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Time Travel Tropes

Unsound Variations

by George R. R. Martin
Peter Norten and his wife Kathy already had a rocky marriage before heading up to Bruce Bunnish’s Colorado mansion for a ten-year reunion with Bruce and two other members of the Northwestern University B Team that Peter captained to a near-win at the North American Intercollegiate Team Chess Championship. But will Peter and Kathy’s marriage survive the trip, and just how did Bruce end up as the only member of the team to go on to success?
— Michael Main
Time is said to be the fourth dimension, but it differs from the other three in one conspicuous way—our consciousness moves along it. From past to present only, alas. Time itselfdoes not flow, no more than, say, width can flow. Our minds flicker from one instant of time to the next. This analogy was my starting point. I reasoned that if consciousness can move in one direction, it can move in the other direction as well. It took me fifty years to work out the details, however, and make what I call a flashback possible.
“Unsound Variations” by George R. R. Martin, in Amazing Science Fiction Stories, January 1982.

Groundhog Day

by Danny Rubin and Harold Ramis, directed by Harold Ramis
In the quintessential time loop movie, jaded weatherman Phil Connors (no relation to John Connor) is in Puxtahawny to cover the Groundhog Day goings-on, continually repeating the day and—after losing his jaded edge—striving for Rita’s heart.
— Michael Main
So this will be the last time we do Groundhog together.
Groundhog Day by Danny Rubin and Harold Ramis, directed by Harold Ramis (premiered at an unknown movie theater, Los Angeles, 4 February 1993).

You Wish (s01e13)

Gift of the Travi

by Daniel Paige and Sue Paige, directed by Jeff McCracken
When Genie gives each of the kids a Christmas wish, Mickey wishes for a white Christmas in LA, and Travis wishes that it would be Christmas every day. Yeah, like that ever works out.
— Michael Main
I wish every day was Christmas.
You Wish (s01e13), “Gift of the Travi” by Daniel Paige and Sue Paige, directed by Jeff McCracken (ABC-TV, USA, 24 July 1998).

SpongeBob SquarePants [s7:e09A]

Back to the Past

by Casey Alexander, Zedus Cervas, and Dani Michaeli, directed by Casey Alexander et al.
SpongeBob, Patrick, and their two superhero friends head back to the days when the old superheroes were young. Can you guess who it was back in that past who ate all of Mermaid Man’s tartar sauce, unintentionally altering the future? Note: The old superheroes were voiced by Ernest Borgnine and Tim Conway; their young counterparts were Adam West and Burt Ward.
— Michael Main
This device allows us to transport into the future or past, at a date or destination of our choosing. Unfortunately, the consequences of altering the order of history are so dangerous [thunder], we’ve chosen to leave it alone. So you mustn’t touch!
“Back to the Past” by Casey Alexander, Zedus Cervas, and Dani Michaeli, directed by Casey Alexander et al. (Nickelodeon (USA, 15 February 2010).

Todd Family 1

Life after Life

by Kate Atkinson
In one instantiation of her life, Ursula Todd dies just moments after her birth in 1910. Fortunately (for the sake of the novel), time seems to be cyclic, so she and the rest of the world get many chances at life. At times, she partially recalls her other lives, resulting in many consequences to history and her personal development.
— Michael Main
So much hot air rising above the tables in the Café Heck or the Osteria Bavaria, like smoke from the ovens. It was difficult to believe from this perspective that Hitler was going to lay waste to the world in a few years’ time.

“Time isn’t circular,” she said to Dr. Kellet. “It’s like a palimpsest.”
“Oh, dear,” he said. “That sounds very vexing.”
“And memories are sometimes in the future.”

Life after Life by Kate Atkinson (Doubleday, March 2013).

Effect and Cause

by Ken Liu
A pilot on a one-man ship in a space battle repeatedly lives backward through fifteen seconds and then forward again with the chance to do things differently each time.
— Michael Main
Ignoring this, I sit down at the table to pick up a cup and spit calding hot coffee into it. Then I proceed to vomit food onto my plate so I can sculpt it with a knife and fork into peas, carrots, and omelette.
“Effect and Cause” by Ken Liu, in Galaxy’s Edge #2, May 2013 [print · e-zine · webzine].

A Swirl of Chocolate

by K. Esta
Charlie may be at a playground, but this is no laughing matter. People have disappeared.
— Tandy Ringoringo
. . . dragging space-time with it like a swirl of chocolate being stirred into a bowl of cream.
“A Swirl of Chocolate” by K. Esta, 365 Tomorrows, 11 May 2013 [webzine].

One-Minute Time Machine

by Sean Crouch, directed by Devon Avery
James takes his one-minute time machine to a park bench to try to pick up quantum physicist Rachel.

The gang up in the ITTDB Citadel showed this five-minute film to me on my first prime birthday of the 2010 decade.

— Michael Main
Rachel: What’s that?
James: Huh? Oh, nothing.
Rachel: Sure it’s not a One-Minute Time Machine?
One-Minute Time Machine by Sean Crouch, directed by Devon Avery (Vail Film Festival, 29 March 2014).

30 Second Time Machine

written and directed by Ashna Sran and Mackenzie Sammeth
While trying to pick up Mackenzie, Ryan unknowning picks up a small, pink clicker that provides him with a clear path to improving his pick-up lines.
— Michael Main
Okay, what are you doing with that clip?
30 Second Time Machine written and directed by Ashna Sran and Mackenzie Sammeth (Youtuve: Ashna Sran Channel, 20 December 2016).

Il Ă©tait une seconde fois

English release: Twice Upon a Time Literal: It was a second time

by Nathalie Leuthreau and Guillaume Nicloux, directed by Giillaume Nicloux
At first, Vincent’s only plan for the mysterious 600mm wooden cube that provides a tunnel to the past is to make sure that Louise doesn’t break up with him four months in the past, but new circumstances soon raise the stakes. Then it gets weird in this four-part miniseries.
— Michael Main
En fait, je suis passé dans un cube, et ça . . .
I actually went through this cube, and it . . .
English
[ex=bare]Il Ă©tait une seconde fois | It was a second time[/ex] by Nathalie Leuthreau and Guillaume Nicloux, directed by Giillaume Nicloux, at the Berlin International Film Festival, 12 February 2019.

Opposite of Always

by Justin A. Reynolds
When high school senior Jack Ellison King’s first girlfriend Kate dies from complications of sickle cell anemia, Jack is thrown back to the moment they first met—all of which happens again and again.
— Michael Main
I know this game. I’ve seen this game. State goes on a frantic late run and wins with an off-balance three at the buzzer.
Opposite of Always by Justin A. Reynolds (Katherine Tegen Books, March 2019) [print · e-book].

Love on Repeat

by John Burd, directed by Peter Foldy
A light take on a woman repeatedly trying to fix her work life and her love life.
— Michael Main
If the universe is giving me a chance to relive the same day over and over, then maybe it’s just giving me a chance to get it right.
Une romance sans fin by John Burd, directed by Peter Foldy (TF1, France, 21 August 2019).

Throwback 1

Throwback

by Peter Lerangis
When 13-year-old Corey Fletcher first finds himself transported back in time, he doesn’t realize how it happened or that he is one of the rare travelers who can actually change the timeline, rescue his Papou, and maybe even save his grandma from 9/11.
— Michael Main
So . . . some people inherit diabetess, some inherit curly hair, and I inherited time travel?
Throwback by Peter Lerangis (HarperCollins, October 2019) [print · e-book].

Boss Level

by Chris Bore et al., directed by Joe Carnaham
After visiting his estranged wife, Jemma, at her top secret lab, retired special forces agent and ne’er-do-well Roy Pulver finds himself endlessly repeating the next day, which always starts with the same assassin in his apartment and always ends with Roy dead, even as he learns more and more about Jemma, their son Joe, Jemma’s work, and how to kill endless assassins.
It’s like being stuck in a video game in a level you know you can’t beat. —from the Hulu varient
English
Boss Level by Chris Bore et al., directed by Joe Carnaham (premiere, ArcLight Cinemas, Hollywood, California, 11 February 2020).

A.N.E.W

written and directed by Godwin Josiah and Raymond Yusuff
After his broken watch causes embarrassment, a boy orders a new watch that takes him back to the embarrassing moment more than once.
— Michael Main
My watch is not working.
A.N.E.W written and directed by Godwin Josiah and Raymond Yusuff (Youtube: Critics Company Channel, 24 February 2020).

What If . . . ? [s1e04]

What If . . . Doctor Strange Lost His Heart Instead of His Hands?

by A. C. Bradley, directed by Bryan Andrews
As we all know, when the world’s formost surgeon, Doctor Strange, lost the use of his hands in a car wreck, it prompted him to search out mystic treatments and eventually become the Master of the Mystic Arts. But what if he had lost something else in that wreck?
— Michael Main
The Ancient One: Her death is an Absolute Point in time.
Dr. Strange: Absolute?
A.O.: Unchangable. Unmovable. Without her death, you would never have defeated Dormamu and become the Sorcerer Supreme—and the guardian of the Eye of Agamotto. If you erase her death, you never start your journey.
“What If . . . Doctor Strange Lost His Heart Instead of His Hands?” by A. C. Bradley, directed by Bryan Andrews, What If . . . ? [s01e04] (Disney+, worldwide, 1 September 2021).

This Time Tomorrow

by Emma Straub
After turning forty in a snit because of her career decisions, her unexciting boyfriend, and her dying father, Alice Stern wakes up on her 16th birthday in her teen body.
— Michael Main
“I know it’s your birthday,” Leonard said. “You’ve made me watch Sixteen Candles enough times to ensure that I wouldn’t let this one slide.”
This Time Tomorrow by Emma Straub (Riverhead Books, May 2022.

Time Stamp

written and directed by Robert Butler III and Cade Huseby
Traumatized from witnessing her parents’ murder as a child, Jackie—a brilliant, young scientist—desperately time travels from 2033 to 2019, determined to keep her family alive.
— from publicity material
I’ve seen my parents die 277 times.
Time Stamp written and directed by Robert Butler III and Cade Huseby (Amazon Prime, 6 September 2022).
as of 4:15 p.m. MDT, 18 May 2024
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