Visiting a Potential Future

Tag Area: Timeline Trait
Novel

News from Nowhere

  • by William Morris
  • 39-part serial, The Commonweal, 11 January 1890 to 4 October 1890
Via a dream, the “Guest”—most likely Morris himself—travels a century or more into the future where he finds an almost communistic society working smoothly. —based on Frank J. Bleiler
The date shut my mouth as if a key had been turned in a padlock fixed to my lips; for I saw that something inexplicable had happened, and that if I said much I should be mixed up in a game of cross questions and crooked answers.
Front page of The Commonweal from 11 January 1890
  • Undetermined
  • Undetermined Time Travel
Novelette

Creatures of the Light

A Teutonic scientist attempts to create a race of artificially created superman who, among other things, can jump a few seconds through time, but only as invisible witnesses to the future goings-on. The story is disturbingly prescient of Nazi ideas of an Aryan Herrenvolk. —Michael Main
Before Northwood’s horrified sight, he vanished; vanished as though he had turned suddenly to air and floated away.
Black-and-white drawing of a well-dressed man and woman struggling behind a large energy-beam projector.
  • Science Fiction
  • Debatable Time Travel
Short Story

I’m Scared

In the 1950s, a retired man in New York City speculates on a variety of cases of odd temporal occurrences such as the woman who realized that the old dog who persistently followed her in 1947 was actually the puppy she adopted several years later. And then there was the now famous case of Rudolph Fentz who seemingly popped into Times Square on an evening in the 1950s, apparently straight from 1876. —Michael Main
Got himself killed is right. Eleven-fifteen at night in Times Square—the theaters letting out, busiest time and place in the world—and this guy shows up in the middle of the street, gawking and looking around at the cars and up at the signs like he'd never seen them before.
A policeman steps toward a wrought-iron fence with abstract, colorful skyscrapers in the background.
  • Fantasy
  • Definite Time Travel
Short Story

retold for children

A Christmas Carol

The tale is a somewhat faithful retelling for children, abridge to about a third of the original length, in simple language, and with copious illustrations by Chris Russell. It even retains the metaphysical thought that the future will be bleak for Tiny Tim if things remain unchanged. —Michael Main
If these shadows do not change, Tiny Tim will not see another Christmas.
Dressed in green and holding a torch high, the ghost of Christmas-yet-to-come beseeches a cowering Scrooge in his nightshirt and nightcap.
  • Fantasy
  • Audience: Children
  • Definite Time Travel
TV Episode

Sabrina, the Teenage Witch (s07e08)

Bada Ping!

Sabrina takes Salem into the future to find out her fate after gangster Mickey Brentwood finds out that she’s writing an exposé on his shady practices. —Inmate Jan
You see, this thug nightclub owner threatened our little Lois Lame over there—
Melissa Joan Hart (as Sabrina) lies peacefully in a white-lined coffin.
  • Fantasy
  • Comedy
  • Audience: Families
  • Debatable Time Travel
Feature Film

A Christmas Carol

Patrick Steward delivers a nuanced portrayal of Scrooge in this faithful adaptation. Much of the dialog came verbatim from Dickens’s original, and the costumers paid careful tribute to John Leech’s original illustrations. —Michael Main
Scrooge: Is there no chance that boy will be spared?
Christmas Present: Not if the future remains unaltered.
Dressed in a black Victorian tophat, black coat, and black gloves, Patrick Stewart (as Scrooge) raises his cane as if to strike.
  • Fantasy
  • Debatable Time Travel
TV Episode

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (s01e10)

A Quality of Mercy

A despondent Captain Pike considers warning two future cadets about the accident that will kill them and maim Pike himself, but before he can write to them, his older self shows up to transport young Pike to the future that the warnings will create. —Michael Main
Young Pike: How am I supposed to believe . . . ?
Old Pike: . . . that I’m really you?
Young Pike: You ever gonna let me get a word in edgewise?
Old Pike: I knew you were gonna say that. Does that help?
No image currently available.
  • Science Fiction
  • Definite Time Travel
Feature Film

Spirited

Ever wonder about the true story of where the bigger mission of the Christmas spirits lies? You’ll find the answers in this movie along with song, dance, and laughs. —Michael Main
I don’t have the luxury of sitting up here and judging everybody like some kind of cosmic social worker.
Will Ferrell (as Roberto) in green and Ryan Reynolds (as Briggs) in red race side by side in Christmas costumes.
  • Fantasy
  • Comedy
  • Time Phenomena
TV Episode

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (s02e03)

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow

A mysterious, bloody man appears and warns La’an of an attack in the past, after which she races to the bridge, only to find herself in an alternate timeline with a young James T. Kirk at the helm.

A trip to the past seeems in order. —Michael Main
There’s going to be an attack. It’s going to change the timeline. We have to stop it.
No image currently available.
  • Science Fiction
  • Definite Time Travel