The Big List of Time Travel Adventures

 Related to: Newspaper of Tomorrow
 from antiquity to 2017



   The Age of Science:
A Newspaper of the Twentieth Century
by Frances Power Cobbe (as by Merlin Nostradamus)
First publication: 1877

Published as a 50-page book, the story tells of the invention of the Prospective Telegraph and provides excerpts from a newspaper that it retrieves from a 1977 future dominated by scientific and medical super-nannies.

 By this truly wonderful invention (exquisitely simple in its machinery, yet of surpassing power) the obstacle of Time is as effectually conquered as that of Space has been for the last generation by the Electric Telegraph; and future years—even, it is anticipated, future centuries—will be made to respond to our call as promptly and completely as do now the uttermost parts of the earth wherewith the magic wire has placed us in communication. 

Frances Power Cobbe, Master Traveller

I place Frances Power Cobbe as the author of the first science fiction time travel story given that in her book a scientist invents a machine to retrieve information from the future—certainly an accomplishment worthy of a Master Traveller Citation.




   “The Queer Story of Brownlow’s Newspaper”
by H.G. Wells
First publication: Ladies’ Home Journal, Feb 1932

A copy of the Evening Standard newspaper makes its way from 1971 back to one Mr. Brownlow in 1931, and the narrator relates to us the queer happenings from forty years in the future. Would that the political aspects of his world would have materialized!

 It means, I take it, that in only forty years from now the great game of sovereign states will be over. It looks also as if the parliamentary game will be over, and as if some quite new method of handling human affairs will have been adopted. Not a word of patriotism or nationalism; not a word of party, not an allusion. But in only forty years! While half the human beings already alive in the world will still be living! You cannot believe it for a moment. Nor could I, if it wasn't for two little torn scraps of paper. 




   “Snulbug”
by Anthony Boucher
First publication: Unknown Worlds, Dec 1941

In need of $10,000 to open a medical clinic, Bill Hitchens calls forth Snulbug, a one-inch high demon who likes the warmth in Bill’s pipe, and orders the demon to retrieve tomorrow’s newspaper and bring it back to today.

 Then as soon as I release you from that pentacle, you’re to bring me tomorrow’s newspaper. 








   It Happened Tomorrow
by Dudley Nichols, René Clair(Clair, director)
First release: 28 May 1944

One day at the end of the 19th century, newspaperman Larry Stevens is given the gift of tomorrow’s newspaper by the ghost of the archive man, Pops Benson. That leads him to improve his position at the newspaper by scooping a story; but it also leads to trouble, more of tomorrow’s papers, and a romance with the alluring clairvoyant Sylvia.

So why do I count this as time travel when, for example, The Gap in the Curtain is not? The future newspapers in Gap never actually appear, and it felt as if they were mere visions of a possible future, whereas there’s no doubt that Larry holds the actual artifact in his hands. And besides, the movie had a great take on events may be fated and yet, when accompanied by charming misunderstandings, lead to the unexpected. (And as a bonus, movie star Dick Powell is the spitting image of Robert A. Heinlein of the time.)

According to the Authority on American Film, the original screenplay was bought by Frank Capra from Hugh Wedlock and Howard Snyder; Capra also bought the rights to a similar Lord Dunsany play, The Jest of Haha Laba, after which the rights were sold to producer Arnold Pressburger.

Early Edition, one of my favorite tv shows, uses the same idea of tomorrow’s paper, but its creators said that the show was not based on this movie.

 But I’m afraid I’m going to end up at the St. George Hotel at 6:25 no matter where I go. 




   Early Edition
created by Bob Brush
First episode: 28 Sep 1996

A calico cat brings Gary tomorrow’s newspaper every morning—and at least two episodes in the four seasons sent softspoken Gary back in time (to the Chicago Fire in “Hot Time in the Old Time” and to the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre in “Everybody Goes to Rick’s). Go Gary!

One of the reasons this show appealed to me is the occurrence of a strong, introverted lead character, which is a rarity in all fiction.

 What if, by some magic, you found the power to really change things? People, events, maybe even your life. Would you even know where to start? Maybe you can’t know. Until it happens. 


 

5 items are in the time-travel list for these search settings.
Thanks for visiting my time-travel page, and thanks to the many sources that provided stories and more (see the Links and Credits in the menu at the top). —Michael (main@colorado.edu)