travel at an early age.
This was one of my all-time favorite books as a child and helped kickstart my love of time travel at an early age.
Time Cat by Lloyd Alexander
Short Stories, novellas, and Collections
Time Travel short stories, novellas and collections that pack a lot of punch and maybe kickstarted or redefined the genre.
The essential time travel novel by H.G. Wells that has spanned numerous movies and reimagining of concepts it introduces. It is a shorter story and easy read and one that sticks with long after finishing.
The Time Machine by H.G. Wells
This is a haunting time travel short story by Robert Heinlein. The writing is phenomenal and the last line alone still sticks with me. It's a complex story that's easy to digest and takes a refreshing take on time loops/travel. This also was the sour...
All You Zombies by Robert A. Heinlein
This fantastic collection of short stories and novellas is a fever dream for any time travel lover. The stories in this collection span across genres and decades--from stories written at the turn of the 20th century to ones that raise powerful questi...
It can be hit or miss with collections like this but this one has a lot more hits than misses. Even the misses though help realize how complex time travel is.
It can be hit or miss with collections like this but this one has a lot more hits than misses. Even the misses though help realize how complex time travel is.
Time Travel Short Stories (Gothic Fantasy)
This is a great collection of time travel short stories including stories by Ray Bradbury and Phillip K. Dick amongst others. As with any collection, there are going to be some that don't leave quite the same impact as others, but everything in this ...
The Best Time Travel Stories of All Time