*SFN* | A Book Showcase [focused on] Time Travel!

Posted Tuesday, 5 November, 2013 by jorielov , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 12 Comments

SFN_TimeTravel

Time travel is such a curious prospect to wrap one’s mind around because it bends and yields to our understandings of everything that we hold rather dear! To be able to tip the veils back and peer into our past, whether lived or unlived (as time is temporal) is such a proposition to make anyone curious, I would think the possibilities and the repercussions of time travel being used for the good or succombing to evil, make time travel a bit of a dicey proposition! I, myself, have always been keenly in tune with time travel plots in other media outlets such as tv serials as outlayed in my post just the other night! However, as far as reading about time travel in the purest sense of the word, that is something I have only begun to do in recent years! Mind you, I would have started far sooner if I could have sorted out how to get copies of the next books in a certain young adult series I will be highlighting ever so shortly! The main appeal for me, is seeing a glimpse into different cultures, traditions, and lifestyles of not only the historical (and known) past but of people we may not have ever expected to cross paths with who live in other galaxies and worlds completely! There are unlimited number of transportal routes one could take as a time traveler, and part of the adventure for me is making the journey into the complete unknown!

My earliest memory of reading a book that involved the displacement or disbursement of time would be “The Purple Door” by Janifer C. De Vos. This served as a gateway into an exciting series entitled: Guardians. I was in elementary school at the time when I read it, and this book served as an electrifying catapult into a whole new dimension of experiencing a story! You see, the main character travels into a different time and space whilst only expecting to be having a summer job at an antiques store! My memory of the particulars surrounding this series has vacated my memory banks, but I do look forward to re-reading it at some point (once I locate which box I have put it in!), as I was able to find the next two books in the series (via Powells which has a lovely out-of-print service!): The Silver Glass and The Dark Watch.

What disappointed me at the time I read The Purple Door, is that I could not carry-on with the series closer to when I had discovered the first book! (this would become a trait for certain series unfortunately!) I would always aspire to find other series which would push the envelope and limits on time and our sensory perceptions of time. It would take quite a long while for me to unearth A Wrinkle in Time, as a segue into reading my introduction to Quantum Physics library which I had purchased out of a mail-order book club (I believe it was called: The Library of Science originally) towards the start of the 2000’s. I was attempting to get into The Elegant Universe: Super-Strings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory by Brian Greene as well as Lucifer’s Legacy: The Meaning of Asymmetry by Frank Close. What I appreciated about the first book in “The Time Quartet” series is that it illuminates the aspects of the quantum realms within the scope of what can be imagined. The hardest part I think of quantum physics isn’t the mathematical language needed to take the theories to a higher level of understanding, but rather, the ability to directly imagine and purport into imagery what the theories are attempting to show us! In this way, I have always highly recommended that anyone keen on this side of science to start with A Wrinkle in Time! From there, I moved forward into Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions by Edwin Abbott Abbott, which helped fuse the two together for me! I shifted easily back into where I had left off in my readings for the books of Greene & Close, as well as attempting to seek out other scientists who were producing books on these subjects that fascinated me so very much! The short list of people who intrigued me were: Clifford A. Pickover, Michio Kaku, Professor Stephen Hawking, and Carl Sagan.

I took a bit of a hiatus from my pursuit of reading non-fiction pieces on time and the quantum realms, opting instead when a new branch of my local library opened to seek out fictional stories that were cast into the same vein as The Purple Door of my youth! I wanted to seek out other writers’ to pick up where I had left off before exchanging the fictional side of this subject for the non-fiction! This is how I came to become immersed into the awe-inspiring worlds of The Golden Hour by Maiya Williams, The Sixty-Eight Rooms by Marianne Malone, and The Dragon in the Driveway by Kate Klimo! What I hadn’t realised at the time is that each of these was the gateway book into a brand-new series! I am still working my way towards reading the next installments as my local library only has the original beginnings rather than the sequels!

In keeping with this earnest approach of mine, I decided that it would be best to dip into both of my conjoined interests, and find a steady balance between fiction and non-fiction even during Sci-Fi November! My viewings of “Doctor Who” have brought back to life my excitement and pure giddiness in celebrating a time traveler on the small screen! However, I do not want to only rely on my ability to seek out media forms of story-telling, and would rather garnish a bit of a nice foothold in literature as this is one particular subject that has been written on for quite a long time! As with Steampunk, I am finding that there are many facets that determine the outcome of a time travel adventure! Sometimes the time travel elements are subtle, barely noticeable, and other times, they have such resounding effects that it puts everyone in the story in direct peril! I have found time travel to be used in cross-genres, such as: juvenile and young adult fiction, romance, historical fiction, science fiction, and even high fantasy! I am sure there are a heap of others, but what I wanted to say, is that due to the diverse selection, I could very well be reading stories of time travel for many an eon yet to come! And, what a thrilling revelation that is for someone as giddy as I am about the written word!?

I can honestly say, that when it comes to my journey into books whose central theme is ‘Time Travel’, I am as much as a beginner with this genre as I was with Steampunk! I only have a few books under me to where I have been able to seek out authors & stories that catch my fancy to read!  Which is why I would love to open up a discussion thread right now, and encourage anyone who has had history with Time Travel in Literature to post a link back to a post on your own blog that delves into how you came to start reading Time Travel &/or of whom your favourite authors, stand-alone novels, and Time Travel serial books would be!? Be sure to come back to this post to attach the link of your post in the comments! ONLY link directly to the post you created on this topic, DO NOT link to the main page of your blog! I will be checking! Thank you! I cannot wait to see what everyone’s post!! :)

In the intrim, these are the books I pulled from my local library to explore this month:

The Skin Map (Book One: Bright Empires series) by Steve Lawhead
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
WorldSoul (Book One: WorldSoul series) by Liz Williams
(non-fiction) Breaking the Time Barrier: The Race to Build the First Time Machine by Jenny Randles
(non-fiction) Time Travel in Einstein’s Universe: The Physical Possibilities of Travel Through Time by Richard J. Gott
(non-fiction) Time: A Traveler’s Guide by Clifford A. Pickover
The Impossible Lives of Greta Wells by Andrew Sean Greer
The Little Book by Selden Edwards
The Little Prince by Selden Edwards
The Map of Time by Felix J. Palma
The Kingdom of Ohio by Matthew Fleming
Expiration Date by Duane Swierczynski
City at the End of Time by Greg Bear

I wanted to select a broad selection of novels that would not only change my preconceptions of what you can experience in time travel literature but I wanted to be a bit bold and daring in my choices! I decided to shift away from the quite obvious choice of reading “The Time Machine” as much as the fact, I already knew I would not want to read “The Time Traveler’s Wife” having had seen the film of the same name! (truly one of the most gutting motion pictures to experience!) I decided to dip into non-fiction as well for a bit, as I do have a keen interest in the science behind science fiction, and I knew that this would be a great branch to cross-relate into science! I am not sure if I will finish the non-fiction titles during the month, but whatever I am able to read in those selections I shall relay to you! Normally a non-fiction book takes me a bit longer to read in full due to the length and depth!

I am curious once more if anyone participating in SFN or a reader who is visiting our blogs during the event has a familiarity with the choices I have made!? And, if you perhaps have others to suggest to me in return!?

This feature is brought to you by:

Sci-Fi November | Hosted by Rinn Reads

{SOURCES: Sci-Fi November Badge provided by Rinn Reads for participants to advert the month long event and to encourage people to follow along with those of us who are contributing! Post lovely provided by Shabby Blogs with edits by Jorie in Fotoflexer.}

Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2013.

About jorielov

I am self-educated through local libraries and alternative education opportunities. I am a writer by trade and I cured a ten-year writer’s block by the discovery of Nanowrimo in November 2008. The event changed my life by re-establishing my muse and solidifying my path. Five years later whilst exploring the bookish blogosphere I decided to become a book blogger. I am a champion of wordsmiths who evoke a visceral experience in narrative. I write comprehensive book showcases electing to get into the heart of my reading observations. I dance through genres seeking literary enlightenment and enchantment. Starting in Autumn 2013 I became a blog book tour hostess featuring books and authors. I joined The Classics Club in January 2014 to seek out appreciators of the timeless works of literature whose breadth of scope and voice resonate with us all.

"I write my heart out and own my writing after it has spilt out of the pen." - self quote (Jorie of Jorie Loves A Story)

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Posted Tuesday, 5 November, 2013 by jorielov in Astronomy, Bookish Discussions, Brothers and Sisters, Cosmology, Library Find, Library Love, Quantum Physics, Revolutionary France, Sci-Fi November, Science Fiction, SFN Bingo, Time Travel, Time Travel Adventure




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12 responses to “*SFN* | A Book Showcase [focused on] Time Travel!

  1. Woohoo for SFN! I’m so excited to see posts like this, as I have several planned for my blog as well, but I hadn’t planned to tackle time travel as a topic. I’m surprised to find that I can’t seem to think of ANY books I’ve read that involve time travel! Well, I guess there is A Wrinkle inTime, which I read in 6th grade — and absolutely hated. :(

    • Hallo Kelley,

      I was sorry to hear that you didn’t like A Wrinkle in Time! :( For me it just opened the door to so many things in the world of quantum physics. Perhaps you read it too young!? I didn’t read it until I was in my early 20s, whilst pursuing the subject full throttle!? The reason I ask, is because I have found this to be true for me in other instances. Sometimes I find books we either arrive at too early, or the timing is simply ‘off’ and we have to re-pick them up later!? Otherwise, I’m just sorry to hear you didn’t like it. Yes, I do agree with you about all the lovely events & features we’re each contributing to SFN! I’m looking forward to making my rounds to the other SFN blogs soon! I’ve been a bit caught up with my own at the moment!

      Thanks for dropping by!

    • Yeah, I’m not really sure what it was about that book. I just remember absolutely hating the imagery and feelings it evoked in me, and even now (20 years later) I still shudder every time I think about it. Maybe I was too young, or maybe it was just a combination of the themes and whatever was going on in my life at the time. I dunno…

  2. Lots of people seem to have read A Wrinkle in Time but I have to admit I hadn’t heard of it until recently. It’s going on my ‘to read’ list!

    I’m glad to hear that you’re enjoying Doctor Who! =D

    If you open to Young Adult time travel suggestions, I have to suggest All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill. Fantastically emotional book =) Or ‘The Guardians of Time’ series by Marianne Curley, which is also brilliant for history fans. A group that call themselves the Guardians of Time have to travel back in time to prevent the Order of Chaos from changing history, and therefore the future. One of my favourite series when I was a young teenager, and I even interviewed the author for my blog which was very exciting!

    • Hallo Rinn!

      Maybe I misfiled “All Our Yesterdays”!? As I was going to read it as part of my focus on Dsytopian literature!? Hmm, or perhaps its a cross-genre selection that fit both Time Travel & Dsytopian!? Let me know! I can always switch it over to Time Travel! :) Yes, I am always open to reading both JUV & YA titles, as I am curating a Children’s Lit page at the top of my blog which speaks about how I have always appreciated reading from a young age but as I grew older I never let go of reading the books for my younger years as I started back on a journey towards discovering Children’s Lit when I started to have nieces and nephews! Turned out I found a new niche for myself! Wicked!

      I haven’t heard of Curley’s books, which is why I am going to look her up in a moment as I found her series premise most fascinating! I will see if I can pull up her interview on your blog as well through your archive! Thanks for the wicked suggestion!

      I am happy that I helped you decide to read “A Wrinkle in Time”!! Yes, yes I am indeed enjoying “Doctor Who!” The actress who plays Donna left a strong impression on me!

      • I switched it to the proper reading list as I had no idea that I had made such a blunderment! This proves that I am reading out of my element and trying to sort out new genres and sub-genres! Thanks for your imput, I do appreciate it! :)

  3. Wow, Jorie, I’m in awe at how many time travel/sci-fi/science books you’ve already read! Flatland is on my to-read list, and I have a few Brian Greene and Stephen Hawking books on my shelf, but to be honest, sometimes I get really intimidated by all the physics and I end up avoiding these books. :S I guess I’ll have to ease into it… I might be more of a beginner in the genre than you are, haha. I haven’t read any of the books on your list, but I just finished reading Pathfinder by Orson Scott Card, and it definitely grew on me. And I like how you’re tackling both fiction and non-fiction books this month – good luck! :)

    • Hallo Sophie!

      Thank you for commenting on my Time Travel showcase! :) Did you already read “A Wrinkle in Time”!? I cannot stress this enough, if you read it prior to “Flatland” it will open your eyes to “Flatland” in a way that you might not even realise possible! I was quite taken by the experience, which is why I tried to stress that any one interested in these stories & topics should read those two particular books in that particular order! :) If you ended up reading (or re-reading) “A Wrinkle in Time” and then proceed with “Flatland”, do drop back and let me know if you found it effective and useful!? I have a Hawking book in a box, alongside the rest of my QP books! I wonder if we have some of the same titles!? Goodness! I thought for sure I’d be considered a beginner as I have only just started to pull together reading lists as well as scientists & authors, but I didn’t think the short period I could give to reading this passion of mine would qualify me as anything other than a beginner! Wow. I had not expected that reaction!

      Thank you for appreciating my choice in choosing fiction and non-fiction books! I wasn’t sure how that would fly – so I was chuffed to see you were excited! I posted the first half of my review of “The Skin Map” a few seconds ahead of your comment coming in! I’ll tweak it and finish it up on the morrow, but I couldn’t leave it overnight without posting, because I had a feeling that since it was following my earlier train of thoughts so precisely, that even in its half-state, those of you who are following me might like to read it as a ‘preview’!! :)

      I’ll be swinging back around to your blog morrow as well!

      • Ooh, thanks for the suggestion! Looks like I’ll be rereading A Wrinkle in Time before Flatland then, haha. I have Hawking’s A Brief (as well as A Briefer) History of Time. :)

        • Sophie,

          I only have A Brief so far in my personal library for Hawking so your a bit ahead of me there! Did you read through it already or are you getting to it after you get your introduction through A Wrinkle in Time and Flatland !?! Ooh brilliant! I cannot wait to hear your thoughts! I dropped by your blog earlier but I had to step away — I was reading your review of Pathfinder! A book I had checked out myself closer to the time the library purchased it! I used to be a big OSC appreciator…

          • I haven’t read either of Hawking’s books… but my excuse is that I have other books lined up already, haha. :P I’ll get to them eventually! And thanks for stopping by – that was my first OSC book, and I’m hoping Ender’s Game is better!

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