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The Internet Time Travel Database

Messing with Someone’s Ancestors

Time Travel Tropes

Si Morley 1

Time and Again

by Jack Finney

Si goes back to 19th century New York to solve a crime and (of course) fall in love.

This is Janet’s favorite time-travel novel, in which Finney elaborates on themes that were set in earlier stories such as “Double Take.”

— Michael Main
There’s a project. A U.S. government project I guess you’d have to call it. Secret, naturally; as what isn’t in government these days? In my opinion, and that of a handful of others, it’s more important than all the nuclear, space-exploration, satellite, and rocket programs put together, though a hell of a lot smaller. I tell you right off that I can’t even hint what the project is about. And believe me, you’d never guess.

Time and Again by Jack Finney (Simon and Shuster, 1970).

Many Mansions

by Robert Silverberg

With eleven years of marriage behind them, Ted and Alice’s fantasies frequently start with a time machine and end with killing one or another of their spouse’s ancestors before they can procreate. So naturally, they each end up at Temponautics, Ltd. Oh, and Ted’s grandpa has some racy fantasies of his own.
In Silverberg’s Something Wild Is Loose (Vol. 3 of his collected stories), he posits that this story is “probably the most complex short story of temporal confusion” since Heinlein’s “By His Bootstraps” (1941) or “—All You Zombues—” (1959), but I would respectfully disagree. In particular, I would describe Heinlein’s two stories as the most complex short stories of temporal consistency in that there is but a single, static timeline and (in hindsight) every scene locks neatly into place within this one timeline. By contrast, Silverberg story involves multiple time travel choices by the characters in what I would call parallel universes. The confusion, such as it is, stems more from what appears to be alternate scenes in disconnected universes rather than temporal confusion per se.
— Michael Main
On the fourth page Alice finds a clause warning the prospective renter that the company cannot be held liable for any consequences of actions by the renter which wantonly or wilfully interfere with the already determined course of history. She translates that for herself: If you kill your husband’s grandfather, don’t blame us if you get in trouble.

“Many Mansions” by Robert Silverberg, in Universe 3, edited by Terry Carr (Random House, October 1973).

Terminator 1

The Terminator

by James Cameron and Gale Anne Hurd, directed by James Cameron

Artificially intelligent machines from 2029 send a killer cyborg back to 1984 to kill Sara Connor because, in 2029, her son John will lead the resistance against the machines’ rule.

The story has a classic self-defeating act: The Terminator goes back in time to kill Sara Connor, causing Kyle Reese to follow and become romantic with Sara Connor, causing John Connor to be born and eventually lead the revolution, causing the Terminator to go back in time to kill Sara Connor, . . .

— Michael Main
Kyle: [to Sarah at the Tech-Noir Club] Come with me if you want to live.

The Terminator by James Cameron and Gale Anne Hurd, directed by James Cameron (at movie theaters, USA, 26 October 1984).

Trancers I

Trancers

by Danny Bilson and Paul De Meo, directed by Charles Band

In the first of six (really!) Trancer movies (plus a “lost” short), heroic trancer-hunter (and newly anointed time cop) Jack Deth follows evil trancer-maker Martin Whistler from 2247 to 1985 via drug-induced time-travel that can take you back only to the body of an ancestor.
— Michael Main
Greetings to the council. As you may have gathered, I have survived the pathetic trap set by Trooper Deth on Mecon 7. For twelve long years, you have hunted my disciples like dogs. Now, my day of vengeance is at hand. I’ve synthesized a time drug, and in a moment shall retreat down the dark corridors of history. Know that it is I who is solely responsible for your demise. One by one, your ancestors shall be murdered, and you, their progeny, shall cease to exist. Then shall I return, join my legion, and claim the seat of power for my own. Adieu . . . adieu . . . 

Trancers by Danny Bilson and Paul De Meo, directed by Charles Band (at movie theaters, UK, 7 November 1984).

Timestalkers

by Brian Clemens, directed by Michael Schultz

After the death of his wife and child, Dr. Scott McKenzie stumbles upon a tintype photograph from the Old West showing three corpses, a shooter, and a modern Magnum 357, leading him to develop a theory of time travel that is confirmed when a beautiful woman from the future appears and takes him back to the Old West to chase the shooter, save President Cleveland, and pursue other obvious plot developments.

Spoiler: At the end, I believe that Georgia uses her time crystal to send Scott back for a do-over on the day of his family’s death. This is disappointing since up until that point, the film has set up a perfect example of a single, nonbranching timeline.

— Michael Main
What if Cole came back to set off a chain of events that would eventually destroy the one man who stood in his way?

Timestalkers by Brian Clemens, directed by Michael Schultz (CBS-TV, USA, 10 March 1987).

Terminator 2

Terminator 2: Judgment Day

by James Cameron and William Wisher, directed by James Cameron

Once more, the machines from 2029 send back a killer cyborg, this time a T-1000 to kill young John Connor in 1995, but Resistance-leader Connor of the future counters by sending a reprogrammed original T-800 to save himself.
— Michael Main
The T-800: [to Sarah at the Pescadero State Hospital] Come with me if you want to live.

Terminator 2: Judgment Day by James Cameron and William Wisher, directed by James Cameron (premiered at an unknown movie theater, Los Angeles, 1 July 1991).

From Time to Time

by Jack Finney

Finney’s sequel to Time and Again initially finds Si Morley living a happy life in the 19th century with his 19th century family, while The Project in the future never even got started because he prevented the inventor’s parents from ever meeting. But vague memories linger in some of the Project member’s minds, and Morley can’t stay put.
— Michael Main
They’re back there in the past, trampling around, changing things, aren’t they? They don’t know it. They’re just living their happy lives, but changing small events. Mostly trivial, with no important effects. But every once in a while the effect of some small changed event moves on down to the—

From Time to Time by Jack Finney (Simon and Shuster, February 1995).

Rocking My Dreamboat

by Victorya Chase

Jameson is a jerk. He pretends to love his mother, with whom he shares a house. He discovers time travel via a Legoland Time Machine and uses it to destroy women who “dumped” him. Yep, this guy is a real “winner.”
— Tandy Ringoringo
He looked at the sole red logo and decided it was the on button. He thought about where he’d like to be, and pushed.

“Rocking My Dreamboat” by Victorya Chase, in Timelines: Stories Inspired by H.G. Wells’ The Time Machine, edited by J. W. Schnarr (Northern Frights Publishing, September 2010).

Men in Black 3

by Etan Cohen, directed by Barry Sonnenfeld

When Boris the Animal escapes from lunar prison and returns to 1969 to kill Agent K and expose Earth to attack, Agent J must follow to save Agent K and all of Earth!

Tim and I saw this on Fathers Day Eve in 2012.

— Michael Main
This is now my new favorite moment in human history.

Men in Black 3 by Etan Cohen, directed by Barry Sonnenfeld (premiered at an unknown movie theater, Berlin, 14 May 2012).

as of 4:15 p.m. MDT, 18 May 2024
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