by Marissa Creamer Rowan Public Library
Since the publication of H. G. Wells’s
iconic novel, “The Time Machine,” time travel has remained a popular topic in
literature. In “The Time Machine,” the
first of Wells’ science fiction novels, a Victorian scientist propels himself
into the distant future and finds a world where suffering has been replaced by
beauty, contentment, and peace. This apparent paradise is inhabited by the naive
and delicate Eloi. He learns that the Eloi
are fearful of the dark, however, for in tunnels beneath their paradise lurk
the sinister Morlocks. When the scientist’s time machine vanishes, he knows he must
search these dangerous tunnels if he is ever to return to his own time.
There seems to have been increased
interest in time travel in recent years, as many new books featuring time
travel adventures have been released. The young adult novel “Timebound” was
originally self-published by Rysa Walker of Cary, N.C. It gained national attention when it won the
2013 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award in the YA category. “Timebound” tells the
story of 16-year-old Kate, who is stunned to learn about a secret family
history involving time travel and a conspiracy by a rogue scholar from the future
to rewrite history and change society. When history alters and Kate’s family is
lost, she must use her genetic ability to travel back to the 1893 World’s Fair
and prevent the murder that changed everything. In saving her family, however, she may erase
the memory of the boy she loves.
Catherine Fisher brings us
another young adult story of time travel involving a mirror that provides a
gateway into the past and the future: “The Obsidian Mirror.” The mirror of the
title has great and terrible power; it can open a portal to the past, but those
who venture in are often lost. Three
people seek the mirror: one has been
sent from the future to shatter its power; another, obsessed with its power,
will protect the mirror at all costs; and the third needs the mirror to find a
murdered father and save his life. All converge at creepy Wintercombe Abbey
during a solstice blizzard, but only one can succeed. The story continues in
the new release “The Slanted Worlds.”
For a more humorous spin on time
travel, try Scott Meyer’s “Off to be the Wizard.” Author of the online web
comic “Basic Instructions,” Meyer brings us a comedic novel about computers,
time travel, and human stupidity. Meet Martin Banks, amateur hacker, who stumbles
upon a computer program that can manipulate reality. Despite his vows to keep a
low profile, it’s not long before Martin’s “alterations” to reality get him
into hot water. With federal agents in
pursuit, Martin flees back in time to Medieval England to live as a wizard
while he tries to figure out how to get out of his predicament. Of course, things don’t go exactly as he
planned, and Martin soon learns that being a wizard is not quite as easy as he
thought it would be. Suspend your disbelief and enjoy the ride in this first
installment of a planned series.
Other recent titles involving
time travel include: “The Impossible Lives of Greta Wells” by Andrew Sean Greer,
“The Beautiful Land” by Alan Averill, and the “Ruby Red” young adult series by
Kerstin Gier. You can find all of these books
and many other time travel adventures at Rowan Public Library.
No comments:
Post a Comment