What time is it?

[jadesfire]

stackcats, you'll love this one.

I've just watched/listened to Do You Know What Time It Is, a BBC programme about trying to define the nature of time itself. It's an incredibly fascinating programme, and I was only slightly disconcerted that the presenter used to be a memeber of D:ream. Prof. Brian Cox is engaging and entertaining, and makes mind-bogglingly difficult physics sound remarkably simple.

Apart from Doctor Who's time travelling, the programme made me think of the books The Forever War, which I disliked, and Gateway, which I loved. There's also the various Stargate episodes that deal with black holes and time travel (particularly "A matter of time" in S2)

Of course, time travel's a common theme in sci-fi, but does anyone have any other favourites? Rec me, people!

---

You'll also love Charlie Brooker's Screenwipe, where he interviews a whole range of TV writers, including Russell T Davies. Fascinating, not only for how to get into TV writing but on the actual writing process. I found it remarkably reassuring...

Comments

[dune-drd.livejournal.com]

I actually liked Forever War quite a bit, even though I'm usually not fond of Military SciFi. There're a bunch of Farscape eps dealing with time travel, and those I love best for some reason.

Asimov's Foundation Series (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foundation_series) deals strongly with time, and Herbert's Dune books, too, but more in the sense of a lot of time passing, not time travel itself. Both are marvellous journeys...

Read The Time traveller's wife yet?

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

I think I found it very very hard to like the main character in The Forever War, and not in the way I disliked the character in Gateway. It's a weird one...

I have read the Foundation Series, but a long time ago, so that's worth a revisit. Thanks :)

[also edited ;)] Yes! Again, I disliked Henry (is there something about time travel that does that to characters?) but loved the book. Very moving.

[dune-drd.livejournal.com]

Baxter's 'Time' (part of a trilogy, though) deals with it in a marvellous way as well as one of my favourite Baxter books ever, 'The Light of Other Days'.

[entangled-now.livejournal.com]

I watched that too, I love Time/Science. I knew professor Brian Cox used to be in a band but I didn't know which one :)

I'm actually the opposite, I quite liked the Forever War but wasn't so fond of Gateway...though now I feel useless because I don't have any recs.

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

*g* He seems ridiculously young to be a professor - he's only just 40 and looks about 14! But it's a great show.

I loved the premise of the Forever War, but just couldn't like the main character - and not in a 'I don't like him but he's interesting' way, which is how I responded to Gateway. I don't think I actually finished Forever War...

[stackcats.livejournal.com]

Sounds good! I'll watch it when there are fewer tiny nephews in the house. And, um, I may have just saved both of those books to order when I get paid *g*

I kind of half-watched Screenwipe last night, and it was really interesting. I wish I'd been able to fully pay attention.

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

Hee. I was working with it on in the background, but the bits I caught were fascinating! And both books are really good - I thought The Forever War was a good book, just not to my taste. And I loved the mystery at the heart of Gateway. Great stuff.

Screenwipe is interesting, especially for the writing process - the professionals are just as flaky as the rest of us, which gives me hope ;)

[stackcats.livejournal.com]

Yeah, the guy who was like "drink tea, play solitaire, start writing at half eleven, break for lunch at twelve, back at one, drink tea, play solitaire..." I thought thank god it's not just me! And I love Graham Linehan, he was brilliant.

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

oh, the forever war! I had a history prof and vietnam vet who lauded it was one of the best looks at how hard it was to return to 'regular life' after 'combat life'

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

*nods* It's an excellent book, just not my taste. I felt a bit hammered by the message, I think, and some of the characterisation got lost for me. But it's a great story.

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

oldschool scifi had a tendency to swing that hammer just a little too hard. But, at least they tried.

[fish-echo.livejournal.com]

Heinlein has several books with time travel but it's been a while since I read him, so all I can remember at the moment is 'Door Into Summer'. The main character doesn't time travel very far (it is entirely within his adult life, so maybe 20 or 30 years?), but he does it a few times and they are central to the plot (according to my memory).

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

Ooh, that sounds intriguing, thanks. I love discovering new authors :)

[friendshipper.livejournal.com]

For time travel books, Octavia Butler's "Kindred" is really good -- a black woman in the modern U.S. starts experiencing time-slips into the life of her ancestors in the early 1800s. It's much less issue-oriented than it sounds, and more the story of her attempts to survive and figure out why this is happening to her.

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

Wonderful, thank you. Left to my own devices I read Terry Pratchett, Elizabeth Peters and Agatha Christie. All of whom are wonderful, but I do feel the need to branch out a little :)

Thanks!

[dune-drd.livejournal.com]

I actually liked Forever War quite a bit, even though I'm usually not fond of Military SciFi. There're a bunch of Farscape eps dealing with time travel, and those I love best for some reason.

Asimov's Foundation Series (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foundation_series) deals strongly with time, and Herbert's Dune books, too, but more in the sense of a lot of time passing, not time travel itself. Both are marvellous journeys...

Read The Time traveller's wife yet?

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

I think I found it very very hard to like the main character in The Forever War, and not in the way I disliked the character in Gateway. It's a weird one...

I have read the Foundation Series, but a long time ago, so that's worth a revisit. Thanks :)

[also edited ;)] Yes! Again, I disliked Henry (is there something about time travel that does that to characters?) but loved the book. Very moving.

[dune-drd.livejournal.com]

Baxter's 'Time' (part of a trilogy, though) deals with it in a marvellous way as well as one of my favourite Baxter books ever, 'The Light of Other Days'.

[entangled-now.livejournal.com]

I watched that too, I love Time/Science. I knew professor Brian Cox used to be in a band but I didn't know which one :)

I'm actually the opposite, I quite liked the Forever War but wasn't so fond of Gateway...though now I feel useless because I don't have any recs.

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

*g* He seems ridiculously young to be a professor - he's only just 40 and looks about 14! But it's a great show.

I loved the premise of the Forever War, but just couldn't like the main character - and not in a 'I don't like him but he's interesting' way, which is how I responded to Gateway. I don't think I actually finished Forever War...

[stackcats.livejournal.com]

Sounds good! I'll watch it when there are fewer tiny nephews in the house. And, um, I may have just saved both of those books to order when I get paid *g*

I kind of half-watched Screenwipe last night, and it was really interesting. I wish I'd been able to fully pay attention.

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

Hee. I was working with it on in the background, but the bits I caught were fascinating! And both books are really good - I thought The Forever War was a good book, just not to my taste. And I loved the mystery at the heart of Gateway. Great stuff.

Screenwipe is interesting, especially for the writing process - the professionals are just as flaky as the rest of us, which gives me hope ;)

[stackcats.livejournal.com]

Yeah, the guy who was like "drink tea, play solitaire, start writing at half eleven, break for lunch at twelve, back at one, drink tea, play solitaire..." I thought thank god it's not just me! And I love Graham Linehan, he was brilliant.

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

oh, the forever war! I had a history prof and vietnam vet who lauded it was one of the best looks at how hard it was to return to 'regular life' after 'combat life'

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

*nods* It's an excellent book, just not my taste. I felt a bit hammered by the message, I think, and some of the characterisation got lost for me. But it's a great story.

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

oldschool scifi had a tendency to swing that hammer just a little too hard. But, at least they tried.

[fish-echo.livejournal.com]

Heinlein has several books with time travel but it's been a while since I read him, so all I can remember at the moment is 'Door Into Summer'. The main character doesn't time travel very far (it is entirely within his adult life, so maybe 20 or 30 years?), but he does it a few times and they are central to the plot (according to my memory).

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

Ooh, that sounds intriguing, thanks. I love discovering new authors :)

[friendshipper.livejournal.com]

For time travel books, Octavia Butler's "Kindred" is really good -- a black woman in the modern U.S. starts experiencing time-slips into the life of her ancestors in the early 1800s. It's much less issue-oriented than it sounds, and more the story of her attempts to survive and figure out why this is happening to her.

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

Wonderful, thank you. Left to my own devices I read Terry Pratchett, Elizabeth Peters and Agatha Christie. All of whom are wonderful, but I do feel the need to branch out a little :)

Thanks!