In Wyndham’s first published story, Jon Lestrange (the distant descendant of the world’s
foremost inventor) comes back to the moment of his ancestor’s greatest invention with a
story of how his own time was invaded by the people of the 5022nd century, demanding to
change temporal places with the people of Lestrange’s time.
It is a difficult situation, but I hope I shall convince you. Very few men can have had
the chance of convincing their great-great-great grandfathers of anything. I am now an
anachronism. You see, I was born in the year A.D. 2108,—or should it be, I shall be
born in 2108?—and I am—or will be—a refugee from the twenty-second century. I
assure you that you will be married shortly, but I can’t remember when—I think I told
you I was bad at dates.
DEBUT
“Worlds to Barter,” in Wonder Stories,May 1931.
VARIANTS
Debut. “Worlds to Barter,” in Wonder Stories,May 1931.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .written byJohn Wyndham as by John B. Harris
1 English variant
TAGS
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TIME TRAVEL ITINERARY
We haven’t yet mapped out the time travel itinerary.
It is a difficult situation, but I hope I shall convince you. Very few men can have had
the chance of convincing their great-great-great grandfathers of anything. I am now an
anachronism. You see, I was born in the year A.D. 2108,—or should it be, I shall be
born in 2108?—and I am—or will be—a refugee from the twenty-second century. I
assure you that you will be married shortly, but I can’t remember when—I think I told
you I was bad at dates.
1 English variant