Pocket Time Machine

Tag Area: Time Machine
Novella

The Fall of Mercury

Mort Forrest and his fellow explorer Bruce are headed for supposedly uninhabited Mercury when they are captured by Mercurians intent on taking over the solar system, but fortunately, a friendly Saturnian named Chen-Chak (with a small globe that can momentarily transfer bad guys into the future) rescues them, tells them of the history of species from all the planets, and saves the solar system. —based on Frank J. Bleiler
“They are not dead,” he averred; “within half an hour of your time they will be returned, unaware of what has taken place. They must wait for Time to catch up with them!”
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  • Science Fiction
  • Definite Time Travel
Feature Film

Men in Black 3

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.
Will Smith (as Agent J) sits on a motor inside a giant wheel, zipping down a highway in a tunnel.
  • Eloi Honorable Mention
  • Science Fiction
  • Comedy
  • Definite Time Travel
Novel

Infinity Ring 1

A Mutiny in Time

This first book of the multi-author series tells of how tweens Dak (a history buff and odd duck), Sera (a science nerd), and Riq (a member of the secret Hystorians society) end up as the only ones who can save the world by fixing breaks in time that changed what was meant to be. Their first mission—saving Columbus from a mutiny that was meant to fail—is a disquieting choice that I would not choose as an introduction of history to children. For starters, they are choosing to save the man who brought genocide to the Americas. And to boot, in the broken world where the mutiny succeeded, his three ships still completed their voyage with no noticable change to subsequent centuries (apart from  Columbus resting at the bottom of the Atlantic). —Michael Main
Time had gone wrong—this is what the Hystorians believed. And if things were beyond fixing now, there was only one hope left . . . to go back in time and fix the past instead.
An eight-pointed gold compass, marked in twenty-degree intervals around the edge.
  • Science Fiction
  • Audience: Children
  • Definite Time Travel
Novel

Infinity Ring 2

Divide and Conquer

Still searching for their parents in time, young Sera, Riq, and Dak must also navigate the battles between the Franks and Vikings in 9th-century France. Oh, and figure out what no-good things the evil SQ are up to in the area.
—Michael Main
It was the tightening of time and space around her as she moved from one era to another. And it should have brought her, Dak, and Riq to 885.
A medieval warrior’s helmet on a blue background.
  • Science Fiction
  • Audience: Children
  • Definite Time Travel
Flash Fiction

The Loneliness of Time Travel

A twist on how meeting yourself for coffee interacts with how time travel works in your universe. —Michael Main
You have no idea how many of my younger selves freak out when I show up.
A star emerging from behind a blue planet.
  • Science Fiction
  • Definite Time Travel
Novel

Galactic Academy 6

The Contaminated Case of the Cooking Contest

Clinton Chang and Mae Harris, two young students from the Galactic Academy of Science, are tagging along with Mae’s mother on a cruise when their friend from the future shows up with a mission to save a very important passenger on the ship. And no doubt their mission will take them to multiple times throughout history. —Michael Main
Two kids near the helicopter deck of a big ship on rough seas.
  • Science Fiction
  • Audience: Children
  • Definite Time Travel
Novel Series

15 books

Dunskey Castle Series

  • by Jane Stain
  • 15 books (self-published, December 2016 to June 2019)
A procession of time travelers find romance, passion, and adventure in medieval Scotland (and maybe elsewhere) via magic, which apparently has been incorporated into a scientific magic phone app. —based on publicity material
Gormless man
  • Romance
  • Definite Time Travel
Short Film

30 Second Time Machine

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?
Sitting in a library, Ryan Adams (as Ryan) closely examines a small pink-and-yellow clicker.
  • Romance
  • Comedy
  • Audience: YA and Up
  • Definite Time Travel
Short Film

50 Year Calendar

A teenage boy opens a Christmas present that takes him from 2017 to 2047 where he meets two antisocial teens, learns of a future war, and has a confused end to his trip. —Michael Main
I’m from 2017. Can you fix it? I need to get back.
A handheld, brass device with rotating dials to determine the day of the week over a fifty year period.
  • Science Fiction
  • Audience: YA and Up
  • Definite Time Travel
Feature Film

An Hour

  • written and directed by Prasanth Kumar
  • (Youtube: Andhra Pradesh Channel, 2 October 2020)
Young, unemployed Nanna seems to take everything in stride, even the arrival of unexpected package containing an artistic hourglass with the power to take him back or forward one hour in time.

The audio is mostly Telugu, but there are subtitles in broken English. —Michael Main
An old clock with ornate hands and Roman numerals shows behind the words "An hour".
  • Science Fiction
  • Definite Time Travel
Feature Film

The Christmas Chronicles 2

Two years after the first Christmas Chronicles movie, young Kate Pierce is sitting on a beach in Cancun, missing her father and losing her status as a True Believer, all of which causes her to try flying back to Boston on her own—a plan that plays right into evil Belsnickel’s plan to overthrow Santa Claus and Mrs. Santa Claus. —Michael Main
Santa: [shaking head] Only Belsnickel would power a time machine with triple-A’s.
Kurt Russell (as Santa) and Goldie Hawn (as Mrs. Santa) pose in front of his village and two sleighs in the sky.
  • Fantasy
  • Audience: Families
  • Definite Time Travel
TV Episode

Loki, Season 1

Hang on to your Tesseracts! Apparently, in Endgame, when the Avengers traveled back in time to swipe various things from the 2012 Avengers, they inadvertantly started a branch in time where Loki ended up with the Tesseract. Of course, once that occurred, the Time Variance Authority spotted him as a Variant and quickly recruited him to help in their fight against even more variant Variants. —Michael Main
Appears to be a standard sequence violation. Branches growing at a stable rate and slope. Variant identified.
Tom Hiddleston (as Loki) stands with his arms crossed and an annoyed look on his face, in front of a large analog clock with multiple hands.
  • Eloi Bronze Medal
  • Superhero
  • Audience: YA and Up
  • Definite Time Travel
Novel

Time Witch 2

So You Think You’re a Sleuth?

Essie’s husband Julian and his brothers have been arrested and imprisoned. With the removal of spells that had blocked memories of other family members, Essie learns that she has an identical twin sister (in looks at least) and an aunt. Some mysteries are solved, but new ones appear. Magical devices that can assist with or impede the abilities of Time Witches appear. Essie works with (and without) the Wayfarers (magical society's police force) to solve murders. And . . . is Julian really a bad guy? —Tandy Ringoringo
And I would tell you that you need to be careful when you go back in time—make sure you don’t change a thing, no matter how tempting that might be.
A contemplative young woman, dressed in red and wearing a witch hat, stands beside a black cat.
  • Fantasy
  • Romance
  • Mystery and Crime
  • Definite Time Travel
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
Novel

Time Witch 3

So You Think You Can Dance?

Essie is missing Julian, who’s in witness protection, and she’s caught a chill that simply will not go away, even though it’s summer. The Wayfarers (magical police) are avoiding her, which only makes her suspicious that they’re using him for bait. So, when her boss needs to go undercover at a dance class to investigate a possibly fraudulant insurance claim, Essie demands to join him to distract herself from her woes. —Tandy Ringoringo
‘You know if I could stop what happened to Vince, I would,’ I told her. ‘But Time Witches can’t really change things without bringing a crapstorm down on their heads. If I thought there wouldn’t be consequences, I’d do it in a heartbeat.’
A young witch in a black hat sits cross-legged beside a black cat.
  • Fantasy
  • Romance
  • Mystery and Crime
  • Definite Time Travel
Novel

Time Witch 4

So You Think You Can Dance?

Essie is missing Julian, who’s in witness protection, and she’s caught a chill that simply will not go away, even though it’s summer. The Wayfarers (magical police) are avoiding her, which only makes her suspicious that they’re using him for bait. So, when her boss needs to go undercover at a dance class to investigate a possibly fraudulant insurance claim, Essie demands to join him to distract herself from her woes. —Tandy Ringoringo
‘You know if I could stop what happened to Vince, I would,’ I told her. ‘But Time Witches can’t really change things without bringing a crapstorm down on their heads. If I thought there wouldn’t be consequences, I’d do it in a heartbeat.’
No image currently available.
  • Fantasy
  • Romance
  • Mystery and Crime
  • Definite Time Travel
Novel

Time Witch 4

So You Think You Can Turn Back Time?

Belinda, Essie's identical twin, is still in love with Vince, who is dealing with PTSD from when Julian’s brothers kidnapped him. Vince is refusing to get any help for his PTSD, and he is in a temporary assignment in Dublin, forcing Belinda to go to Dublin if she wants to keep their relationship alive. It is a very lopsided relationship. —Tandy Ringoringo
[. . .] it can be kind of mind-blowing and a little bit nauseating to jump through time, so trying to hold an invisibility spell of your own at the same time could be hard. Hey.’ She gave me a quick hug. ‘Don’t worry, okay? If Bill and Ted can handle time travel, then so can we.’
A white cat sits behind a young woman with red lipstick and a crown of flowers on her head.
  • Fantasy
  • Romance
  • Mystery and Crime
  • Definite Time Travel