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The 30 Best Fiction Books About Time Travel, Ranked By Readers

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Time travel has long fascinated readers and writers alike, offering a narrative escape hatch to the past or future, where the possibilities are as limitless as the imagination. This fascination is abundantly reflected in the myriad of fiction books about time travel that span genres, styles, and epochs. From the speculative to the historical, good time travel books invite readers on journeys that defy the linear constraints of time, allowing us to explore what-if scenarios, alternate histories, and the complex web of cause and effect. Our list, curated by sci-fi book enthusiasts and ranked from best to worst by Goodreads review averages, is a testament to the enduring allure of time travel in literature.

Among the standout titles is Kindred by Octavia E. Butler, a compelling blend of historical fiction and science fiction that offers a poignant exploration of race, power, and identity through the lens of time travel. 11/22/63 by Stephen King combines meticulous historical research with the author’s signature storytelling prowess to reimagine the events leading to the assassination of JFK. Meanwhile, Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut uses the motif of time travel to craft a deeply moving anti-war narrative, showcasing the genre’s capacity to tackle profound themes.

Curated with the input of dedicated sci-fi book enthusiasts, our list aims to guide readers through the vast and varied landscape of time travel fiction. Whether you’re a seasoned time traveler or a newcomer to the genre, these books promise to transport you beyond the boundaries of time and reality, challenging your perceptions and igniting your imagination. Below, find the top fiction books about time travel, ranked by their Goodreads review averages.

Note: These Goodreads ratings are subject to change and are accurate as of 2/5/24.

1 Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut

Goodreads:  4.41

Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut is a seminal work in American literature, blending science fiction, satire, and war memoir to explore the themes of free will, fatalism, and the absurdity of human conflict. It’s often mentioned on lists of the best sci-fi books of all time. The book tells the story of Billy Pilgrim, a World War II veteran and POW survivor of the Dresden bombing, who becomes “unstuck in time” and experiences moments of his life out of sequence. This non-linear narrative structure allows Vonnegut to weave together the past, present, and future, including Billy’s abduction by aliens from the planet Tralfamadore. Since its release in 1969, Slaughterhouse-Five has received widespread acclaim, cementing its place in the literary canon. While it has not won specific awards, its impact and significance have been recognized through its inclusion in various lists of the greatest books ever written and its enduring presence in academic and literary discussions.

The novel’s distinction as one of the best books about time travel stems not from its depiction of time travel as a technological or fantastical phenomenon but from its innovative use of the concept as a narrative device to explore the human condition. Vonnegut’s portrayal of time travel reflects the fragmented nature of memory and the human psyche, particularly in response to trauma and the incomprehensibility of war. Through Billy Pilgrim’s journeys across time, Slaughterhouse-Five challenges readers to reconsider linear narratives and confront the cyclic nature of violence and despair. This philosophical and existential approach to time travel, combined with Vonnegut’s sharp wit and profound insights into the absurdities of human existence, secures the novel’s place as a timeless masterpiece in the genre.

2 11/22/63 by Stephen King

Goodreads:  4.33

11/22/6 3 by Stephen King is a riveting novel that merges elements of historical fiction, science fiction, and thriller. The plot centers around Jake Epping, a high school English teacher who discovers a time portal in a local diner that leads back to September 9, 1958. With the guidance of the diner’s owner, Al, Jake embarks on a mission to prevent the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, believing that changing this one event could positively alter the course of history. Throughout his journey, Jake encounters the complexities of living in the past, falls in love, and faces the moral and ethical dilemmas of changing history. The book has been acclaimed for its detailed research and compelling narrative, earning it a spot on The New York Times Best Seller list and notable recognition among readers and critics alike.

Considered one of the best books about time travel, 11/22/63 stands out for its intricate plot, deep character development, and the thought-provoking exploration of the “butterfly effect” — the idea that small changes can have large, unforeseen consequences. Stephen King masterfully combines historical accuracy with speculative fiction, creating a vivid portrayal of the late 1950s and early 1960s in America. The novel’s ability to blend real historical events with the fictional journey of its protagonist offers readers a unique and immersive experience. King’s exploration of themes such as love, loss, and the weight of history, coupled with his skillful narrative construction, makes 11/22/63 a standout work in the genre of time travel fiction, resonating with readers long after they turn the last page.

3 Kindred by Octavia E. Butler

Goodreads:  4.30

Kindred, authored by Octavia E. Butler, stands as a profound and pioneering work within the science fiction genre, melding elements of time travel with a stark examination of American history. The novel follows Dana, a young African-American woman in the 1970s who finds herself repeatedly transported back in time to the early 19th century. In this antebellum Maryland, she encounters her ancestors: a white slave owner and a black woman who is one of his slaves. While Kindred has not been awarded in the traditional sense often associated with science fiction, its impact and significance have been recognized through its inclusion in academic curricula and its influence on subsequent generations of writers. It is celebrated not only for its innovative use of the time travel trope but also for its unflinching confrontation with the complexities of race, slavery, and power dynamics.

The acclaim of Kindred as one of the best books about time travel stems not only from its imaginative narrative structure but also from its ability to leverage the time-traveling experience as a powerful lens through which the enduring effects of slavery and racism in America are explored. Butler’s novel is distinguished by its emotional depth, compelling character development, and the seamless integration of historical fact with speculative fiction elements. This unique combination allows readers to engage with the historical past in a deeply personal and reflective manner. The book’s enduring popularity and relevance are testament to its standing as a seminal work that transcends the typical boundaries of genre to offer insights into the human condition and the cyclical nature of history.

4 Hyperion by Dan Simmons

Goodreads:  4.26

Hyperion by Dan Simmons is a towering achievement in the science fiction genre, weaving together the tales of seven pilgrims who journey across a far-future universe to the distant world of Hyperion. On the eve of an interstellar war, these characters—each with a unique story that is gradually unveiled—seek the answers to their deepest questions before the mysterious and deadly entity known as the Shrike. This Hugo Award-winning novel, released in 1989, masterfully combines elements of space opera with deep philosophical questions and a richly imagined universe, showcasing Simmons’ prowess in storytelling and world-building.

Considered one of the best books about time travel, Hyperion stands out due to its innovative use of time travel as a central plot device. The novel intricately explores the concept through the Shrike and the Time Tombs, around which much of the story’s mystery revolves. Simmons employs time travel not just as a means of moving characters through space and time but as a profound element that affects the narrative’s structure, themes, and the characters’ fates. The way time travel is woven into the plot highlights the complexities of causality, destiny, and personal choice, making Hyperion a compelling and thought-provoking read that pushes the boundaries of the genre and offers a unique perspective on the consequences and paradoxes of time travel.

5 Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon is not just a novel; it’s a sprawling journey across time that marries elements of historical fiction, romance , and adventure. First published in 1991, the story introduces readers to Claire Randall, a former World War II nurse who, while on a second honeymoon in Scotland with her husband Frank, is mysteriously transported back in time to 1743. Thrust into a world of clan politics, stark landscapes, and looming conflict, Claire encounters Jamie Fraser, a gallant and chivalrous young Scots warrior, and her life becomes irrevocably intertwined with his. As she navigates the dangers of a bygone era, Claire is torn between her fidelity to the future and the love she discovers in the past. Outlander has captivated millions with its rich historical detail, compelling characters, and thrilling narrative, earning Gabaldon a dedicated fanbase and several awards, including the Quill Award and the Romance Writers of America’s RITA Award for Best Romance of 1991.

Considered one of the top time travel romance books of all time, Outlander stands out for its unique blend of historical accuracy, time travel, and deep, enduring romance. Gabaldon’s meticulous research into the period brings 18th-century Scotland to vivid life, providing a lush backdrop for the passionate relationship between Claire and Jamie. Unlike many time travel stories that focus solely on the mechanics of time travel or the butterfly effect, Outlander delves into the human element—exploring the complexities of love and loyalty across different times. This novel transcends the genre by focusing on the emotional journey of its characters, making it a quintessential read for fans of romance and time travel alike.

6 The End of Eternity by Isaac Asimov

Goodreads:  4.24

The End of Eternity by Isaac Asimov is a quintessential piece of science fiction literature that delves into the complex themes of time travel and its far-reaching consequences. Published in 1955, the novel introduces readers to The Eternity, a secretive organization that exists outside conventional time, with the ability to manipulate and alter historical events to prevent human suffering and catastrophe. The story follows Andrew Harlan, a Technician in Eternity who specializes in making these delicate temporal adjustments, as he navigates the moral and ethical dilemmas posed by manipulating time. Despite its critical acclaim and the way it showcases Asimov’s prowess in building intricate, thought-provoking narratives, The End of Eternity did not receive contemporary awards at the time of its release. However, its enduring popularity and influence on the science fiction genre underscore its significance and the way it captures the imagination of readers, illustrating Asimov’s masterful exploration of time travel’s complexities and its impact on humanity.

7 Replay by Ken Grimwood

Goodreads:  4.15

Replay by Ken Grimwood is an intriguing exploration of time travel, life’s possibilities, and the concept of destiny. The novel follows Jeff Winston, a radio journalist who dies of a heart attack at 43 and inexplicably wakes up in his 18-year-old body in 1963, with all his memories intact. As Jeff lives his life over and over, he experiences different paths and choices, each “replay” offering new opportunities, challenges, and insights into the human condition. Despite its fantastical premise, the book delves deeply into themes of love, regret, and the significance of the choices we make.

Since its release, Replay has been acclaimed for its originality and depth, winning the World Fantasy Award for Best Novel in 1988. It remains a cherished work for its profound narrative and the emotional journey it offers readers, making it a standout title in the time travel genre.

8 To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis

Goodreads:  4.11

To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis is a delightful foray into the world of time travel, combining wit, historical intrigue, and a dash of romance. The novel follows Ned Henry, a time-traveling historian who is sent back to the Victorian era to correct an anomaly that threatens to alter history. His mission becomes entangled with that of fellow historian Verity Kindle, leading to a series of comedic and chaotic adventures as they navigate the complexities of 19th-century social etiquette, all while trying to ensure the future remains unchanged.

Willis masterfully blends elements of science fiction with the historical setting, creating a rich and engaging narrative. Upon its release, the book was met with critical acclaim and went on to win both the Hugo and Locus Awards for Best Science Fiction Novel, cementing its place as a cherished work in the genre.

9 Lightning by Dean Koontz

Goodreads:  4.09

Lightning, a novel by Dean Koontz, stands out as an intriguing blend of science fiction and suspense, masterfully weaving the concept of time travel into a narrative that is as thought-provoking as it is thrilling. The story follows Laura Shane, a woman whose life is intermittently saved by a mysterious stranger, who we come to learn is a time traveler from Nazi Germany. This stranger’s interventions are pivotal at various junctures in Laura’s life, leading to revelations about destiny, the nature of good and evil, and the intricate fabric of time itself. Since its release, Lightning has captivated readers with its unique plot and compelling characters, although it hasn’t been specifically highlighted for literary awards, its enduring popularity and critical acclaim underscore Koontz’s prowess in crafting suspenseful narratives with a science fiction twist. The book remains a standout example of Koontz’s ability to blend genres seamlessly, making it a must-read for fans of time travel fiction and suspense alike.

10 Doomsday Book by Connie Willis

Goodreads:  4.03

Doomsday Book by Connie Willis is an exceptional foray into the realm of time travel, seamlessly blending historical fiction with science fiction elements. The novel follows Kivrin Engle, a young historian who, through the use of futuristic time travel technology, is sent back to the 14th century. However, what was intended to be a meticulous academic observation turns into a harrowing journey of survival when she arrives during the onset of the Black Plague. Willis’s detailed depiction of medieval England, along with the parallel narrative of Kivrin’s colleagues in the 21st century grappling with a deadly influenza outbreak, creates a compelling exploration of humanity, resilience, and the interconnectedness of history and the present. Doomsday Book has garnered critical acclaim for its intricate plot and emotional depth, winning both the Nebula and Hugo Awards for Best Novel, affirming its status as a masterpiece in the science fiction genre.

11 The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North

The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North is a captivating exploration of immortality and the infinite possibilities of life. The novel follows its titular character, Harry August, who lives his life over and over again with full memory of his previous existences. Each time Harry dies, he is reborn into the same life but with the opportunity to make different choices, leading to varied outcomes. This cycle allows Harry to experience the 20th century multiple times, witnessing its major events and technological advancements firsthand. However, the equilibrium of his perpetual rebirths is threatened when he receives a message from the future indicating a looming catastrophe that only he can prevent. This unique take on time travel and reincarnation has not only captivated readers worldwide but also earned critical acclaim.

Since its release, the book has been recognized for its originality and depth, including being nominated for the Arthur C. Clarke Award and winning the John W. Campbell Memorial Award for Best Science Fiction Novel. North’s novel stands out for its philosophical musings on time, memory, and the human condition, making it a significant contribution to the genre.

12 The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

Goodreads:  3.99

The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger is a uniquely crafted narrative that intertwines romance, science fiction, and the raw complexities of human relationships through the lens of time travel. The novel introduces readers to Clare and Henry, an artist and a librarian who have an unconventional love story shaped by Henry’s rare genetic disorder that causes him to involuntarily travel through time. This condition presents both profound connections and heartbreaking challenges as they navigate their lives together, often out of sync in time yet deeply bonded by love. Since its release in 2003, the book has captivated audiences with its emotional depth and innovative storytelling, earning it widespread acclaim.

Although it did not win major literary awards, The Time Traveler’s Wife achieved significant commercial success, became a New York Times bestseller, and was adapted into a film and a television series, highlighting its lasting impact and appeal to both readers and viewers alike.

13 A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle

Goodreads:  3.98

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle is a groundbreaking work of science fiction and fantasy that has captured the imaginations of readers since its publication in 1962. The novel follows the adventures of Meg Murry, her younger brother Charles Wallace, and their friend Calvin O’Keefe as they embark on a perilous journey through space and time to rescue Meg’s father, a scientist trapped on a distant planet by a malevolent force known as IT.

L’Engle masterfully combines elements of science fiction, fantasy, and coming-of-age narrative, exploring themes of love, courage, and the battle between good and evil. A Wrinkle in Time has received widespread acclaim, including the prestigious Newbery Medal in 1963, recognizing it as a significant contribution to American children’s literature. Its enduring popularity has established it as a classic, inspiring generations of readers to look beyond the confines of their reality.

14 Time and Again by Jack Finney

Goodreads:  3.94

Time and Again by Jack Finney is a classic in the genre of time travel literature, first published in 1970. The novel follows Simon Morley, a young advertising artist who enlists in a secret government project that enables him to travel back in time to New York City in 1882. Using his artistic skills, Morley immerses himself in the past, exploring the rich tapestry of late 19th-century life with an eye for detail that brings the era to vivid life. As he becomes entangled in the lives of the people he encounters, Morley finds himself faced with choices that have the power to alter history. Time and Again ‘s enduring popularity and critical acclaim have cemented its status as a beloved masterpiece of time travel fiction. The novel is celebrated for its meticulous historical research, engaging plot, and the philosophical questions it raises about the nature of time and our place within it.

15 The Gone World by Tom Sweterlitsch

Goodreads:  3.93

The Gone World by Tom Sweterlitsch is a mesmerizing entry in the realm of books about time travel, blending elements of science fiction, mystery, and thriller genres to create a gripping narrative. The story follows NCIS Special Agent Shannon Moss as she investigates the murder of a Navy SEAL’s family and the disappearance of his teenage daughter. Moss is part of a secretive military division that investigates crimes by traveling to future timelines. Her quest for answers leads her to a future that should never happen and reveals a terrifying world-ending event known as the Terminus.

Sweterlitsch masterfully constructs a complex, multi-layered plot that challenges the boundaries of time and space, inviting readers to contemplate the implications of diving into the unknown and the impact of our choices on the future.

16 Lest Darkness Fall by L. Sprague de Camp

Goodreads:  3.92

Lest Darkness Fall by L. Sprague de Camp is often heralded as one of the top books about time travel, thanks to its inventive plot and engaging narrative. This classic novel transports its protagonist, Martin Padway, to sixth-century Rome, just before the onset of the Dark Ages. Armed with his knowledge of modern technology and historical events, Padway endeavors to alter the course of history to prevent the impending collapse of civilization. Through his attempts to introduce advancements and thwart the fall of Rome, the book explores themes of innovation, cultural impact, and the intricate dance of cause and effect. De Camp’s meticulous attention to historical detail, combined with his imaginative speculation, makes Lest Darkness Fall a standout tale in the time travel genre, engaging readers with its blend of history, science fiction, and adventure.

17 The Anubis Gates by Tim Powers

Goodreads:  3.90

The Anubis Gates by Tim Powers is a riveting entry in the pantheon of top books about time travel, masterfully blending historical fiction, fantasy, and science fiction into a cohesive and enthralling narrative. The story transports readers to 19th-century London, where a modern-day scholar finds himself caught up in a dark and complex plot involving ancient Egyptian magic, body-swapping, and a secret society of time travelers. Powers crafts a meticulously researched Victorian London as the backdrop for this adventure, weaving real historical figures and events with fantastical elements. The novel’s richly detailed world, combined with its intricate plot and compelling characters, makes The Anubis Gates not just a journey through time but an immersive dive into a past as dangerous as it is enchanting, solidifying its status among the top books about time travel.

18 The Time Keeper by Mitch Albom

Goodreads:  3.89

The Time Keeper by Mitch Albom is a thought-provoking addition to the genre of time travel literature, weaving a narrative that stands out among the top books about time travel. This novel introduces readers to Dor, the first person to measure time, who is punished for trying to quantify life’s moments. Banished to a cave for centuries, he is forced to listen to the world’s pleas for more time. It is not until he is granted his freedom, with a mission to teach two earthly souls the true meaning of time, that Dor can truly understand the depth and complexities of his invention. Albom’s storytelling is both unique and insightful, exploring the profound impact time has on human experiences and relationships. Through Dor’s journey, The Time Keeper delves into the essence of time’s value, making it a poignant and memorable read in the exploration of time travel’s narrative possibilities.

19 The Time Machine by H.G. Wells

The Time Machine by H.G. Wells stands as a cornerstone in the pantheon of classic time travel books, setting the foundation for the genre with its innovative concept and imaginative exploration of the future. In this seminal work, Wells introduces readers to the Time Traveller, a scientist who invents a machine that enables him to journey into the distant future. There, he encounters the Eloi and the Morlocks, two divergent species evolved from humanity, offering a stark, evolutionary vision of Earth’s fate. Through its vividly imagined future and philosophical underpinnings, The Time Machine not only captivates with its adventurous plot but also invites reflection on the social and scientific implications of time travel, cementing its status as a timeless masterpiece in science fiction literature.

20 Timeline by Michael Crichton

Goodreads:  3.86

Timeline by Michael Crichton stands as a noteworthy entry among classic time travel books, masterfully weaving historical fiction with cutting-edge science fiction. The novel plunges its characters—and readers—into the heart of medieval France, where a group of archaeologists and historians from a modern-day technological corporation use quantum technology to travel back in time. Their mission is to rescue their professor, who has become stranded in the 14th century amidst the feudal conflicts and the stark realities of medieval life.

Crichton’s meticulous research into the period brings an authenticity to the adventure, while his exploration of quantum mechanics adds a plausible scientific foundation to the time travel narrative. Timeline captivates with its thrilling plot, rich historical detail, and the timeless allure of journeying into the past, marking it as a must-read for fans of the genre.

21 Blackout/All Clear by Connie Willis

Goodreads:  3.85

Blackout/All Clear by Connie Willis is an ambitious duo of time travel novels that masterfully blend historical detail with the speculative intrigue of time travel. Set against the backdrop of World War II, the story follows a group of historians from 2060 who travel back to the 1940s to observe and document the everyday lives of those who lived through the Blitz, the evacuation of Dunkirk, and other pivotal moments of the war.

However, their mission takes a perilous turn when they become trapped in the past, unable to return to their own time. Willis’s meticulous research and vivid storytelling immerse readers in the era, while the novel’s exploration of history, memory, and the human experience through the lens of time travel offers a poignant reflection on the resilience and courage of those who faced the uncertainties of war.

22 The Man Who Folded Himself by David Gerrold

Goodreads:  3.81

The Man Who Folded Himself by David Gerrold is a time travel novel that delves into the mind-bending possibilities of self-interaction across different timelines. This narrative follows Daniel Eakins, a young man who inherits a time belt from his uncle, granting him the power to travel through time. Unlike typical time travel stories that focus on altering historical events or exploring the future, Gerrold’s novel takes a more introspective approach. Daniel uses the time belt to visit different periods in history, meet versions of himself from alternative timelines, and even attend his own parties, leading to profound existential questions and the exploration of free will, identity, and the human condition. Gerrold’s ingenious plotting and philosophical insights make The Man Who Folded Himself a standout in the genre, offering a unique take on the consequences and paradoxes of time travel.

23 All Our Wrong Todays by Elan Mastai

Goodreads:  3.75

All Our Wrong Todays by Elan Mastai is a captivating time travel novel that skillfully blends elements of science fiction and romance to explore the consequences of technology and the complexity of human emotions through the lens of time travel. The story is set in a 2016 that feels like the utopian future people in the 1950s imagined we would have, complete with flying cars, moving sidewalks, and no pollution. It follows Tom Barren, who, after a time travel experiment goes awry, finds himself in a starkly different 2016—the one we know. As Tom navigates this alternate reality, he is confronted with the profound impact of his actions on the world and the lives of those he loves. Mastai’s novel is a thought-provoking journey that questions the idea of perfection, the value of imperfection, and the intricate paths that lead us to the lives we are meant to live.

24 Version Control by Dexter Palmer

Goodreads:  3.73

Version Control by Dexter Palmer is a thought-provoking time travel novel that delves into the complexities of reality, the impact of technology on human relationships, and the nature of time itself. The story centers around Rebecca Wright, who suspects her world feels off-kilter and not quite real following a personal tragedy. Her husband, Philip, is a physicist working on a causality violation device, which is ostensibly not a time machine but begins to hint at the possibility of altering timelines. As the narrative unfolds, Palmer explores the subtle yet profound effects of technology on everyday life and the concept of “version control” in both software development and the fabric of the universe. This novel stands out for its deep philosophical inquiries, its critique of modern life, and the way it seamlessly blends science fiction with the emotional depth of its characters’ personal lives, making it a unique and compelling read within the time travel genre.

25 The Accidental Time Machine by Joe Haldeman

Goodreads: 3.72

The Accidental Time Machine by Joe Haldeman is a compelling science fiction novel that explores the adventures of Matt Fuller, a lab assistant at MIT, who stumbles upon a time machine quite by accident. As Fuller uses the device to leap forward in time, he encounters various futures, each more bizarre and fascinating than the last. The plot weaves through these temporal shifts, delivering a narrative rich in speculative science, social commentary, and the human condition. Upon its release, the book received positive reviews for its imaginative storytelling, Haldeman’s crisp writing, and the engaging way it addresses the consequences of time travel. While The Accidental Time Machine did not win major science fiction awards like the Hugo or Nebula, it further cemented Joe Haldeman’s reputation as a master storyteller in the genre, capturing the interest of readers and critics alike for its inventive take on the time travel theme.

26 The Psychology of Time Travel by Kate Mascarenhas

Goodreads:  3.71

The Psychology of Time Travel by Kate Mascarenhas weaves an intricate narrative that explores the ramifications of time travel on human psychology and relationships. Published in 2018, the book introduces readers to a unique world where time travel is not only possible but has also created a complex society with its own rules and norms. The plot unfolds through the perspectives of multiple characters across different timelines, showcasing Mascarenhas’s skill in handling non-linear storytelling. This debut novel has been well-received for its innovative approach to science fiction, blending mystery, and feminist themes seamlessly. Critics have praised Mascarenhas for her thought-provoking exploration of how time travel might affect mental health, power dynamics, and interpersonal connections. While The Psychology of Time Travel has not been highlighted by major award wins, its positive reception and unique contributions to the science fiction genre have made it a noteworthy read for enthusiasts and casual readers alike, marking Mascarenhas as an author to watch.

27 The Chronoliths by Robert Charles Wilson

Goodreads:  3.68

The Chronoliths, penned by Robert Charles Wilson, unfolds around the enigmatic appearance of massive monuments, known as Chronoliths, which materialize across the globe. These monuments, inscribed with dates 20 years in the future, herald the military victories of a leader named Kuin. The narrative centers on Scott Warden, a man who finds himself intricately linked to these phenomena and the global efforts to decipher their origins and implications. The novel adeptly blends the elements of science fiction with deep psychological and sociopolitical themes, exploring how humanity grapples with the known and the unknown, destiny, and the concept of free will. Upon its release, The Chronoliths was met with critical acclaim for its originality, compelling storytelling, and the depth of its character development. It not only received praise for its thought-provoking content but also clinched the John W. Campbell Memorial Award for Best Science Fiction Novel in 2002, solidifying Wilson’s reputation as a distinguished voice in the science fiction genre.

28 Bones of the Earth by Michael Swanwick

Goodreads:  3.49

Bones of the Earth by Michael Swanwick is a sci-fi novel that intricately weaves together themes of time travel, paleontology, and the ethics of scientific discovery. The plot centers around a group of paleontologists who are given the opportunity to study dinosaurs in their natural habitats, thanks to the advent of time travel. However, as they delve deeper into the prehistoric past, they uncover mysteries that challenge their understanding of time and existence itself. Upon its release, the book was met with critical acclaim for its imaginative storytelling and thorough research into dinosaur science, earning Swanwick praise for blending hard science fiction with engaging narrative elements.

Bones of the Earth was nominated for several prestigious awards, including the Hugo, Nebula, and Locus Awards for Best Novel, showcasing its impact within the science fiction community and affirming Swanwick’s reputation as a masterful storyteller.

29 How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe by Charles Yu

Goodreads:  3.45

How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe , penned by Charles Yu, unfolds within a universe where time travel is not just possible but has become an integral part of the fabric of existence. The narrative follows the life of a time machine repairman named Charles Yu, who shares the author’s name. Trapped in a time loop, the protagonist embarks on a deeply introspective journey, exploring themes of loneliness, family dynamics, and the quest for meaning within the confines of a meticulously constructed science fictional setting.

Upon its release, the book garnered attention for its innovative blend of science fiction elements with poignant, introspective storytelling, earning praise for Yu’s unique voice and imaginative approach to the genre. Critics lauded its clever use of metafiction and the ways it grapples with the complexities of human emotion against a backdrop of time travel and theoretical physics. Although it didn’t snag any major science fiction awards, it firmly established Charles Yu as a significant voice in contemporary science fiction, receiving critical acclaim and a warm reception from readers who appreciated its thoughtful exploration of the human condition through the lens of science fiction.

30 The Map of Time by Félix J. Palma

Goodreads:  3.39

The Map of Time by Félix J. Palma is a riveting novel that intricately weaves together history, science fiction, and romance into a captivating narrative. Set in Victorian London, it explores the concept of time travel through the lives of its characters, intertwining their stories with real historical figures such as H.G. Wells. The plot is rich with twists and turns, offering readers a blend of suspense, mystery, and a deep reflection on the nature of time and love. Upon its release, the book received critical acclaim for its imaginative storytelling, detailed historical research, and the ability to blend genres seamlessly. Critics praised Palma’s skillful narrative and the novel’s complex character development. While The Map of Time has been celebrated for its innovation and depth, it is more noted for its literary achievements and storytelling prowess than for winning specific awards. Nonetheless, its reception among readers and critics alike cements its status as a standout work in speculative fiction.

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40 Best Time Travel Books To Read Right Now (2024)

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Travel back in time with the best time travel books, including engrossing thrillers, romance, contemporary lit, and mind-bending sci-fi.

Table of Contents

Best Time Travel Books

Books about time travel promise to not only transport you across time periods and space – Doctor Who-style – but also tesser you into new dimensions and around the world. Most readers already know about classics like The Time Traveler’s Wife , A Christmas Carol , and The Time Machine .

For romance time travel, grab In A Holidaze or One Last Stop . For contemporary and new time travel books, Haig’s The Midnight Library and Serle’s In Five Years captivated our hearts and minds.

Recursion re-kindled our love for science fiction, and Ruby Red transported us to 18th-century London. Books like Displacement promise intuitive and raw commentary about generational trauma and racism in graphic novel form.

Below, find the best time travel novels across genres for adults and teens, including history, romance, classics, sci-fi, YA, and thrilling fiction. Get ready to travel in the blink of an eye, and be sure to let us know your favorites in the comments. Let’s get started!

Contemporary & Literary Fiction

If you enjoy contemporary and literary fiction filled with strong main characters, these are some of the best books in the time travel genre. Uncover new releases as well as books on the bestseller lists. Of course, we’ll share a few lesser-known gems too.

In Five Years by Rebecca Serle

Would your life change if you had one seemingly real dream or premonition? What if some key facts were missing but you had no idea? Can we change the future?

One of the best books about time travel and friendship, don’t skip In Five Years . In fact, we read this New York City-based novel in half a day. Have the tissue box ready.

Dannie nails an important job interview and is hoping to get engaged. Of course, this is all a part of her perfect 5-year plan. Dannie has arranged every minute of her life ever since her brother died in a drunk driving accident.

On the night of Dannie’s “scheduled” engagement, she falls asleep only to have a vision of herself 5 years into the future in the arms of another man. Did she just time travel or could this be a dream? When Dannie arrives back in 2020, her life goes back to normal. …That is until she meets the man from her dream.

We were expecting In Five Years to be a time travel romance story; however, this is a different type of love and one of the best books about strong friendships .

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Before the coffee gets cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

Translated by Geoffrey Trousselot | We just love Japanese literature . One of the most debated time travel books among our readers – you’ll either love it or hate it – Before the coffee gets cold takes place at a cafe in Tokyo, Japan.

Along with coffee, this 140-year-old, back-alley cafe lets visitors travel back in time. Four visitors at the cafe are hoping to time travel to see someone for the last (or first) time. The way each patron views the cafe says a lot about them. The details and repetition are everything.

True to the title, visits may only last as long as it takes for the coffee to grow cold. If they don’t finish their coffee in time, there are ghostly consequences.

Before the coffee gets cold asks, who would you want to see one last time, and what issues you would confront?

Along with the many rules of time travel, these visitors are warned that the present will not change. Would you still travel back knowing this? Can something, anything, still change – even within you?

The story has a drop of humor with a beautiful message. We shed a tear or two. Discover even more terrific and thought-provoking Japanese fantasy novels here .

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If you are looking for the most inspiring take on time travel in books, Haig’s The Midnight Library is it. This is one of those profound stories that make you think more deeply . TWs for pet death (early on) and suicide ideation.

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

Imagine if you could see your other possible lives and fix your regrets. Would that path be better? Would these changes make you happier?

Set in Bedford, England, and at a library , Nora answers these questions as she intentionally overdoses on pills. Caught in the Midnight Library – a purgatory of sorts – Nora explores books filled with the ways her life could have turned out. She tries on these alternative lives, pursuing different dreams, marrying different people, and realizing that some parts of her root life were not as they seemed on the surface.

Find hope and simplicity in one of the most authentic and heaviest time travel novels on this list. Haig addresses mental health through a new lens that is both beautiful and moving.

With a team full of avid readers and librarians, discover our top selections featuring more books about books .

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The Two Lives of Lydia Bird by Josie Silver

Some of the best time travel books are those with alternate realities, including The Two Lives of Lydia Bird . There are content warnings for prescription pill addiction and more.

Set in England, Lydia and Freddie are planning their marriage when the unthinkable happens. Freddie dies in a car accident on the way to Lydia’s birthday dinner. In a matter of seconds, Lydia’s world falls apart. She isn’t sure how she will survive. When Lydia starts taking magical pink sleeping pills, she enters an alternate universe where Freddie is alive and well.

Caught between her dream world and real life, Lydia must decide if she will give in to her addiction – living in a temporary fantasy world – or give it up completely.

While the repetitive and predictable plot drags a bit – slightly hurting the pacing – the overall story shows emotional growth and the nature of healing after loss. And, as Lydia soon learns via her dreams, no love is perfect. Maybe her future was destined to be different anyway, which is reminiscent of Matt Haig’s The Midnight Library .

Read The Two Lives of Lydia Bird Jose Silver : Amazon | Goodreads

The First Fifteen Lives Of Harry August by Claire North

If you are looking for more suspenseful books about time travel and like Groundhog Day , check out The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August. However, this is not just one day on repeat; instead, this is a lifetime.

Harry August is repeatedly reborn into the same life, retaining his memories each time. No matter what Harry does or says, when he lands on his deathbed, he always returns back to his childhood, again and again. On the verge of his eleventh death, though, a girl changes the course of his life. He must use his accumulated wisdom to prevent catastrophe.

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An Ocean of Minutes by Thea Lim

When it comes to time travel books, An Ocean of Minutes is one of the most original takes about time travel’s effects on alternate history.

Polly and Frank are deeply in love in 1981 when a pandemic devastates the planet. By the end of 1981, time travel (invented in this alternate reality in 1993) has been made available.

Because of this invention, individuals can sign on to work for the TimeRaiser corporation in order to escape or save their loved ones in the present. Due to a flaw in the technology, though, they can only transport people for 12 years. This prevents them from stopping the pandemic by just 6 months.

When Frank gets ill, Polly signs up, both agreeing they will meet back up in 1993. Now alone in the future, Polly has to learn to navigate a world she has less than zero preparation for. In this world, she is a time refugee, bonded to TimeRaiser without a physical cent to her name.

Lim uses the time travel mechanic to cleverly explore the subject of immigration, forcing the reader to follow Polly blindly into a world they should know, but don’t. This is what makes An Ocean of Minutes one of the most unique time travel novels on this reading list.

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Time Travel In Science Fiction

For fantasy and sci-fi lovers, take a quantum leap into fictional worlds, quantum physics, possible futures, black holes, and endless possibilities. See if you can tell the difference between the real world and new dimensions.

Recursion by Blake Crouch

Recursion is one of our all-time favorite time travel books to gift to dads who love sci-fi. Can you tell what we gave our dad for Christmas one year?

In Recursion, no one actually physically time travels – well, sort of. Instead, memories become the time-traveling reality.

Detective Barry Sutton is investigating False Memory Syndrome. Neuroscientist Helena Smith might have the answers he needs. The disease drives people crazy – and to their deaths – by causing them to remember entire lives that aren’t theirs. Or are they!?

All goes to heck when the government gets its hands on this mind-blowing technology. Can Barry and Helena stop this endless loop?

Recursion is also a (2019) Goodreads Best Book for Science Fiction.

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This Is How You Lose The War by Max Gladstone and Amal El-Mohtar 

A Goodreads runner-up for one of the best science fiction novels (of 2019) – and one of the shortest time travel novels on this list – This Is How You Lose The Time War follows two warring time-traveling agents falling in love through a letter exchange.

Red and Blue have nothing in common except that they travel across time and space and are alone. Their growing and forbidden love is punishable by death and their agencies might be onto them.

In a somewhat beautiful yet bizarre story, we watch as Red and Blue slowly fall for each other and confess their love. They engage in playful banter and nicknames. Every shade of red and blue reminds them of each other.

The first half of the novel is a bit abstract. You might wonder what the heck you’ve gotten yourself into. However, once you get your feet planted firmly on the ground of the plot, the story picks up and starts making more sense.

We can’t promise you’ll love or even understand This Is How You Lose The Time War – we aren’t sure we do. However, this is truly one of the most unique sci-fi and LGBTQ+ time travel romance books on this reading list – written by two authors. Also, maybe crack out the dictionary…

Explore even more of the best LGBTQ+ fantasy books to read next.

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All Our Wrong Todays by Elan Mastai

A debut novel, All Our Wrong Todays is both a humorous and entertaining time travel book that speaks to how we become who we are.

In 2016, technology perfected the world for Tom Barren. However, we all know that perfection doesn’t equate to happiness. Barren has lost his girlfriend, and he just happens to own a time machine… Now, Barren has to decide if he wants to keep his new, manipulated future or if he just wants to go back home to his depressing but normal life.

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Here And Now And Then by Mike Chen

Imagine getting trapped in time and starting over. That’s exactly what happens to IT worker, Kin Stewart, in one of the bestselling science fiction time travel books, Here And Now And Then .

Stewart has two lives since he is a displaced time-traveling agent stuck in San Francisco in the 1990s. He has a family that knows nothing about his past; or, should we say future. When a rescue team arrives to take him back, Stewart has to decide what he is willing to risk for his new family.

Here And Now And Then is a time travel book filled with emotional depth surrounding themes of bonds, identity, and sacrifice. Find even more books set in San Francisco, California (and more!).

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How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe by Charles Yu

How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe is one of the most unusual books about time travel out there.

Our protagonist Charles Yu lives in a world where time travel exists and is readily available to the average person. And yes, he is named after the author, and yes, it is as meta as it sounds; and yes, this is just the beginning of this speculative fiction time travel book.

Charles Yu’s day job is spent repairing time machines for Time Warner Time. But in his free time, he tries to help the people who use time travel to do so safely and to counsel them if things have gone wrong.

It’s no surprise that Charles’ entire life revolves around time travel since his father invented the technology many years ago. And then he disappeared. In fact, Charles is also trying to find out just what happened to his dad, and where – or when – he’s gone.

How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe won’t be for everyone, but it’s one of the best time travel books if you want delightfully meta, fantastically non-linear, and very very weird.

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The Vanished Birds by Simon Jimenez

For beautiful, lyrical time travel novels about found family and love, The Vanished Birds is a must-read.

Nia Imani exists outside of time and space. She travels in and out of the world through a pocket of time with her space crew. They emerge to trade or sell goods every eight months. But eight months for them is 15 years for everyone else.

She has lived this way for hundreds of years. Though she has her crew, and there are people she shares connections with sporadically throughout their lives, she is lonely. And although she barely ages, she watches friends and lovers grow old and die.

One such person is Kaeda, who meets Nia for the first time when he is 7. The next time he sees her, he has aged 15 years, while she is only months older. She continues to come every 15 years of his life, always looking the same.

Then one day a mysterious, mute boy falls from the sky into Nia’s life. His name is Ahro, and there’s something extra special about him. Something that could revolutionize space travel forever. And now there might be people after Ahro who won’t love him the way Nia does.

If you love a character-driven book with exquisite prose – and a few time warps – this is one of the best time travel books for you.

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Night Watch by Terry Pratchett

Night Watch is one of the most fun and thrilling books about time travel. It’s also a bit ridiculous and very very British.

Why can’t policing just be simple? All Sam Vimes wanted to do was capture and arrest a dangerous murderer. But thanks to those damned wizards and their experiments, he and the killer have both been accidentally thrown back in time thirty years.

And to top it off, the man who would have become a mentor to young Sam Vimes in the past has been killed in the process! How’s Vimes going to get this all sorted out?

The City Watch he’s spent years improving is just a bunch of semi-competent volunteers at this point. He’s got no money, no clothes, and no friends. But at least he’s making enemies fast. Can he catch the killer, stop history from not repeating itself, and get home to his family? Oh, and the city’s about to dissolve into civil war. Typical.

Night Watch is perfect if you prefer your time travel books to be fantasy-based.

P.S. There may be mild spoilers for previous books in the Discworld series, but this can be read as a standalone. And if you only ever read one Discworld novel, this is one of the best there is – and so far the only one of the Discworld books with time travel!

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The Future of Another Timeline by Annalee Newitz

The Future of Another Timeline is one of the few time travel books to explore history through a feminist lens.

In 1992, Beth – a high school senior – and her friends Heather, Lizzy, and Soojin attend a riot grrl concert with Heather’s boyfriend Scott. But afterward, one of Scott’s not-so-funny sexist jokes gets out of hand and Lizzy accidentally kills him. Now they’re on the run, and the bodies just keep piling up.

Meanwhile, in 2022, Tess is part of a group of women and non-binary people working together to change history. They have the use of five time devices which only allow them to travel backward and back to the present day – but never forwards.

Beth and Tess come from two wildly different times (1992, and 2022, respectively). But, while Beth is busy making history, Tess is quite literally trying to change it. However, both of them want the same thing: a better world. When their worlds collide, will they be able to save each other – and the world?

The Future of Another Timeline is a time travel fiction celebration of feminism and queerness with lots of sci-fi and punk rock thrown in. This is one of the best time travel novels for those who enjoy stellar women making history .

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The Kingdoms by Natasha Pulley

The Kingdoms is wildly imaginative and sure to enchant fans of time travel books, alternative history stories, and tales about parallel universes.

In 1898 Joe Tournier steps off a train and suddenly can’t remember anything that comes before that moment. The world he now finds himself in is as foreign to him as it is to us: an alternate history/reality where the UK lost the Battle of Trafalgar and is now a French colony.

In this world, the British are kept as slaves. Napoleon is a popular name for pets, and tartan is outlawed. Since Joe arrives on a train from Glasgow speaking English and wearing tartan, there is some speculation he might be from The Saints, a terrorist group based in Edinburgh fighting for freedom.

But all Joe remembers is the fading image of a woman and the name Madeline. Although he is identified by his owner and brought “home,” Joe is determined to find this Madeline. And his resolve is only strengthened when he receives a postcard signed ‘– M’ and dated 90 years in the past.

Discover even more books about Scottish culture, history, and everyday life.

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The Light Brigade by Kameron Hurley

The Light Brigade is one of the best time travel stories for anyone who loves character-driven tales or books about war and conflict.

As war wages on Mars, the military has devised the perfect soldier to fight on the frontlines: being made of light. The Light Brigade, as they’re called back home, is made up of soldiers who have undergone a procedure that breaks them down into atoms capable of traveling at the speed of light. They are the perfect soldiers, but broken people.

The book follows one such soldier, Dietz, an eager new recruit who is experiencing battle out of sync with everyone else. Because of this, she – and we – see a different reality of the war than the one presented by the Corporate Corps. As Dietz becomes more and more unstuck in time, she becomes more and more unsure of her own sanity and the role she is playing in this war.

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The Umbrella Academy by Gerard Way

You Look Like Death Volume 1 | Now a popular (and excellent) Netflix TV show, The Umbrella Academy is one of the best time travel books of all time.

One day, forty-seven children are suddenly and inexplicably born to women who were not previously pregnant. Eccentric millionaire Reginald Hargreeves goes around the world buying as many of the surviving children as he possibly can. He is able to get seven.

These children, it turns out, all have superpowers (except, it seems, for the unremarkable Number Seven aka Vanya). They become the crime-fighting group: The Umbrella Academy.

Fast forward several years, and Number Five, whose special power is that he can travel in time a few seconds or minutes per go, has mysteriously appeared after Hargreeves dies. And now he brings warning of an apocalypse – one which he insists none of his siblings will survive.

The Umbrella Academy series currently has three volumes, all packed with tales of time travel, parallel worlds, family drama, and lots of epic battles. We’ve absolutely loved this time travel book series so far; we can’t wait to see what Gerard Way does with future installments.

Discover even more great books with music, musicians, and bands.

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Historical Fiction

Travel back in time to witness wars and history. See what happens if you try to rewrite the future. Many of these historical fiction books with time travel promise to teach you more.

The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton

We have a plethora of Agatha Christie fans amongst our Uncorked Readers , and Turton’s The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evenlyn Hardcastle is inspired by Christie.

Similar to Levithan’s Every Day , each day, Aiden wakes up in a different body from the guests of the Blackheath Manor. Trapped in a time loop, Aiden must solve Evelyn Hardcastle’s murder to escape. In the process, he navigates the tangled web of secrets, lies, and interconnected lives of the guests. Can he identify the killer and break the cycle?

The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle is an award-winning historical thriller and one of the best time travel novels if you enjoy Downton Abbey and Groundhog’s Day . Discover even more great books set at hotels, mansions, and more.

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Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

Travel back in time to Scotland in one of the most well-known time travel book series (and now TV series) of all time. Outlander is a part of pop culture. A New York Times bestseller and one of the top 10 most loved books according to The Great America Read, get ready to enter Scotland in 1743.

Claire Randall, a former British combat nurse, walks through an ancient circle of stones and is transported into a world of love, death, and war. This is a place of political intrigue, clan conflicts, and romantic entanglements. Claire must navigate the unfamiliar landscape while grappling with her feelings for the dashing Jamie Fraser.

Encounter even more cult-classic books from the ’90s like A Game Of Thrones , which is perfect for fantasy map lovers .

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11/22/63: A Novel by Stephen King

Written by bestselling author, Stephen King, 11/22/63 is one of the best award-winning time travel books for historical fiction lovers. Set in 1963 when President Kennedy is shot, 11/22/63 begs the question: what if you could go back in time and change history?

Enter Jake Epping in Lisbon Falls, Maine.  Epping asks his students to write about a time that altered the course of their lives. Inspired by one of those haunting essays, Epping enlists to prevent Kennedy’s assassination.  How is this time travel possible? With the discovery of a time portal in a local diner’s storeroom…

11/22/63 is one of the most thrilling and realistic books about time travel, according to both critics and readers.

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Kindred by Octavia E. Butler

If you are looking for historical fiction novels about time travel that address slavery and racism, be sure to check out Butler’s Kindred. This is also one of the best books published in the 1970s .

One minute Dana is celebrating her birthday in modern-day California. The next, she finds herself in the Antebellum South on a Pre-Civil War Maryland plantation. Dana is expected to save the plantation owner’s son from drowning. Each time Dana finds herself back in this time period as well as the slave quarters, her stays grow longer and longer as well as more dangerous.

Examine the haunting legacy and trauma of slavery across time. For younger readers, there is also a graphic novel adaptation . Discover more books that will transport you to the South .

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What The Wind Knows by Amy Harmon

A bestseller and Goodreads top choice book, if you devour historical Irish fiction, What The Wind Knows will transport you to Ireland in the 1920s.

Anne Gallagher heads to Ireland to spread her grandfather’s ashes. Devastated, her grief pulls her into another time. Ireland is on the verge of entering a war, and Anne embraces a case of mistaken identity. She finds herself pulled into Ireland’s fight for Independence at the risk of losing her future life. She also falls for another main character and doctor, Thomas Smith.

What The Wind Knows is one of the best time travel novels that both romance and fantasy readers can appreciate. Witness connections that transcend time.

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The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes

Known for being one of the best time travel books for thriller lovers, The Shining Girls also has the reputation as the spookiest novel on this reading list.

Kirby Mazrachi is the last shining girl – a girl with a future and so much potential. Harper Curtis is a murderer from the past meant to kill Mazrachi. However, Kirby is not about to easily go out without a fight, leading her on one violent quantum leap through multiple decades.

As Kirby races against time to track down a serial killer and unravel the mysteries of the House, encounter themes of resilience, fate, and the shining spirit that can transcend even the darkest forces.

Read The Shining Girls : Amazon | Goodreads

Time Travel Romance Books

We love a good time-travel romance novel, but we also understand how hard it can be to hold onto love when time is so unstable. From queer love stories set on trains to holiday celebrations, fall in love across time with these books.

One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston

From bestselling author, Casey McQuiston of Red, White, & Royal Blue – one of our favorite LGBTQ+ books for new adults – don’t miss the most-talked-about book (from 2021), One Last Stop.

Twenty-three-year-old August is quite the cynic and living in New York City. Up until now, August has jumped schools and towns as often as you change a pair of socks. August has also never been in a serious relationship and wants to find “her person.” August’s life suddenly changes, though, when she meets a beautiful and mysterious woman on the train.

Jane looks a little…out of date… and for good reason; she’s from the 1970s and trapped in the train’s energy. August wants nothing more than to help Jane leave the train, but does that mean leaving her too?

A feel-good, older coming-of-age story, laugh out loud and be utterly dazzled as you follow love across time and space. You’ll cozy (and drink) up in the parties and community surrounding August. One Last Stop is one of the all-time best LGBTQ+ time travel books – and perfect if you enjoy books that take place on trains .

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The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

The Time Traveler’s Wife is one the top time travel romance novels – and not just because the story features a librarian . We are so biased.

Henry and Clare have loved each other pretty much forever. Unfortunately, Henry has Chrono-Displacement Disorder, sporadically misplacing him in time. Of course, this time-traveling dilemma makes Clare’s and Henry’s marriage and future together pretty darn interesting.

Grab some Kleenex as they attempt to live normal lives and survive impending devastation. The Time Traveler’s Wife has also been made into a romantic movie classic . Watch even more fantasy movies with romance .

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In A Holidaze by Christina Lauren

If you are looking for a sweet and sexy holiday rom-com set in Utah, grab In A Holidaze by Christina Lauren.

Mae leaves her family and friend’s Christmas vacation home after drunkenly making out with an old childhood friend. Blame the spiked eggnog. Unfortunately, Mae’s secretly in love with her best friend’s brother, Andrew. On the ride to the airport, Mae wishes for happiness just as a truck hits her parent’s car. 

Mae lands in a time-travel loop where her dreams start coming true.  Is it too good to last?   What happens when she isn’t happy once again? Is she trapped?

For holiday books about time travel, this one is sure to put you in the Christmas spirit if you enjoy movies like Holidates  or  Groundhog’s Day . It’s light with a happy ending – typical of this author duo. We also recommend In A Holidaze if you are looking for Christmas family gathering books – a big request we see here at TUL.

P.S. Did you know that Christina Lauren is a pen name for a writing duo, Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings? Christina Lauren also wrote The Unhoneymooners , which was also hilariously enjoyable and set on an island .

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A Knight In Shining Armor by Jude Deveraux

For cozy time travel romance books and a feminist tale set abroad, try A Knight In Shining Armor .

Dougless Montgomery is weeping on top of a tombstone when Nicholas Stafford, Earl of Thornwyck, appears. Although this armor-clad hunk allegedly died in 1564, he stands before her about to embark on a journey to clear his name. Convicted of treason, Montgomery vows to help her soon-to-be lover find his accuser and set the record straight.

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The Night Mark by Tiffany Reisz

Set in South Carolina, if you love lighthouses and beach vibes, you’ll find something enjoyable in the time travel romance, The Night Mark .

After Faye’s husband dies, she cannot move on and recover. Accepting a photographer job in SC, Faye becomes obsessed with the local lighthouse’s myth, The Lady of the Light.

Back in 1921, the lighthouse keeper’s daughter mysteriously drowned. Faye is drawn into a love story that isn’t hers and becomes entangled in a passionate and forbidden love affair.

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The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston

Anyone who likes their time travel books to have a magical love story should pick up The Seven Year Slip for their next read. It’s one of our favorite magical realism novels .

When Clementine’s aunt dies, she inherits her fancy New York apartment on the Upper East Side. Although Clementine would really rather have her aunt back and can’t imagine living in her home, she eventually forces herself to move in and inhabit her aunt’s space.

And not long after, she wakes up to discover a strange man in her living room… except it’s not her living room, it’s her aunt’s… from seven years ago. Clementine’s aunt always said her apartment held a touch of magic; sometimes it created time slips that brought two people together when they were at a crossroads.

But what happens when you start to fall for someone stuck seven years in the past? Clementine knows there’s no future together, but she also can’t let go of this link to her aunt.

Like her previous speculative fiction romance, The Dead Romantics , Ashely Poston’s unique time travel tale is full of heartache and grief. However, it will also make you swoon. Basically, this one is a must if you are a fan of time travel romance books.

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Classic Books

No time travel reading list would be complete without the classics. Below, uncover just a few great time travel novels that started it all.

The End of Eternity by Issac Asimov

The End of Eternity is said to be one of Asimov’s science fiction masterpieces. This is also one of the most spellbinding books about time travel – although some criticize the story for its loopholes.

Harlan is a member of the elite future known as an Eternal. He lives and works in Eternity, which like any good time travel novel, is located separately from time and space.

Harlan makes small changes in the timeline in order to better history. Of course, altering the course of the world is dangerous and comes with repercussions, especially when Harlan falls in love.

Read The End of Eternity : Amazon | Goodreads

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

It goes without saying that Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol is one of the most famous and best time travel books for classic lovers – and a literary canon-worthy Christmas novel.

Ebenezer Scrooge is a greedy, lonely, and cruel man who truly has no Christmas spirit. Haunted by the ghosts of the past, present, and future, Scrooge must find the ultimate redemption before it’s too late. Does he have a heart?

Find even more classic and contemporary ghost books , including a few unique takes on ghosts.

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Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut

Slaughterhouse-Five is a somewhat bizarre time travel book about finding meaning in our sometimes fractured and broken lives. It’s also one of the most popular books published in the ’60s .

Similar to The Time Traveler’s Wife, Billy Pilgrim is “unstuck” in time in Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five. Drafted into World War II, Pilgrim serves as a Chaplain’s assistant until he is captured by the Germans. He survives the bombing at Dresden and ultimately becomes a married optometrist. Things get a little wild…

Suffering from PTSD, Billy claims that he is kidnapped by aliens in a different dimension. Like most time travel novels, the story is out of order and Billy travels to different parts of his life.

Aliens come in all shapes and sizes; have more alien encounters with this reading list .

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A Connecticut Yankee In King Arthur’s Court by Mark Twain

First published in 1889, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court is one of the most popular classic and satirical time travel novels that’s set close to our childhood home. Having grown up in CT close to the old Colt factory, this story makes us smile.

Hank Morgan supervises the gun factory and is knocked unconscious. Upon waking, he finds himself in Britain about to be executed by the Knights of King Arthur’s Round Table in Camelot.

Morgan uses his future knowledge to his advantage, making him a powerful and revered wizard, which unfortunately doesn’t quite save him as he hopes. Not to mention that Morgan tries to introduce modern-day conveniences and luxuries to a time period that isn’t quite ready for them.

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The Time Machine by H.G. Wells

The Time Machine is one of the best frontrunner time travel books of all time. Published in 1895, the Time Traveler recalls his exhausting time travel adventures to incredulous believers. He even disappears in front of them.

Blended with fantasy and science fiction over the course of 800,000 years, the Time Traveler battles “bad guys.” He also loses his time machine, debatably falls in love, and meets the underground dwelling Morlocks.

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Young Adults Books

For young adults and teens – plus adults who appreciate YA – read the best middle-grade and high school time travel books. We’ve included more time travel graphic novels and manga here too.

Displacement by Kiku Hughes

For historical YA graphic novels , Displacement is one of the must-read books about time travel that will teach young readers about generational trauma, racism, politics, and war.

Follow Kiku, who is displaced in time, back to the period of U.S. Japanese incarceration [internment] camps – essentially glorified prisons – during WW2. Kiku begins learning more about her deceased grandmother’s history, which mirrors the horrid actions under former President Donald Trump. How can Kiku help stop the past from repeating itself, and more so, how can we?

In a simplistic but powerful style of storytelling, Hughes’s emotional YA WW2 book is accessible to young readers. Displacement is also one of the shorter and quicker books with time travel on this list. Find even more LGBT+ graphic novels to read – one of our favorite genres.

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The Girl From Everywhere by Heidi Heilig

Changing the past can be pretty tempting. We’ve even seen that The Flash cannot resist. However, altering the course of history can be dangerous…

The first of two YA time travel books, Nix is the daughter of a time traveler. Her dad can sail anywhere on his ship, The Temptation. Her dad has his own temptation, though: to travel back to Honolulu in 1868, the year before her mom dies in childbirth. Nix’s father threatens to possibly erase her life and destroy a relationship with her only friend.

Discover even more great books about maps. Or, travel via armchair with these ship books.

Read The Girl From Everywhere : Amazon | Goodreads

Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier

Translated by Anthea Bell | If you are looking for time travel in books and enjoy YA historical fiction, try Ruby Red , which is the first in the Ruby Red Trilogy.

Gwyneth Shepherd quickly learns that she can easily time travel, unlike her cousin who has been preparing her entire life for the feat. Gwyneth wants to know why such a secret was kept from her. There are so many lies. Gwyneth time travels with the handsome Gideon back and forth between modern-day and 18th-century London to uncover secrets from the past.

Back in our MLIS and library days, Ruby Red was one of our favorite YA time travel books to recommend since so few knew about the series. Just a small warning that this enemies-to-lovers trope is a tad sexist, though. Find books like Ruby Red on our books with red (and more colors) in the title reading list .

Read Ruby Red : Amazon | Goodreads

Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

A little creepier for young adult time travel novels, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children is all about time loops. We’ve only read the first in this eerie series that mixes manipulated vintage photography with a suspenseful and chilling story.

Jacob discovers a decaying orphanage on a mysterious island off the coast of Wales. Known as Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, the building isn’t exactly abandoned… Jacob runs into peculiar children who might be more than just ghosts.

If you are looking for Kurt Vonnegut-esque time travel books for teenagers, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children is for you. Find even more great adult and YA haunted house books to add to your reading list .

Read Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children : Amazon | Goodreads

A Wrinkle In Time by Madeleine L’Engle

One of the most well-known books about time travel for families – made even more popular by Oprah and Mindy Kaling, A Wrinkle In Time , is the first book in The Time Quintet .

Although a time travel book series for elementary and middle-grade students – and also a 1963 Newbery Medal winner – adults will love the lessons and whimsical sci-fi quality of A Wrinkle In Time.

Meg Murray and her brother, Charles Wallace, go on an adventure in time to find and rescue their father. Their dad disappeared while working for the government on a mysterious tesseract project.

Watch this thrilling time travel adventure mixed with a coming-of-age story and a little girl power, too.

Read A Wrinkle in Time : Amazon | Goodreads

Orange by Ichigo Takano

Translated by Lasse Christian Christiansen and Amber Tamosaitis | This YA sci-fi romance manga is one of the most endearing time travel books you’ll ever read.

On the first day of 11th grade, Naho oversleeps for the first time ever. She also receives a letter that claims to be sent from herself 10 years in the future. The letter tells her both of the two big things that will happen to her that day as proof of sender: she will be late, and there will be a new kid in class named Naruse Kakeru from Tokyo who will sit next to her.

Naho is unsure if she trusts the letter, or whether or not she should heed its warnings – especially since it talks about past regrets and trying to undo them.

Orange is an adorable, but heartbreaking time travel manga that teaches us the meaning of friendship, love, regret, and so much more. If you’re looking for the best books about time travel for teens, Orange is the perfect option (and adults will love it too).

Read Orange : Amazon | Goodreads

If you devour the time travel genre, don’t miss these great movies…

If you enjoy books that take you back in time, you might also appreciate these top movies with time loops . Would you be able to fix past mistakes, fall in love, and you know, maybe not die this time? Find out if these protagonists succeed.

Travel Back In Time With These Reading Lists:

• Best ’90s Books
• Iconic ’80s Books
• Best WWII Historical Fiction

Christine Frascarelli

Dagney McKinney

45 Comments

Hi, nice list but just FYI you have one of the novels named incorrectly: it should be All Our Wrong Todays, not All Our Wrongs Today.

Thanks for letting us know! Every year, this list grows, and sometimes we miss a few mistakes.

The Things Are Bad Series by Paul L Giles is the funniest, most insightful time travel books I’ve ever read. It has everything!

Thanks so much for the review and rec!

Dream Daughter by Diane Chamberlain is an engrossing time travel book that I enjoyed immensely.

Our readers and contributors are big Diane Chamberlain fans. Thanks!

A huge time travel fan. A great list. Another time travel book recommendation: Oona Out of Order by Margarita Montemore. Wonderful story.

Thank you so much for the kind words and recommendation! We’ll have to check it out.

Great list, thanks. I also love seeing all the recommendations in the comments. I would add the Chronos Files series to your list. And, of course, the film ABOUT TIME, which is fantastic!

Thanks so much for the recommendations. We appreciate it!

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The 35 Best Books About Time Travel

Here's what to read after you finish Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series.

Every item on this page was chosen by a Town & Country editor. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy.

Gabaldon first published Outlander —the book that would eventually inspire the television series starring Caitriona Balfe as Claire and Sam Heughan as Jamie —in 1991, and the ninth novel in the series, Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone , came out in November 2021.

Ahead of the seventh season of Outlander , now's the perfect time (ha) to dive into time travel books. From time traveling romance to alternate realities to murder mysteries, there's something for everyone here.

The Time Traveler's Wife

Any list about time travel books must begin with The Time Traveler's Wife , right? This bestselling novel tells the love story of Henry DeTamble, a dashing, adventuresome librarian who inadvertently travels through time, and Clare Abshire, an artist whose life takes a natural sequential course. Plot sound familiar? The book was adapted into a 2009 film starring Rachel McAdams and Eric Bana, and a 2022 TV show starring Theo James and Rose Leslie .

Read more: 20 of the best Time Travel Films Ever Made

A Murder in Time

Kendra Donovan is a rising star at the FBI, until one disastrous raid when half her team is murdered and a mole in the FBI is uncovered. After she recovers from her wounds, she's determined to find the man responsible for the death of her team—yet upon her arrival in England, she stumbles back in time to 1815. Mistaken for a lady's maid, Kendra is forced to quickly adapt to the period as she figures out how to get back to her own timeline. There are five books in the Kendra Donovan series , so if you love a time travel mystery, don't miss these.

Author Octavia Butler is a queen of science fiction, and Kindred is her bestselling novel about time travel. In it, she tells the story of Dana, a Black woman, who is celebrating her 26th birthday in 1976. Abruptly, she's transported back to Maryland, circa 1815, where she's on a plantation and has to save Rufus, the white son of the plantation owner. It's not just a time travel book, but one that expertly weaves in narratives of enslaved people and explores the Antebellum South.

Faye, Faraway

Diana Gabaldon herself called Faye, Faraway "a lovely, deeply moving story of loss and love and memory made real , " so you know it's going to be good. The plot focuses on Faye, a mother of two, who lost her own mother, Jeanie, when she was just 8 years old. When Faye suddenly finds herself transported back in time, she befriends her mother—but doesn't let on who she really is. Eventually, she has to choose between her past and her future.

The Eyre Affair

In this version of Great Britain circa 1985, time travel is routine. Our protagonist is Thursday Next, a literary detective, who is placed on a case when someone begins kidnapping characters from works of literature and plucks Jane Eyre from the pages of Brontë's novel.

Bonus: The Eyre Affair is the first in a seven book series following Thursday.

The River of No Return: A Novel

Lord Nicholas Davenant is about to die in the Napoleonic Wars in 1812, and wakes up 200 years later. But he longs to return back in time to his love, Julia. When he arrives in modern society, a mysterious organization called the Guild tells him "there is no return," until one day, they summon him to London and he learns it's possible to travel back through time. A spy thriller that's also historical romance that's also time travel... Say less.

One Last Stop

Casey McQuiston's second novel ( following Red, White, and Royal blue, which is going to be a major motion picture this summer ) is a queer time-loop romance set on the Q train in New York City, and it's riveting. August is 23, working at a 24-hour diner, and meets a gorgeous, charming girl on the train: Jane. But she can't seem to meet up with her off the Q train—until they figure out Jane is stuck in time from the 1970s. How did she travel through time? Can August get Jane unstuck? Will they live happily ever after!? The questions abound.

What the Wind Knows

Anne Gallagher grew up hearing her grandfather’s stories of Ireland. When she returns to the country to spread his ashes, she is transported back in time to 1921—and is drawn into the struggle for Irish independence. There, she meets Dr. Thomas Smith, and must decide whether or not she should return to her own timeline or stay in the past. As one reviewer wrote on Amazon, What the Wind Knows is a "spectacular time travel journey filled with love and loss."

The Midnight Library: A Novel

Imagine a library with an infinite number of books—each containing an alternate reality about your life. That's the plot of The Midnight Library , where our protagonist Nora Seed enters different versions of her life. She undoes old breakups, follows her dream of becoming a glaciologist, and so much more—but what happens to her original life?

The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O.: A Novel

In this novel from Neal Stephenson and Nicole Galland, magic existed—until 1851. A secret government organization, the Department of Diachronic Operations (or D.O.D.O. for short), is dedicated to bringing magic back, and its members will travel through time to change history to do so. As Kirkus Reviews wrote , the novel "blend[s] time travel with Bourne-worthy skulduggery." It's a delight for any fans of science fiction, with a slow burn romance between military intelligence operator Tristan Lyons and linguist Melisande Stokes.

This Is How You Lose the Time War

Cowritten by two beloved and award-winning sci-fi writers, this epistolary romantic novel tells the story of two time-traveling rivals who fall in love. Agents Red and Blue travel back and forth throughout time, trying to alter universes on behalf of their warring empires—and start to leave each other messages. The messages begin taunting but soon turn flirtatious—and when Red's commander discovers her affection for Blue, they soon embark down a timeline they can't change.

The House on the Strand

Set at an ancient Cornish house called Kilmarth, where Daphne du Maurier lived from 1967, The House on the Strand story follows Dick Young, who has been offered use of Kilmarth by an old college friend, Magnus Lane. Magnus, a biophysicist, is developing a drug that enables people to travel back to the 14th century, and Dick reluctantly agrees to be a test subject. The catch: If you touch anyone, you're transported back to the present. As the story goes on, Dick's visits back to the 1300s become more frequent, and his life back in the modern world becomes unstable.

The Kingdoms

It’s 1898 and there’s a man named Joe, who lives in London, which is, in this alternate historical, a part of the French Empire as in this version of the past, Britain lost the Napoleonic Wars. Joe has gotten off a train from Scotland and cannot remember anything about who he is or where he’s from. He soon returns to his work, and after a few years, he is sent to repair a lighthouse in Eilean Mor in the Outer Hebrides. Joe then finds himself a century earlier, on a British boat with a mysterious captain, fighting the French and hoping for a future that is different than the one he came from. If you're into time travel and queer romance and alternate history, this is for you.

The Future of Another Timeline

In 1992, 17-year-old Beth agrees to help hide the dead body of her friend's abusive boyfriend. The murder sets Beth and her friends on "a path of escalating violence and vengeance" to protect other young women. In 2022, Tess decides to use time travel to fight for change around key moments in history. When Tess believes she's found a way to make an edit to history that actually sticks, she encounters a group of time travelers bent on stopping her at any cost. Tess and Beth's lives intertwine, and war breaks out across the timeline.

Shadow of Night

The sequel to A Discovery of Witches , the plot of Shadow of Night picks up right where the story left off: With Matthew, a vampire, and Diana, a witch, traveling back in time to Elizabethan London to search for an enchanted manuscript. You really need to read the first book before reading Shadow of Night , but the series by Deborah Harkness is a swoony magical romance.

And: It's now a TV show! ( Season one is streaming on Amazon Prime Video .)

The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle

In The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, the same day happens again and again. Each day, Evelyn Hardcastle is murdered at 11:00 p.m at Blackheath. And each day, our protagonist Aiden Bishop wakes up in the body of a different witness—and tries to solve her murder. He only has eight days, and it's a race against time to solve Evelyn's murder and to escape the time loop.

Recursion: A Novel

In 2018 New York City, detective Barry Sutton fails to talk Ann out of jumping off a building. But before Ann falls to her death, she tells him she is suffering from False Memory Syndrome—a new neurological disease where people are afflicted with memories of lives they never lived. The dissonance between their present and these memories drives them to death. This is best read unspoiled, but it's undoubtedly a time travel story you haven't read before.

On the eve of her wedding day, Shay Garrett looks into her grandmother's antique mirror and faints. When she wakes up, she's in the same house—but in the body of her grandmother, Brandy, as a young woman in 1900. And Brandy awakens in Shay's body in the present day in 1978. It's like Freaky Friday , but with time travel to the Victorian era.

Here and Now and Then

Kin Stewart is a time traveler from 2142, stuck in 1990s suburban San Francisco. A rescue team arrives to bring Kin back to his timeline—but 18 years too late. Does Kin stay with his "new" family, and the life he's built for himself in San Francisco, or does he return to his original timeline? He's stuck between two families—and ultimately, this is a time travel tale about fatherhood.

A Knight in Shining Armor

Originally published in 1989, this romance novel features a present-day heroine and a knight from the 16th century who fall in love. Per the book's description: "Abandoned by a cruel fate, lovely Dougless Montgomery lies weeping upon a cold tombstone in an English church. Suddenly, the most extraordinary man appears. It is Nicholas Stafford, Earl of Thornwyck…and according to his tombstone he died in 1564. Drawn to his side by a bond so sudden and compelling it overshadows reason, Dougless knows that Nicholas is nothing less than a miracle: a man who does not seek to change her, who finds her perfect, fascinating, just as she is. What Dougless never imagined was how strong the chains are that tie them to the past…or the grand adventure that lay before them."

Emily Burack (she/her) is the Senior News Editor for Town & Country, where she covers entertainment, culture, the royals, and a range of other subjects. Before joining T&C, she was the deputy managing editor at Hey Alma , a Jewish culture site. Follow her @emburack on Twitter and Instagram .

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Top Sci-fi Books

25 of the Best Time Travel Books

Welcome to Top Sci Fi’s countdown of the 25 best time travel books on the market. A mix of classics and modern novels have been chosen. The books offer unique and thought-provoking twists on time travel. If you like the sound of any of the books on the list, you can enjoy two for free by signing up for Audible's one month free trial .

The Time Machine

By HG Wells

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HG Wells is one of the true titans of the scifi genre and The Time Machine is one of his finest stories. This time travel tale focuses on the story of a Time Traveller who has ventured hundreds of thousands of years beyond his own time. The level of imagination shown in the story is especially impressive when the reader considers Wells published The Time Machine in 1895. The story was the first to help Wells breakthrough as an author and remains essential reading for time travel fans.

By Stephen King

Stephen King is well known as a horror author, but in 11/22/63 he shows is a more than capable master of time travel fiction. This is a story which explores one of the most interesting chapters in American history and showcases the humanity behind the history books. As always, King presents a gripping, character-focused story full of twists and turns guaranteed to keep you guessing until the very last page.

Slaughterhouse 5

By Kurt Vonnegut

Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse 5 is proof that time travel fiction can be critically acclaimed and have literary merit at the same time. Slaughterhouse 5 is a time travel book with a powerful antiwar message. Vonnegut entertains while making his point through the use of masterfully crafted characters including memorable members of the British military. Slaughterhouse 5 is the ideal time travel novel for a reader with discerning literary taste.

A Wrinkle in Time

By Madeleine L'Engle

The Time Quintet series begins with A Wrinkle in Time. This time travel novel tells the story of a family who are interrupted by a mysterious visitor. The fact that the father of the family has been carrying out mysterious scientific work is no coincidence. A Wrinkle in Time is a captivating story of rescue and time travel which is the perfect introduction to L’Engle’s series.

By Michael Crichton

Timeline is a combination of classic time travel fiction with pure page turner thriller elements. A group of brave men and women are sent back six centuries into the fast with a vital mission. They are fighting for far more than their own survival. Timeline has been praised for making some of the complex scientific theories which would make time travel possible understandable for a layman reader.

The End of Eternity

By Isaac Asimov

The End of Eternity is a classic take on the time travel genre by science fiction mastermind Isaac Asimov. The book’s main character is Andrew Harlan, a man tasked with the cosmic role of Eternal. This job requires Andrew to travel back and forth through time, making adjustments to its course where needed. However, Andrew soon makes the decision to begin twisting the direction of time for his own purposes.

The Accidental Time Machine

By Joe Haldeman

Joe Haldeman is one of the most talented modern science fiction writers, and The Accidental Time Machine is perfect for those new to his work, as well as existing fans. The story tells the tale of a scientific researcher who accidentally creates a time machine. Deciding that time travel is more alluring than his present life, the scientist sets off on a time traveling adventure that scifi fans are sure to love.

Somewhere in Time

By Richard Matheson

Richard Matheson tells the story of a man seeking his soulmate by traveling back in time to iconic past eras. Somewhere in Time is a story of mortality, love, and the concept of a soulmate. The story is an interesting take on the time travel genre, and was popular enough at the time of publication to be adapted into a major movie.

Flashforward

By Robert J Sawyer

Robert J Sawyer makes use of a fascinating premise to tell the story of Flashforward. This time travel novel is based in a world where everyone has blacked out for a couple of minutes. This naturally causes widespread death and destruction and significantly disrupts life on Earth. However, the people who survive the blackout have been given glimpses of their own future, drastically altering their behavior as a result.

The Time Ships

By Stephen Baxter

The Time Ships is Stephen Baxter’s homage to classic time travel science fiction. This time travel novel makes use of classic ideas, characters, and concepts from the world of science fiction. The Time Ships is an authorised and direct sequel to HG Wells’ classic The Time Machine. Updating such a classic text is a mammoth task, but Baxter has managed it, much to the delight of time travel fans.

The Anubis Gates

By Tim Powers

Tim Powers imagines a world where time traveling is such a commonplace activity that it requires guides to accompany those who make the journey. Brendan Doyle is one such guide who manages to get stranded in the past during the course of a routine journey. Stuck in an ancient time which is far from his own, Doyle becomes mixed up in a complex plot where his actions will have a crucial role to play in the final outcome.

By Rysa Walker

Rysa Walker begins The Chronos Files with Timebound, a story of genetic time travelers who must use their ability to positively impact events in the present. Timebound explores the complexities that come with altering the past, and the way that doing so can have unintended consequences for the present day. Timebound is a superb time travel novel as it makes the personal implications of changing time relatable and moving.

The Devil's Arithmetic

By Jane Yolen

Jane Yolen offers a time travel novel with genuine depth in The Devil’s Arithmetic. The story is about the Holocaust and presents an unflinching look at the atrocities which took place. Although the story is often presented to young adults, readers of any age are sure to find meaning and interest in its pages. Although the subject matter is upsetting, this story of a young American Jewish girl traveling back in time is an important read.

The Chronoliths

By William Gibson

Robert Charles Wilson’s The Chronoliths is a time travel novel telling the story of a slacker called Scott Warden. Scott is drifting through life when a major event happens which disrupts humanity and its collective understanding of the nature of reality. Although Scott Warden is only interested in looking out for himself, he keeps getting drawn into the story’s events, and it soon becomes clear why.

By Arthur C Clarke and Stephen Baxter

The first installment in A Time Odyssey is Time’s Eye, a collaborative work from two masterful time travel writers, Stephen Baxter and Arthur C Clarke. Time’s Eye looks at what happens when a mysterious group of beings known as The Firstborn plunge the Earth into chaos, mixing up many different timelines into a single ‘present’. Historical figures and relatable everyday characters all have a role to play in getting to the bottom of these strange events.

Up The Line

By Robert Silverberg

Up The Line is a time travel novel considering the practicalities and temptations faced by a Time Courier, someone whose job it is to accompany time tourists back to a significant historical event, again and again. The book’s main character, Judson, eventually learns that it is possible to break the rules, and Up The Line explores the consequences when this occurs.

Time Travelers Never Die

By Jack McDevitt

Time Travelers Never Die sees a linguist and the son of a scientist embarking on an unexpected adventure through time. The two are in search of a missing scientist who is feared to be lost somewhere in time. Many significant periods from Earth’s history feature in their quest. The two have a rule to never visit the future - a rule which is eventually violated with significant ramifications.

Now Wait for Last Year

By Philip K Dick

Philip K Dick is one of the most significant authors in the science fiction genre, and Now Wait for Last Year is a time travel tale which causes you to question the very nature of time itself. The story is exciting and features an intergalactic war as well as engaging and relatable human characters. This is one of the more obscure Philip K Dick novels and is one of his most imaginative and creative.

Faces in Time

By Lewis Aleman

Lewis Aleman makes his mark on the time travel genre with Faces in Time, the story of a man racing back through history to prevent the woman he loves making a massive mistake. He ends up making plenty of enemies along the way, and finds himself chased by an ever growing cast of adversaries. Faces in Time explores the vast personal cost which can be associated with time travel, and explores what would motivate us to take such a drastic journey.

Time on My Hands

By Peter Delacorte

Time on My Hands is a time travel novel exploring what happens when a travel writer is offered a trip like no other - a trip through time. In order to receive this journey, the writer is given a task to carry out. Time on my Hands looks at both the big picture implications of traveling back in time with knowledge of the future, and also considers the personal questions we would have to answer.

Towards Yesterday

By Paul Antony Jones

Towards Yesterday is a fascinating spin on the time travel genre, as it deals with an entire human population being sent back in time, rather than the usual situation of one or two individuals. The entire population of 2042 are sent a quarter of a century back into the past. Towards Yesterday has an incredible set of unconventional characters, coupled with a unique premise, and is guaranteed to be hard to put down for all fans of time travel science fiction.

All Our Yesterdays

By Christin Terrill

Cristin Terrill uses All Our Yesterdays to tell the story of Em. Em is trapped in her present reality, at least until she finds a very unusual note. The note is from none other than her future self and orders her back in time to prevent an event from taking place. All Our Yesterdays is a Young Adult time travel tale which is likely to appeal to fans of the genre of any age. Christin Terrill offers a gripping look at the personal implications of a mission spanning the eras of time.

If I Never Get Back

By Darryl Brock

If I Never Get Back is a true treat for fans of baseball and fans of time travel science fiction. The story is based around a dissatisfied reporter who is sent back through time, and soon finds the past to be very much to his taste. Darryl Brock’s vivid descriptions of some of the most classic times in baseball history make the reader feel as if they have actually been on the journey!

Shadow of Ashland

By Terence M Green

The first book in the Ashland series, Shadow of Ashland, explores the implications of the Great Depression and how it resonates on through the ages. The book’s main character is Leo Nolan, who must keep his promise to his dying mother. His discovery is fascinating and leads him down the path of complex family discovery which will keep readers hanging on for the next book in the series.

The Shadow Hunter

By Pat Murphy

The Shadow Hunter is an incredibly imaginative time travel tale which mixes futuristic technology with the very earliest ancestors on Earth. Pat Murphy has updated the story since its original publication to more faithfully represent the story of The Shadow Hunter. This time travel novel is a fascinating mix of spirituality and science fiction which is sure to leave an impression on the reader long after the story ends.

Time Travel: Science Fiction or Fantasy

If you had to categorize time travel into a specific genre, what would it be? Many hardcore genre enthusiasts would be hard pressed to give you an answer. The casual passing fan will more than likely call science fiction. This may be due largely in part to the H.G. Wells Classic, The Time Machine . 

But does that mean all time travel books are SciFi?

Depends on how you look at it. There's a particular school of thought I like to follow. The question is not "What is it?" but "What's the methodology?". If we're hopping the timeline via Tardis, genetic ability, or a souped up DeLorean... then we're talking SciFi. 

But if spells, ancient beings, artifacts, or other forms of wizardry are employed... Fantasy. However, the lines tend to get blurred more often than not with both Fantasy geeks and SciFi nerds clamoring for control of the genre . 

Either way that does not change the fact that Time Travel books are freaking awesome and should be part of any bookavore's diet.

A Brief History of Time Travel in Science Fiction

Time loops, slips, and paradoxes: what's what.

When approaching a time travel theme, authors have so many to choose from. But what are the different angles they can take? What's the difference?

First, time loops. Books with time loops are rather interesting. This is where the character's repeatedly experience the same time period. Many times with the hopes of escaping via some redeemable action or changing the way events are to unfold. Remember that Bill Murray movie Groundhog Day ? Time loop.

Next up: Time slips. What are time slips? This is where the character travels through time often unexpectedly for an indeterminate amount of time. Books about time machines often times are NOT time slips. Time machines normally allow for a controlled venture throughout the timeline with a destination both in space and time predetermined. However, time slips occur due to seemingly random events and are either corrected by another seemingly random event. Or the character is just stuck and must learn to get by. Oh well.

Lastly, everybody loves a good time paradox. Time paradoxes are really neat stuff. This is when a character travels through time (normally to the past) to change an event and alter the future. These are primarily disruptive events and even have their own classification of paradox known as The Grandfather Paradox . Pretty much... What would happen if you went back in time and killed your own grandparents? Sorry Grandma. 

The Butterfly Effect

Not all time travel is just based purely on science fiction (or fantasy), but on some real world magic.

Mathematics.

The Butterfly Effect is one often used in time travel stories. Based off of real-life Chaos Theory , the butterfly effect states that even the simplest of actions causes a ripple in time. These ripples then eventually grow into waves which mature into tsunamis. 

For instance, if you were to go back in time and kill one locust during the dinosaur days... that may lead to the a mass hunger among certain flying lizards. This could cause those lizards to migrate towards the ocean for food. Which then causes them to evolve to be ocean creatures. That leading to survival after the extinction event. Leading to reptilian creatures to swarm the gene pool. Yadda yadda yadda... Lizard people. 

There's actually a movie dedicated to this called (That's right. You guessed it.) The Butterfly Effect starring Ashton Kutcher. But the most notable example of the butterfly effect in science fiction literature is A Sound of Thunder written by SciFi legend Ray Bradbury .    

Get These Best SciFi Time Travel Books for Free!

If you are interested in getting some of these science fiction cyberpunk books for free here are two ways in which you can do that: 

1. Audible's One Month Free Trial : You can download any two of the time travel books found on this list by signing up for Audible’s free trial. Audible is arguably the best audiobook service on the market. Even if you cancel your trial and decide not to continue with a membership, you can still keep the two books you chose.

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How the book “Time and Again” by Jack Finney is not on this list is beyond me. It’s like leaving babe Ruth off the list as one of the 25 greatest baseball players of all time

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50 Best Time Travel Books of All Time

I love the concept of time travel in books (and movies!). It just opens up so many creative possibilities, which make them so fun to read. So, here’s my list of the 50 Best Time Travel books!

This list includes titles released at any point in time, but has a slight preference for newer titles. It’s divided up into General Time Travel, Literary, Romance and Young Adult titles .

And feel free to drop a comment if you have a favorite time travel book that belongs on this list!

General Time Travel

Literary time travel, time travel romance, young adult, other time travel books.

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Wow. What a great list. I have only read a handful of these and have added another big handful to my TBR list. So glad to see Kindred here. It is a favorite of mine. Thanks for the post.

thanks rosi, glad you liked it! :)

I’m really interested in time travel nowadays, especially going into the past. I always wonder how I would manage 100, 200, 500 years ago. Life was so different!

yes! and I love how the change in time periods make for interesting perspective clashes that are a lot of fun to read about :)

An amazing list, thank you.

One of the best recent additions to the time travel genre is Novikov Windows: A Time Travel Novel, by Chris Cosmain.

Best Time Travel Books

Embark on a journey through time with this list of widely acclaimed time travel books. whether for adventure, historical exploration, or quantum conundrums, these titles have been recognized and repeatedly highlighted by top science fiction reviewers and readers alike..

The 21 best books about time travel, from science fiction classics to time loop romances

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• Time travel is a popular subgenre amongst science fiction readers .
• Authors have used time travel to tell incredible stories, from romances to historic events.
• These are 21 of the best time travel books, from ' Outlander ' to Octavia Butler's ' Kindred .'

Science fiction is a broad and exciting genre with plenty of fun subgenres for readers to explore, such as space operas where readers travel across galaxies or dystopian novels that provide a glimpse at terrifying possible futures. 

One popular science fiction subgenre is time travel, where characters cross time and space using parallel universes, advanced technology, or simply unexplainable magic. Time travel novels let readers imagine the limitless pasts and futures where anything is possible. 

To gather these recommendations, we looked at bestseller lists and popular recommendations from Amazon , Bookshop , and Goodreads . From epic romances to genre-bending classics, here are the best time travel books to take you on a reading adventure through time. 

The best time travel books to read in 2022:

An epic time travel love story.

"Outlander" by Diana Gabaldon, available at Amazon and Bookshop , from $9.19

In this series that inspired a beloved TV show of the same name, Claire Randall and her husband are enjoying a second honeymoon after she returns from serving as a combat nurse in WWII. Their celebration is cut short, however, when Claire suddenly finds herself thrust back through time to 1743 Scotland. An outlander in this strange time, Claire meets a young warrior named James Fraser, whose love tears her heart between two times.

A modern time travel classic

"The Time Traveler's Wife" by Audrey Niffenegger, available at Amazon and Bookshop , from $13.79

This contemporary time travel novel has quickly become a classic love story between Clare and Henry, who gravitate towards each other despite Henry's Chrono-Displacement Disorder, which causes him to be misplaced through time. Imaginative and original, " The Time Traveler's Wife " uses multiple points of view to tell an emotional story of love, friendship, and the effects of time on both.

A romantic time travel read

"This Is How You Lose the Time War" by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone, available at Amazon and Bookshop , from $13.15

" This Is How You Lose the Time War " is a new, award-winning novel about rival agents Red and Blue who leave each other secret messages as they travel through time, altering history on behalf of their warring home empires. Though the messages begin as playful taunting, they soon become much more in this Queer, sci-fi romance .

A time travel novel from the king of horror

"11/22/63" by Stephen King, available at Amazon and Bookshop , from $15

This nearly-1,000 page historical science fiction read is a gripping time travel thriller  — and one of the highest-reviewed Stephen King books . Jake Epping is a high school English teacher who discovers a secret portal to 1958 and is enlisted to go back in time and try to stop the Kennedy assassination, the effects of which can't be known until Jake either succeeds or fails.

A classic time travel tale

"Kindred" by Octavia E. Butler, available at Amazon and Bookshop , from $10.39

When Dana, a young, Black writer, is inexplicably thrust backward in time from 1976 to a pre-Civil War Maryland plantation, she's met with the drowning of a young white boy, whom she tries but fails to save. As she continues to drift between the past and present, Dana is accused of murdering the child, meets her ancestors, and is forced into slavery, all while trying to find her way back to the present.

A journey to the Medieval times

"Doomsday Book" by Connie Willis, available at Amazon and Bookshop , from $8.27

Beginning in near-future London, time travel technology is used by universities to send historians back in time for research purposes. When Kivrin is sent to the past to experience a Medieval village, everything goes immediately wrong and Kivrin is stuck with no way to return home, a mysterious illness, and disaster coming her way in this page-turning novel that won the Hugo, Nebula, and Locus Awards in 1993.

An equally devastating and remarkable time travel novel

"Recursion" by Blake Crouch, available at Amazon and Bookshop , from $11.99

When a technology emerges that allows humans to return and re-experience their most precious and emotional memories, the effects begin to devastate the world as parallel worlds collide, unraveling society and threatening humanity in its entirety. " Recursion " is one of my all-time favorite novels, an undeniable page-turner that completely engrossed countless readers with Blake Crouch's masterful writing.

A non-linear time travel classic

"Slaughterhouse-Five" by Kurt Vonnegut Jr., available at Amazon and Bookshop , from $7.35

" Slaughterhouse-Five " is an American classic and considered one of the greatest novels of all time . First published in 1969, this science fiction novel follows Billy Pilgrim from childhood through his time as a soldier during World War II,] and beyond as he travels back and forth through time and tells his story with messages about war, post-traumatic stress, life, and love.

A time travel love story

"How to Stop Time" by Matt Haig, available at Amazon and Bookshop , from $15.30

Tom Hazard has lived through many centuries but is ready to settle down as a high school history teacher and live a normal life. Because of his condition, he must not fall in love, but when the French teacher at school catches his eye, Tom flashes back through his many lives to help him figure out how to live in the present.

A time loop romance

"One Last Stop" by Casey McQuiston, available at Amazon and Bookshop , from $10.25

When cynical August moves to New York City, she doesn't believe in magical love stories, until she meets Jane on the Q train. As August continues to ride the Q train as often as she can to spend time with Jane, the two realize Jane is stuck there on a strange time loop, displaced from the 1970s and in desperate need of August's help to get her unstuck.

An original time travel novel featuring magical realism

"Oona Out of Order" by Margarita Montimore, available at Amazon and Bookshop , from $15.99

On New Year's Eve in 1982, Oona Lockhart is minutes away from turning 19 and has a life of opportunities ahead of her, until the clock strikes midnight and Oona wakes up on her 51st birthday. Destined to travel back and forth through time and live her life out of order, Oona must figure out how to navigate life, love, and everything in between.

A holiday-themed time travel read

"In a Holidaze" by Christina Lauren, available at Amazon and Bookshop , from $11.59

This holiday read is a rom-com fan-favorite about Maelyn Jones, who is on her way to the airport after a final family vacation at their beloved Utah cabin when she sees a truck hurtling towards their car. Just before the truck can hit them, Mae wakes up on the airplane headed to the cabin, stuck in a cycle of reliving the trip over and over until she can discover what makes her happy.

A devastating middle-grade time travel read

"The Shape of Thunder" by Jasmine Warga, available at Amazon, $14.49

Cora and Quinn are next-door neighbors and best friends who haven't spoken to each other in a year since a tragedy changed both of their lives forever. When Quinn decides the only way to bridge the distance between them is by going back in time to stop that horrible day from ever happening, the two try to unravel the mysteries of time travel in this middle-grade novel about trauma, loss, and healing.

A time travel graphic novel about true events

"Displacement" by Kiku Hughes, available at Amazon and Bookshop , from $16.55

This incredible graphic novel is about Kiku Hughes, who is on vacation in San Francisco when she's abruptly transported back in time to witness the internment camp into which her grandmother was forcibly relocated during World War II. Unsure how or if she will be able to return to the present, Kiku learns her grandmother's true history and begins to see the long-term effects her experiences had on their family and countless other Japanese Americans.

A young adult time loop fantasy novel

"Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" by Ransom Riggs, available at Amazon and Bookshop , from $13.79

In this best-selling young adult fantasy book , Jacob Magellan Portman is taken to a remote island off the coast of Wales to deal with his trauma after a horrible family tragedy. Though the home is allegedly haunted by the inhabitants who died on September 3, 1940, Jacob discovers peculiar children stuck in a time loop, cared for by the equally peculiar Miss Peregrine.

A classic time travel story

"A Wrinkle in Time" by Madeleine L'Engle, available at Amazon and Bookshop , from $5.35

On a dark and stormy night, Meg Murry, along with her brother and her friend, set out on a dangerous but extraordinary adventure to rescue her father who mysteriously disappeared. With the help of supernatural friends, the group uses a tesseract to travel through space and time in this 1962 story of love, evil, and purpose.

A young adult novel about time travel and love

"Opposite of Always" by Justin A. Reynolds, available at Amazon and Bookshop , from $10.99

Jack and Kate are immediately drawn to each other when they meet at a party and begin to fall in love in the weeks that follow. When Kate tragically dies from a genetic disease, Jack finds himself back at the moment they met, determined to do anything to prevent her death, even if it means hurting others in the process.

A magical time travel manga

"Tokyo Revengers" by Ken Wakui, available at Amazon and Bookshop , from $7.99

Takemichi Hanagaki is stuck in his less-than-thrilling life when he learns his middle school girlfriend, Hinata, has been killed by a villainous gang. When an accident sends him 12 years back in time to middle school, Takemichi is determined to change his life and save Hinata in this time travel manga .

A time travel story of a father and son

"How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe" by Charles Yu, available at Amazon and Bookshop , from $11.69

Charles Yu lives in a science fiction reality, working as a time machine repairman and searching for his father, who invented time travel and has since disappeared. In this heartfelt read , Charles must navigate the universe with his companions to find a moment where he and his father can meet in memory.

A feminist time travel novel

"The Future of Another Timeline" by Annalee Newitz, available at Amazon and Bookshop , from $17.47

Told through alternating first-person narratives, this time travel story focuses on two main timelines as Beth finds herself in 1992 with a front-row seat to a murder while Tess is determined to use time travel to fight for a change in 2022. As the two stories intertwine across time, war threatens to destroy time travel in this smart, feminist read .

An irresistible time travel read

"Here and Now and Then" by Mike Chen, available at Amazon and Bookshop , from $14.49

Kin Stewart may seem like an average man but has a secret: He's actually a time-traveling secret agent from the year 2142, stuck in the present ever since a mission failed 18 years ago. When his rescue team finally arrives, Kin is torn between his two families, trying to keep them both, until a risk to his daughter's existence stretches Kin's love across time to save her.

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Time-Slips and Body Hopping: Eight Great Novels of Time Travel

James goodhand recommends kate atkinson, toshikazu kawaguchi, georgi gospodinov, and more.

What is it about time travel stories? Perhaps our fascination with them comes from exploring that mysterious place where science meets human experience. Or maybe they allow us to fantasize about seizing control of that one thing that rules our lives, that sets our decisions in stone, that gives us everything only to take it away again—the passage of time. Whatever the reason, our obsession with such tales is going nowhere.

In my forthcoming novel The Day Tripper , I ask: What if you woke up each morning in a different, random day of your life? This is the situation twenty-year-old Alex Dean finds himself in after a perfect evening in 1995 ends in disaster. Doomed to never knowing where—or rather when— each new dawn will take him, he must navigate his way through the years and piece together what happened after that fateful night. He’ll find that his decisions can have untold impact, even in a life lived out of order.

It’s a different spin on the time travel story, inspired in no small way by my favorite novels of the genre. The following are, to my mind, eight of the best:

Life After Life by Kate Atkinson

Ursula Todd is born in 1910 and dies within minutes. Chapter two and her life begins once again. This time she survives till the age of four when she’s swept away on a family holiday. We follow Ursula’s progress across the twentieth century, as inevitably disasters befall her, be it Spanish flu or German bombers or a slippery roof at home. Each time her life begins again, she has an inkling of what’s gone before, and a sense that this is happening to her for a reason (which it is, but I won’t spoil it here).

It’s a book that is most remarkable as a study in how different our lives can turn out but for a few twists of fate. As with many of the best speculative novels, Life After Life takes a big concept, and uses it as a lens to focus in on the vagaries of the human condition.

The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton

An Agatha Christie style murder mystery with a body-hopping, time-looping sleuth, this novel is a work of genre-crossing genius. Set in a stately home in the 1920s, the story sees the titular character shot at midnight during her own birthday party. Our reluctant detective Aiden Bishop wakes each morning in the body of a different party guest, each new perspective lending him another chance to stop the murder before it happens. A quite stunning concept, but Turton’s brilliance doesn’t end there. Since this novel first published in 2018, the golden age murder mystery had enjoyed a resurgence. But there’s no misplaced nostalgia on show here. Instead the author has a clear-eyed view of this era’s flaws; with wit redolent of Roald Dahl, he pokes fun at his characters’ greed and fecklessness and misuse of their privilege.

A clever, fun, and complex book. Just don’t try and work out who the murderer is, it’ll drive you nuts!

The Upper World by Femi Fadugba

Set in Peckham, South London, this young-adult novel expertly blends urban realism with some serious science. When sixteen-year-old Esso has a run-in with a Range Rover on his way to school, he experiences a horrifying vision of a shooting that coming evening. In a separate timeline, a much older Esso (now a doctor, and now blind) is mentoring Rhia, a girl whose mother was tragically killed many years earlier. The two stories intersect with a thrilling sense of time running out.

A physicist by profession, this novel was born of Fadugba’s desire to bring Einstein’s theories to life, something he achieves in a way that never feels dumbed down. Along with  the tight plot, the reader gets to enjoy discussions about, for example, the idea that the faster we move through 3D space, the slower we move through time—conversations conducted in an authentic South London vernacular reminiscent of Top Boy . It’s deeply clever, enthralling stuff.

Slaughterhouse 5 by Kurt Vonnegut

As well as imparting a thousand nuggets of wisdom that are still being shared daily on social media, Kurt Vonnegut also wrote some books. None embody his trademark wit and inventiveness better than his 1969 novel, Slaughterhouse 5 . The main character Billy Pilgrim becomes unstuck in time. An American soldier, he finds himself on a whistle-stop tour of the twentieth century’s conflicts. To my knowledge, it’s the first example of block universe theory being used as a literary device. Informed by the author’s own spell in a German prisoner of war camp, this is a vehemently anti-war novel. In fact, it originally published with the subtitle “The Children’s Crusade, A Duty-dance with Death,” a none-too-subtle dig at war’s expectation that the young sacrifice themselves for the interests of their elders.

Funny, profound and edgy, I adore this book. And if the quality of a novel can be judged from how often it’s banned in schools, Slaughterhouse 5 is among the all time greats.

Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

This quirky novel tells the story of a Japanese basement café, in which patrons are able to travel through time. They have to sit in one particular seat though, and nothing they do will change the present, and they must wait for the ghost who usually occupies the seat to go to the toilet. Oh, and they can only time travel for however long it takes for their coffee to go cold. The story may be obsessed with its own rules, but the author pays no such heed to the accepted rules of novel writing. The book takes the form of four short stories of time travel, interspersed by the goings-on amongst the café staff which gives it a cozy, soap-opera feel.

It’s a quick and touching read. However, should you have a thirst for more, there have since been three sequels with another due later this year.

The Summer of Impossible Things by Rowan Coleman

In this fine example of the timeslip novel, British sisters Luna and Pia travel to their mother’s childhood home in Brooklyn to settle her affairs after her death. It soon becomes clear that something terrible happened to their mother here. Luna finds herself slipping between the present day and summer 1977 where she becomes friends with her young mother. She is soon on a mission to reverse her Mum’s awful fate, even though it risks her own very existence in the future.

It may touch on some dark themes, but the love story that smolders throughout against the backdrop of New York’s Saturday Night Fever era makes this a fabulously evocative, uplifting read.

The Time Traveller’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

“Why is love intensified by absence?” So asks our female protagonist Clare Abshire, barely three paragraphs in. It’s a sentence that neatly encapsulates the soul of this modern classic. Because this is not a story about time-travel so much as one about love. Sure, Clare’s husband Henry is prone to disappearing without warning, doomed to land somewhere else in time, naked and penniless. But this affliction allows Niffenegger to construct a love story that we can all relate to: the longing, that unsettling feeling that we aren’t on the same page as our beloved, the sense of being brought together by some fate or higher power.

It’s difficult to say anything about this absolute blockbuster that’s not already been said. Except perhaps to pass on my recent discovery that there’s a sequel on the way. It’s called The Other Husband , and I can’t wait!

Time Shelter by Georgi Gospodinov

Ok, so I’m taking a liberty here with the definition of time travel, because this 2023 International Booker winner has no sci-fi element to it. This is the story of a Bulgarian therapist who founds a clinic for Alzheimer’s sufferers consisting of rooms that are perfect recreations of bygone eras, taking the patients back to the surroundings of their youth. It proves so popular that soon perfectly healthy people are checking themselves in for a dose of nostalgia. Before long, all of Europe is going crazy for the past with each country holding a referendum on which decade they want to return to.

It’s time travel meets political satire, though in this era of Brexit and of calls to make our countries Great Again, it’s hardly a whimsical read.

__________________________________

The Day Tripper by James Goodhand is available from MIRA Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

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11 Time Travel Novels That Will Transport You

Anne Mai Yee Jansen

Anne Mai Yee Jansen is a literature and ethnic studies professor and a lifelong story addict. She exists on a steady diet of books and hot chocolate, with a heaping side of travel whenever possible. Originally hailing from the sun and sandstone of southern California, she currently resides with her partner, offspring, and feline companion in the sleepy mountains of western North Carolina.

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This unique ability of time travel novels means that these books either harken back to the past or project into the future (or, sometimes, both). If you’re interested in spending a little more time thinking about this, give the essay “Time Traveling Books: Historical Fiction or Speculative Fiction?” a read.

And while many time travel novels often feature complex mechanisms for time travel (such as Charles Yu’s fascinating How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe ), not all time travel requires a time machine. Take Octavia Butler’s Kindred — a true classic! Butler’s protagonist finds herself unwittingly thrust into the past at unpredictable moments in her life…an extremely perilous situation for a Black American woman who keeps finding herself in the antebellum South.

The future of literary time travel is just as exciting as its past and present. You can expect Stephen Graham Jones’s “historical slasher” comic series Earthdivers to premier this October. (Incidentally, some of Jones’ other books — like Ledfeather and The Bird is Gone — also dabble in time travel.) No matter when you look for it, there’s always a good time travel novel to be found.

Long Division by Kiese Laymon

Originally published in 2013, Kiese Laymon’s time warping novel about racism across the decades was republished in 2021. It’s the story of “City” Coldson, a teenager who spectacularly fails at a nationally televised spelling contest. His timeline begins in 2013, but shortly after being sent to stay with his grandmother in a small southern town things get…weird. Things take a metafictional turn for the character when he discovers a book called Long Division written in the 1980s by an author with his same name. And then 1964 makes an appearance, and before you know it, Laymon has taken you on a wild ride spanning half a century and confronting racism across the years.

The Mexican Flyboy by Alfredo Véa, Jr.

Simon Vegas acquired a time machine in Vietnam…and he’s been trying to get it in working order ever since. Once he gets it working, things get really wild really fast. Simon’s time machine has a focus: seeking out injustice and delivering its victims to a utopian afterlife. There are plenty of famous names sprinkled in there, but the real focus of this novel is on questions of power (or, perhaps more aptly, powerlessness), compassion and humanity, and trauma and justice. Since it’s Alfredo Véa, Jr. doing the writing, there’s a masterful blurring of genre lines and the larger question at the core of the time travel: is it real, or is it all in Simon’s head?

An Ocean of Minutes by Thea Lim

This is a time travel novel that feels uncannily timely. It’s a book that already gave readers a lot to think about, but given its release one year before the COVID-19 pandemic, the global context adds another layer of meaning. It’s 1981 and the U.S. is in the middle of a deadly pandemic. (Sound familiar?) Frank is sick, but people in the future mastered time travel in order to try to subvert the pandemic. So Polly has contracted out her future in order to save him. Of course, when love and time travel happen, nothing ever goes smoothly — their plan to be reunited at a set time in a set location is ruined when Polly gets sent too far into the future. As Polly tries to find Frank, Lim’s novel asks deep questions about love, connection, and these troubled times we live in.

The Girl from Everywhere by Heidi Heilig

Nix is a time traveler’s daughter, and she’s been seemingly everywhere and everywhen. It’s been a grand adventure…but then her dad is navigating toward an uncertain past: the year before Nix was born in the place where she was born. The problem is, Nix’s mother died in childbirth. The big question, then, is what her father intends to do when they get to when they’re going. And Kash, Nix’s mischievous love interest, throws another wrench into the works. Heilig’s novel is so hard to put down, and if you like The Girl From Everywhere , the second book of the duology, The Ship Beyond Time , is also available!

This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone

It’s nearly impossible to not be at least mildly interested in a semi-epistolary novel co-authored by the likes of Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone. Their improbable protagonists are on opposite sides of a war: technology vs. biology (obvs, I’m being a bit reductive). And yet… love . Despite the improbability of it all, despite the war they’re caught up in, despite the very real danger their correspondence represents to each of them. Love .

The Perishing by Natashia Deón

This is an unconventional time travel novel, for sure. For starters, protagonist Lou is immortal. She’s also, apparently, an amnesiac, having woken up in an alley with no memory of her past. Set in Los Angeles during the Great Depression, The Perishing follows Lou as she makes a name for herself and breaks all kinds of barriers as a professional journalist. But then she makes a new friend and is shocked to find that his face is one she’s been drawing for years. Deón crafts a fascinating mystery that will have you pondering all manner of ideas, big and small, long after you’ve finished the last page.

Here and Now and Then by Mike Chen

How can you go wrong with a time travel novel featuring a secret agent protagonist? I would argue that you can’t. Kin Stewart is living the suburban lifestyle in San Francisco, but it’s not suburbia he needs to be rescued from. It’s his life, which is a facade while he waits for someone to come get him and return him to his real life over a century and a half in the future. But help takes almost two decades to show up, and in the meantime Kin has been living his life — complete with a wife and daughter. Chen’s novel is appealingly deep, exploring the many dynamics that define the self even as it entertains with its fresh take on time travel.

Miko Kings: An Indian Baseball Story by LeAnne Howe

Miko Kings is the oldest book on this list, but it’s a fascinating read. Howe’s novel follows an intriguing cast of characters as the Native American baseball team in Oklahoma, the Miko Kings, strive to win the championship. The year: 1907. Yup, that’s the same year Oklahoma (the majority of which was officially known as Indian Territory ) was granted statehood by the United States. With that political history looming in the background, Hope Little Leader is caught up in some events that are far larger than his role as pitcher for the team. And then there’s the odd and brilliant Ezol Day, whose theories on time are intertwined with linguistics and Indigenous epistemologies. This book has it all: conspiracy, romance, and political scheming. To top it off, you’ll find some wonderfully non-standard textual elements here, like newspaper clippings and handwritten journal entries.

A Bubble of Time by Pepper Pace

What would you do if, in your 50s, you suddenly found yourself reliving your high school years as your actual 16-year-old self? That’s exactly what happens to Kenya Daniels in Pepper Pace’s hilarious and smart time travel novel A Bubble of Time . She’s 16 again, but with all of her half-century of lived experience alive and well in her memory. There’s a truly comedic element here for anyone who lived through the ’80s, because it’s pretty entertaining to follow Kenya as she is forced to revisit the wild decade as her younger self. But Pace’s time travel novel is also at turns thoughtful, heartwarming, and unexpected, too.

Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

What would you do if you could travel through time? What if you could travel through time, but only for a very short duration and without the ability to change the present? In Toshikazu Kawaguchi’s time travel novel, there’s a cafe in a basement in Tokyo where this is possible. But only from the cafe. With these interesting constraints on their time, patrons (and staffers) in the cafe time travel for small but profound reasons. It’s a strikingly beautiful meditation on the little regrets we carry with us throughout our lives. If you’re a fan of this book, you’ll be happy to know that it’s the first part of a trilogy; Tales from the Cafe came out two years ago and the third book, Before Your Memory Fades , is scheduled for release this November!

The Kingdoms by Natasha Pulley

The Kingdoms is a wild ride! It’s historical fiction as much as it is a time travel novel. It opens with Joe Tournier’s confused arrival in 19th century England, but this is a very different England than the one you might have learned about in the history books: this England is a French colony. Shortly after his arrival, a mysterious postcard arrives. Not only is it written in English (a forbidden language in this alternate reality), but it’s addressed to him. As Joe seeks answers, he travels into Scotland (which is also an alternate Scotland) and beyond. It’s a captivating read — if you’ve ever read Pulley’s other works, this will come as no surprise.

Wanna buy yourself more time?

Get yourself stuck in a literary time loop by checking out the books on this list of time loop books . Or, if you’re feeling lovey, try a selection from this list of romantic time travel novels . And of course, you can’t go wrong with any of the options on this list of must-read time travel books !

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10 fascinating books about time travel

One of the joys of fiction is that it allows writers to bend the rules - even those of time. Here are the best time travel books to transport you.

If you had a time machine, where would you go? Back to Austen ’s England, or the swinging Sixties? To an exciting / terrifying future millennium (delete as applicable)? Time travel has been with us ever since Charles Dickens ’s A Christmas Carol whisked Ebenezer Scrooge into the past and future to learn the error of his miserly ways. Since then, writers’ imaginations have been fired by the idea of jumping through time, or time flowing backwards, or any other permutation of the enticing and the impossible. Here are some of the best examples of time travel in novels.

The Time Machine (1895) by H.G. Wells

The great grandfather of modern science fiction ( Men on the moon ! A war of the worlds !) popularised the idea of being able to scoot back and forward in time at will. The hero is a classic gentleman scientist, who travels hundreds of millennia into the future to find humanity has evolved into two types: the elegant Eloi, and the ape-like Morlocks, representing an extreme version of class divisions in Victorian society. As with most science fiction , Wells was writing not about the future, but about his own society, and about evergreen human truths.

A Connecticut Yankee at King Arthur’s Court (1889) by Mark Twain

Twain got there a few years before Wells, but he didn’t really care about the theory of time travel – he just gave his modern-day engineer, Hank Morgan, a bash on the head and transported him back to King Arthur’s England. These days we call it the time-slip genre. And he invented another classic time travel idea: Hank uses his modern knowledge (such as knowing when a solar eclipse will take place) to persuade the Arthurians that he’s a powerful wizard, as any sensible person would. It’s all in the service of Twain’s romping satire of romantic ideas about the Middle Ages, which he saw not as romantic but filthy and snobbish.

Tom’s Midnight Garden (1958) by Philippa Pearce

This classic children’s book is a ghost story with a difference. Hero Tom, staying with relatives for the summer, discovers a secret garden one night when the clock strikes thirteen (“‘Fancy striking midnight twice in one night!’ jeered Tom”), and befriends the girl living there, Hatty. The garden is not just in another world, but in another time: Victorian England, and to Hatty, Tom is a kind of ghost. This is a book that appeals both to children and the adults who used to be children: full of adventure but also tinged with memory and loss.

Slaughterhouse-Five (1969) by Kurt Vonnegut

“All this happened, more or less”, begins Kurt Vonnegut’s most famous novel. The book was both true – inspired by the fire-bombing of the German city of Dresden, which Vonnegut witnessed during World War Two – and extravagantly invented, as its hero Billy Pilgrim becomes “unstuck in time”. He shifts between decades and is kidnapped by aliens, and that’s just the start of it. Vonnegut, a charming and funny man, had an overall message for the reader, encapsulated in one word at the end of the book’s long and winding subtitle. “Peace.”

Woman on the Edge of Time (1976) by Marge Piercy

Before The Handmaid’s Tale or The Power , there was Woman on the Edge of Time . In it, Connie Ramos, a mental hospital patient in New York, is visited by a being from the 22nd Century, who describes a utopian future. But the future is not certain, and Connie must help to make it happen. Equal parts polemic and plot, Woman on the Edge of Time is undeniably powerful, and aptly enough for a novel about seeing the future, it was well ahead of its time in its highlighting of queer characters and gender-neutral pronouns (“per”, short for “person”).

Kindred (1979) by Octavia Butler

Butler was the first African-American woman to become a successful science fiction writer, though she preferred to classify her best-known novel as “a kind of grim fantasy.” The premise is as juicy as you could wish for: in modern-day America, a Black woman, Dana, time-slips back to the 1800s, where she has to save the life of her ancestor who is also an abusive slave-owner. Butler’s boldness in applying genre rules to Black slave history was followed by Toni Morrison and Colson Whitehead , among others. If you think you don’t like speculative fiction, wrote the New York Times, “ Kindred will change your mind.”

Time’s Arrow (1991) by Martin Amis

There’s a different kind of time travel in Martin Amis’s most audacious novel – the narrator slowly comes to realise, after the reader does, that he’s living his life backwards. This creates strange experiences, some funny (imagine going to the toilet), some disturbing (domestic abusers ‘cure’ their victims). But “when is the world going to start making sense?” wonders our man. “Yet the answer is out there. It is rushing toward me over the uneven ground.” The destination is Auschwitz, where the narrator is a Nazi doctor: only in a world running in reverse, argues Amis, could such a place make sense.

Timeline (1999) by Michael Crichton

A lesser-spotted work by the high-concept literary machine who gave us Jurassic Park and The Andromeda Strain , Timeline is a wild ride. It uses Crichton’s usual interest in science to develop the idea of time travel via quantum physics, and then jets off into a world where American historians can investigate medieval France up close. Timeline, with jousting knights and testicles for dessert, gives us a literal race against time (can the Americans find their way back to the present?) and asks us whether we really understand the past.

Life After Life (2013) by Kate Atkinson

A favourite time travel game is: if you could go back in time and kill Adolf Hitler, would you? In Kate Atkinson’s most acclaimed novel, Ursula Todd may have the chance to do just that. Ursula keeps getting whisked back in time to live her life over and over, learning a little more each time – like a literary Groundhog Day . Atkinson described Life After Life , with its glorious blend of alternative reality, family drama and wartime horror, as “the best thing I’ll ever write”. It also inspired a companion novel, A God in Ruins .

Sea of Tranquility (2022) by Emily St John Mandel

Everyone knows that the first rule of going into the past is not to interfere with it, as a time traveller in Ray Bradbury’s A Sound of Thunder discovered when he crushed a butterfly in the Cretaceous period and then returned home to find his world changed beyond recognition (hence ‘ butterfly effect ’). In Sea of Tranquility , a man from the 25th Century investigating parallel hallucinations disregards this rule by warning a woman of her impending death. Whoops! Like all the novels on this list, Sea of Tranquility uses inspired techniques to take on the biggest stuff of all, including the end of the world. Follow that.

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13 time travel novels from (nearly) every genre

There's a time travel novel for you no matter your reading taste..

• BY Anne Bogel
• IN Book Lists , Books & Reading
• 133 Comments | Comment

Time travel is one of my favorite story elements—but not because I’m all that interested in the mechanics of how a character travels through the time. Whether the time travel occurs through magic or science or a rip in outer space, what I’m really here for is the high stakes, the shock of a new setting, and witnessing the main character’s world turn upside down in time travel novels. Plus I always love stories where someone gains a fresh perspective on the life they’ve become accustomed to, and stories in this category reliably make that happen.

I love seeing a character’s instant perspective shift when they get yanked out of their own time and place—or they’re in a familiar timeline they expect but looped in a “groundhog day” scenario. Time travel forces characters to reckon with the ramifications of their seemingly small decisions, and to grapple with their personal significance in the fabric of history. 

Philosophical implications aside, I find time travel novels to be just plain fun! They combine thoughtful contemplation and page-turning plots across a variety of genres, so there’s a time travel tale for you no matter your reading taste. Some books I’ve raced through and then raved about it are on today’s list: Kindred, This Time Tomorrow, Sea of Tranquility . Among today’s eclectic collection of time travel titles, you’ll encounter heartfelt contemporary fiction, Jane Austen-inspired fantasy, quirky sci-fi, and unexpected classics. But don’t worry—this list isn’t exhaustive. There’s plenty of room for you to add your favorites to our list: please do so in the comments section!

Is there another plot device you can’t get enough of? I’d love to hear about your favorite story elements in the comments so we can nerd out together.

13 novels that transcend time and genre

Some links (including all Amazon links) are affiliate links. More details here .

Before the Coffee Gets Cold

The Kingdoms

An Ocean of Minutes

Sea of Tranquility

This Time Tomorrow

The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August

The House on the Strand

The Rose Garden

Doomsday Book

The Time Machine

The Jane Austen Project

The Time Traveler’s Wife

Do you share my love for time travel novels? Tell us about your favorite titles in the comments section!

P.S. Check out 12 novels that play with time or 15 immersive historical fiction books about overlooked events for creative explorations of past, present, and future events.

133 comments

Loved Kindred, Sea of Tranquility and the Time Traveler’s Wife. Also read a recent thriller/mystery/suspense Wrong Place, Wrong Time that I thought was very well done. The story keeps moving further and further back in time. Intriguing premise and great characters.

I loved Wrong Place, Wrong Time. I have even considered re-reading it! Time Travelers Wife is also a favorite of mine. I am surprised how much I enjoy time travel stories. I look forward to diving into these on Anne’s list.

One time travel book I read last year that I have found goes unnoticed is What the Wind Knows by Amy Harmon. I loved that book and try and place it into the hands of anyone I know who loves time travel.

I have this on my TBR!

That sounds great! I love Time travel books:)

I love What the Wind Knows!

I’ve heard enough good things about Wrong Place, Wrong Time that I think I may need to bump it up my list!

One of my favorites, I always recommend it!

Yes, I enjoyed What the Wind Knows, too. It has the added bonus of providing the reader with a bit of Irish history, too.

I cannot believe Outlander didn’t make this list! I don’t consider myself a sci-fi reader but these historical novels sucked me in with their epic plots, fantastic writing, well-developed characters, and romance.

I agree! Outlander definitely needs to be on this list. It’s so good!

I love time travel so thank you for this list! I have already read some of them and will add some more to my TBR list. One of my favorites not mentioned about is 11/22/63 by Stephen King.

Oh yes, 11/22/63 is one of my top three favorite books of all time. So good!

I agree that 11/22/63 is great. I was scared to read a Stephen King book but this is not horror at all. Loved it!

I really liked the premise of 11/22/63, and the storyline proved very intriguing. But I have to admit I was really disappointed in the book itself. As a life-long Texan, it felt to me like Stephen King had never actually visited Texas. The characterization of people didn’t feel at all accurate, and there were some glaring anachronisms that made it feel poorly researched (one that stood out to me was the “Don’t Mess with Texas” campaign, which didn’t materialize until the mid-80s).

Yes! I loved the book but agree King missed Texas by a mile. I grew up near Killeen and it is hours from DFW.

A book I recently loved was Gabrielle Meyer’s “When the Day Comes.” The protagonist lives two lives at the same time—she starts out in Revolutionary era America and when she falls asleep at night she instantly wakes up in 1914 England. She has to choose which life she wants when she turns 21, but feels pulls to both eras. Really well done and the author has another one coming out in May.

Ooooh that one was super good! And her second in the series comes out in May! Three times in that one! I made her team and can’t wait!

I love time travel books! Here are a few more to check out:

Faye, Fareaway The Dream Daughter Oona out of order Replay She wouldn’t change a thing

I read Oona Out of Order last month and LOVED it!

Replay! That was such a great book. I haven’t read it for years, but I know I’ve given away at least 5 copies!

I agree. When the Day Comes is the best book I’ve read so far this year! It was different from some of the time travel books I’ve read which made it even more enjoyable to me.

An excellent series by jody Hedlund is Waters of Time. People ingest a small amount of holy water and go back to Medieval times. Tracy Higley has several but my favorite is: Nightfall in the Garden of Deep Time, with characters from the past in a party in a secret walled garden next to a bookstore that is standing in the way of progress and a huge new hotel. The bookstore has a wardrobe to enter a children’s section ( not a real portal).

There’s an actual bookstore in Georgia that has this! It’s lovely.

A fun one that isn’t your usual time travel novel is Every Anxious Wave by Mo Daviau. Here the characters find a wormhole portal and use it to travel back in time and see their favorite bands. Its funny, filled with music references, and has a little love story thrown in.

Oh that sounds really good!

Oh my goodness, I’ve read this and had forgotten all about it! Thanks for mentioning it here.

I loved Time After Time, by Lisa Grunwald, set in and around Grand Central Station.

I was about to suggest Time After Time, as well!

Time travel + Manhattanhendge means I loved it!

I LOVE the St. Mary’s series by Jodi Taylor and her spinoff series Time Police. They use time travel as “a study of historical events in contemporary time” and are not supposed to use “time travel” in their vernacular!

I was about to suggest the St. Mary’s series! It’s so entertaining and easy to get into.

That’s the hidden gem I came to mention as well!! I HIGHLY recommend the audio version of this series, so entertaining!!!

I read the first of the St. Mary’s series and was appalled at how closely they resemble Connie Willis’s Oxford University books which were written well before Taylor’s novels. Several reviewers on Amazon noted this, too.

And Connie Willis is a much better writer than Taylor, IMO.

The last book I read was Kindred. Sea of Tranquility is waiting for me to pick up at the library.

The book I’m currently reading is Dark Matter by Blake Crouch. It’s more multiverse travel than time travel, but it’s quite good and I should be finishing it during my next break at work.

This isn’t my normal reading fare, but I guess this has been my current mood and it’s funny that this book list came out at this moment.

Dark Matter was fantastic on audiobook.

If you enjoy Dark Matter, definitely check out Recursion by the same author. One of my favorites!

Connie Willis is so great at this. I loved Doomsday Book and also Blackout and All Clear.

Blackout/All Clear weren’t only my favorite books in the series, they’re on my FOAT (Favorites Of All Time) list. When I finished All Clear, I immediately turned back to page 1 to start over. I just love these characters and how, at the end, everything matters and it’s all woven together.

I loved Blackout/All Clear, too, but thought they could have been edited into one book.

I agree, I was so pleased to see Doomsday Book on this list. I feel like sometimes Connie Willis gets overlooked but she’s such a fantastic author. To Say Nothing of the Dog is one of my all time favorites! And the Blackout/All Clear duology is also fantastic – all the details, the characters, everything!

I was aslo happy to see The Rose Garden mentioned, and I’ll second (third?) 11/22/63 by Stephen King

“To Say Nothing of the Dog” is one of my all-time favorite books. I can’t bear to give it away. The title hints at the fun of this next in the series by Connie Willis.

How I love To Say Nothing of the Dog! A perennial reread. Recently read Doomsday Book for the first time and nearly cried. Such a wonderful view of human relationships and caring for each other, with Willis’ trademark lightheartedness about it all.

To Say Nothing of the Dog is terrific too! It comes after Doomsday Book and before Blackout

For lovers of A Wrinkle in Time, definitely read When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead. It’s a middle grade novel that is so thought provoking and tender.

Absolutely – I read When You Reach Me just recently specifically because it was mentioned as a book for lovers of A Wrinkle in Time. It was amazing and I will read it again (and again just like I do A Wrinkle in Time).

I LOVED this book! Thanks for adding it to the comments section.

Along the lines of middle grade books- I think the 39 Clues series is a GREAT family read- even better listen!!! The audiobooks rule!!!

Great list! There’s just something about time travel stories that I find so fascinating.

Some of my favorites are are 11/22/63 by Stephen King as well as Replay by Ken Grimwood, which I think is an underrated gem.

Another fun one from recent years is Oona Out of Order by Margarita Montimore!

The movie Somewhere in Time was based on the book Bid Time Return by Richard Matheson. It was compelling too, although without the lush visuals of the movie. I’d recommend it to romantics.

I loved this one! My mother an old copy of this on her bookshelf, when I was a teen, and I read it and was enthralled!

Oona Out of Order!!!

Also, What Alice Forgot. It’s not technically a time-travel book but close enough.

Oh, I loved What Alice Forgot! It’s also a great audio book listen. Agree it’s not exactly time travel but gets at the same concepts.

I loved that book and hadn’t really thought about how it IS awfully close to time travel. Thanks for adding it here!

The Dream Daughter by Diane Chamberlain was an amazing read!

My favourites are:

This is how you lose the time war – it’s so beautifully written ❤️❤️❤️

Life after life by Kate Atkinson. This book is written like a dream.

Doomsday book by Connie Willis. I cried buckets at this near future Oxford and medieval village during the black death story. Pandemic warning though! There are more books set in the same universe and I also loved Blackout and All Clear set in the second world war

The first fifteen lives of Harry August by Claire North. One of my most favourite books ever. Reads like a thriller as well as a time travel novel.

Not quite as good as the above but still very enjoyable:

Jodi Taylor’s St Mary’s series about British time traveling historians who always find a huge problem and a cup of tea. A long long series with some trigger warnings

The Rearranged life of Oona Lockhart by margarita Montimore. About living your life out of order. Time travelers wife vibes for me

The Far Time Incident by Neve Madlakovic – time traveling historians narrated by the extremely practical secretary who keeps them all right

I adored This is how you lose the time war, as well as Life After Life. I’m happy to see them receiving some love in the comments.

I recently read a short story called The Six Deaths of the Saint by Alix E. Harrow which was wonderful in only 30 pages.

I loved both Time and Again (Jack Finney, 1970) and its sequel, From Time to Time.

Yes! Time and Again is one of my favorite books — I think about it whenever I visit NYC.

I agree with Time and Again – I scrolled through the comments just to make sure this book was mentioned! I first read it probably 30 years ago and recently reread it.

Time and Again is absolute favorite time travel book!

Agree with Time and Again and the sequel are classics!

I’m sending you a virtual hug, Anne, to thank you for this list! Time travel is my all-time favorite book theme, and I never get tired of it. So many good choices on your list and in the comments above. I’m adding An Ocean of Minutes to by TBR! Here are a few additional that I didn’t see mentioned yet: * Meet Me in Another Life by Catriona Silvey – Not so much a time travel novel but it is a time loop novel, in which the two main characters live multiple lives, and they have different relationships in each one. I loved this book! * Time and Again by Jack Finney. In my opinion, this is THE classic time travel novel; it’s one of the first I read and it got me hooked on time travel novels. * A Murder in Time by Julie McElwain – FBI agent gets hurled back to 1815! Great twist on a murder mystery! Happy Reading!

Cam back to add Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gilly McAllister, which was so unique and had such a great ending!

Meet Me in Another Life! I really enjoyed this book and haven’t seen many people talk about it. I’m still not sure about the ending, but it was definitely surprising!

Allison – I agree! The ending to Meet Me in Another Life definitely took a completely different twist than what I expected. Such a great book!

Wrong Place, Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister was an interesting read, worth adding to a TBR list.

I’m pretty fond of time-travel novels. Besides “A Wrinkle in Time,” I’ve recently read “Before the Coffee Gets Cold,” and was delighted to see you recommend it! It’s disparate stories are so sweet, touching, and have unexpected endings. I’ve also read “Doomsday Book,” and enjoyed it also. My most-loathed read ever? “The Time Traveler’s Wife.” The relationship of the two just felt like grooming to me. Icky. Icky. Icky.

I totally agree about The a time Traveller’s Wife. I wish I could unread it!

I’m so glad you added Before the Coffee Gets Cold to this list! What a gem.

I also didn’t like “The Time Traveler’s Wife” and cannot imagine why it is so popular. Beyond the ick factor – it just wasn’t very well written, IMO.

The Impossible Lives of Greta Wells is a good one!

I loved that one!

Another vote for Jack Finney’s books, especially Time and Again.

I have realized that I really enjoy time travel books. And time loop books, which are close but different: -The Midnight Library (magical realism) -Oona Out of Order (magical realism) -All You Need is Kill (graphic novel) -One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston (queer romance)

Yes to The Midnight Library and One Last Stop!! Magical Libraries: Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine ( 1st in a series) and The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman are both great series!

My favorite time travel book of all time (ha!) is Stephen King’s 11/22/63.

A Rip in Time by Kelley Armstrong is also enjoyable, a modern police detective ends up in the body of a Victorian maid in Scotland. The second book in the series is coming out this spring

sorry, that should be A Rip Through Time

Yes! I was going to mention this one, too. Looking forward to the second book in the series. 🙂

Time Travelers Never Die by Jack McDevitt had me thinking of the various fun things I would want to see with this capability. Also Jack Finney’s Time and Again is wonderful and his time travel short stories are even better.

Don’t forget Time and Again by Jack Finney… my all-time favorite time travel novel!

Oh, and the Chronicle of St Mary’s series by Jodi Taylor, a delightful and funny series about time traveling historians.

I also really love the Found Things time travel series by Paula Brackston. The first book is called The Little Shop of Found Things.

I enjoyed this series too. I think there’s one more coming soon.

One of my favorite time-traveling novels is 11/22/63 by Stephen King. It kept me entertained while I recovered from a fall that broke both my legs. I also love Jasper Fforde’s Thursday Next series.

I haven’t read any of these!

My favorite time travel books are 11/22/63 by Stephen King and The Dream Daughter by Diane Chamberlain.

I really enjoyed When The Day Comes by Gabrielle Meyer. Also, Oona Out of Order by Marguerite Montimore. And, while not specifically time travel, it’s more time travel adjacent, A Day Like This by Kelley McNeil is excellent!

Adding on to all the great suggestions: The Christmas Wish by Lindsey Kelk is a really fun Christmasy Groundhog’s Day tale. One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle is a lovely time travel story that’s light on the time travel.

A unique twist on the time travel genre is Rewind by Carolyn O’Doherty. It’s the first in a trilogy. In essence, there is a small group of individuals that can rewind time to review past events and those individuals are hated and feared. This story focuses on one of these young individuals. Here is a link to a review on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/30807336

I’m surprised nobody has mentioned a lovely book, The Scribe of Sienna. A sweet story!

I enjoyed this one as well. 🙂

Timeline by Michael Crichton is a favorite of mine. A group of history students travel to 1300’s France to rescue their mentor.

I’m currently reading The Future of Another Timeline by Annalee Newitz. It’s a 2019 release that (surprisingly) flew under the radar. I find it interesting because it is a feminist time travel novel with the main character Tess traveling through time to preserve/save women’s rights.

I love Kindred and pretty much almost anything Octavia Butler writes!

I almost NEVER say this- but I’m enjoying the adaptation of Kindred showing on Hulu better than the book- they made some changes to the story that I think work well, she isn’t traveling from 1976 more like 2020 so it’s modernized and Kevin is not her husband, they are on a first date when it happens. Many may not agree but I like it.

I’m interested in watching this adaptation but didn’t know those details—thank you for sharing, Felicia!

Atomic Anna, by Rachel Barenbaum — and not just because she’s a close friend, it’s a great book and will hopefully be great on the small or big screen someday too!

I loved A Bend in the Stars by Rachel Barenbaum, but had not heard of this one. Thanks for sharing!

I’m a little disappointed that you didn’t include “Outlander” by Diana Gabaldon. The books bring us romance, adventure, history and so much love. Outlander definitely needs to be on this list (especially the first one).

The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow. It’s fantasy time travel and one of my all-time favorites!

This is one of my all time favorites too!

I love this plot device and have read many of these. Of course, Outlander is my all-time favorite. I also love several mentioned already in the comments (What the Wind Knows, 11/22/63, Wrong Time Wrong Place). One that’s good for teens is a YA novel called Worth the Read by Diana and Kate Cockrell. It puts a modern teen and her mom in the midst of the Boston Tea Party.

I also love books that play with time like Life After Life by Kate Atkinson and The Midnight Library by Matt Haig. These “sliding doors” type books are so heartfelt. Another I two liked was What Might Have Been and Maybe in Another Life.

Time Travel is my favourite! The Psychology of Time Travel by Kate Mascarenhas is one I read recently and enjoyed as it focused on time travel as an enterprise rather than just one individual travelling. And I am planning to read the Chronicles of St Mary’s by Jodi Taylor. The middle grade books that first got me hooked on time travel a long time ago were Playing Beatie Bow by Ruth Park, Charlotte Sometimes by Penelope Farmer and Tom’s Midnight Garden by Phillipa Pearce. And I have been addicted ever since!

Hands down, Outlander for me.

Cannot wait for the 10th (probably final book).

I got to travel to Scotland early last Fall & did an Outlander tour. We hit many nightlights, but missed out on the village of Falkland. That was the stand in for Inverness on the TV series.

Where Jamie’s ghost stood by the fountain!

I did enjoy Emma Straub as well.

The first time travel book I ever read, decades ago, was called The Mirror by Marlys Millhiser. A young woman looks into an antique mirror and is transported back to 1900 into the body of her great grandmother, if I’m remembering that right.

Good grief, I remember reading this in the 1970s, & I’m 72! I loved it.

I remember reading this as a teenager, and it scared me (but I loved it)! It’s a really good one.

They made this a movie, right? With Lindsey Wagner. I remember loving that movie. (I’m sure it was cheesy!)

A Rip Through Time by Canadian author, Kelley Armstrong, is a great escape. It is a time travel murder mystery that takes place in Scotland. Characters are well drawn and the plot is propulsive. Book 2 coming out in May.

The Mirror by Marlys Millhiser and Second Sight by David Williams were my teenage favorites. Loved watching the tv movie adaptation with Lindsay Wagner, The Two Worlds of Jennie Logan.

Yes! Just commented above. I loved that movie. And loved Lindsay Wagner!

Outlander – the best writing & details of preparing for time travel. Green Darkness – Anya Seton, an older historical romance, so fun & creepy. House on the Strand – du Maurier, also an older book, & excellent!

So glad you mentioned The Doomsday Book by Connie Willis. She also wrote Blackout and All Clear, a series of 2 time-travel masterpieces about Oxford historians who travel to WW2 and get stuck. These are amazing (audio too) and shouldn’t be missed!

I love the Kendra Donovan series (Murder in Time, Twist in Time, etc.) by Julie McElwain. A 21st century FBI agent gets transported back to 1815 England where she finds herself solving crimes without modern equipment as well as dealing with the difficulties of being a woman in that period. Part mystery, part Regency romance, part science fiction.

I can’t believe you missed St Mary’s!! Absolutely adore these books about historians who study major events in contemporary time (they are NOT timetravellers!).

Outlander series, of course. The best time travel series ever!

I love Jodi Taylor’s wacky St. Mary’s series, about a bunch of time-jumping British historians. I also really enjoyed Annette Christie’s The Rehearsals, in addition to some of the books mentioned here.

Connie Willis is SUBERB at time travel — so glad to see her on the list. To Say Nothing of the Dog is a delight through and through, and her two volume Blackout/All Clear is a masterpiece.

Ben Elton’s “Time and time again” is another great novel on time travel. The main character is sent from the early 2000s back to 1914 to prevent the outbreak of the First World War. (I also recommend Elton’s other books if you love a page turner.) A somewhat similar story is told in Stephen Fry’s “Making history” in which time travel is sort of used to alter the course of history around the Second World War.

I have two books to recommend that would nestle near the time travel books but aren’t quite that.

First, A Day Like This by Kelley McNeill. More about alternate histories. A woman keeps waking up in an altered reality and goes back and forth. I really liked it.

And The Forgetting Time about a little boy who remembers his past life, and his mom trying to figure out why he has the fears and memories that he does.

Both excellent reads.

I used to love Son of the Morning by Linda Howard. very 90s romance novel. I read it again a few years ago and while it was certainly dated, the overall story was still engaging. My TBR grew exponentially reading everyone’s comments

Two others that I really enjoyed were The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab and The Bookseller by Cynthia Swanson

My favourite “time travel” series of novels is the Chronicles of St Mary’s by Jodi Taylor. Members of a research institute investigate historic events in contemporary time. Written with humour, drama,meticulous research and great storytelling these books make excellent reading.

The Gideon trilogy is absolutely fabulous. I found the first book in the middle grade section of our library, and the cover was so intriguing. It was so well written, and such an incredible storyline. I had to read the other two, and until the very very end, I had no idea how they were going to resolve all the storylines. I ultimately bought the series. Excellent storytelling!

Thanks for the list! I love time travel and enjoyed the Doomsday Book, but the second book in the series – To Say Nothing of the Dog – was soooo long and repetitive. Or maybe I’m just not as interested in Victorian society as I am in the Dark Ages, although the stories about the cathedral were interesting (but also confusing?)

There’s a time travel series called Middle Falls Time Travel. While the writing isn’t great, is it groundhog day scenarios of a person going back in their life to fix it/learn something. Some of the characters appear in other books which makes it fun. Some are better than others and they are a short easy read. I call them a palate cleanser for when I want something easy and different to get my mind off heaviness.

Between your list, Anne, and suggestions from commenters, my TBR list has really expanded! A lot of people have commented on 11/22/63 by Stephen King, which I agree was excellent; however, Stephen King wrote another more recent one called Fairytale, which I liked a lot. Not so much time travel, but similar in that the young man goes back and forth between our world and an otherworldly place. Another book by King which is not horror at all.

The Scribe of Siena by Melanie Winawer is a great time travel novel. I typically am not a fan of time travel books, but this one won me over!

How to Stop Time by Matt Haig.

Time Travel is one of my favourite genres. Many of the books shown and many listed in the comments I have read. My very first was Lady of Hay by Barbara Erskine which then led to The Mirror/Millhiser and I was hooked. Here are some that I don’t think have been mentioned: The Good Part/Sophie Cousens See You Yesterday/ Rachel Lynn Solomon The Seven Year Slip/ Ashley Poston Woke Up Like This/ Amy Lea Maybe Next Time/Cesca Major (loved this one in particular) Twice in a Lifetime/Melissa Baton I’ll Stop The Eorld/Lauren Thomas

I just finished The Unmaking of June Farrow and I loved it! Highly recommend!

I’m glad someone mentioned The Midnight Library by Matt Haig. I recently read and very much enjoyed that! I found it fascinating, and a fun exploration of the “what if” concept all of us probably think of at one point or another. Sort of related to time travel/messing with time, I thought of the Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children series. I really liked these first 3 books, at least. I have yet to read the rest of the series, but I love the mix of creepiness and sweetness with a touch of time-bending.

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Why We Love Time Travel Stories

Time is an instrument of power, an object of faith, and an influence on our history. But in our fictions, it's more than just a cerebral quagmire—it gets at our unanswerable questions and our deepest longings.

Near the beginning of Kaliane Bradley’s The Ministry of Time , a charmingly clever time travel romance, the unnamed narrator articulates the standard take on such stories: “Anyone who has ever watched a film with time-travel, or read a book with time-travel, or dissociated on a delayed public transport vehicle considering the concept of time-travel, will know that the moment you start to think about the physics of it, you are in a crock of shit.”

The organization that gives the novel its title tests the effects of time travel by extracting people from “historical warzones, natural disasters, and epidemics” who “would have died in their own timelines anyway.” The narrator acts as a “bridge” for the “expats” of history, aiding their acclimation. About the mental conundrums that invariably arise, she assures us: “Don’t worry about it.” Logic, after all, goes out the window in stories about, as Mark Twain called it, “the transposition of epochs—and bodies.” Time travel, in other words, is too intellectually challenging for our limited brains.

Time travel stories repeatedly tell us this. “The technology’s all in the folders in front of you,” the President’s Chief of Staff tells a table of senators in Timecop . “You won’t understand it any better than I can.” In terms of narrative efficiency, this is an understandable approach to what would ultimately amount to superfluous exposition. For whatever reason, time travel is the fictional technology movies and novels spend the most time justifying, which leads to shit like this: in the comic The Man Who F*%@ed Up Time , an inventor explains the final ingredient that made his machine work: “that neutrino manifold to stabilize the oscillation frequency of the tachyon harmonics.” Oh, of course ! Why hadn’t I thought of that?

Nowadays, we are all now conscious of and even comfortable with the paradoxes and illogic that stem from time travel. We can casually cite the Grandfather and Bootstrap paradoxes; we know that matter can’t be in two places at once and that any changes made to the past will have disproportionate (butterfly) effects on the present. As a culture, we’ve grown savvy to (and thus bored of) the perfunctory use of thorny abstractions to legitimize plot points, which is why Bradley’s preemptive dismissal quoted above has become the more common move in contemporary time travel stories.

For writers, though, time travel is a clusterfuck of narrative assembly: as Dean Craig Pelton weepily laments in an episode of Community , it’s “ really hard to write about.”

Ironically, the device of having characters journey to the past or future resolves more complexities than it pretends to create. Our human longings to make different choices or live beyond the capacities of our bodies, not to mention the endless array of unanswerable questions that comprise our imaginations—it is the impossibility of such yearnings and such inquiries that make us us . In time travel stories, these are made manifest, the questions answerable, our longings requited. And in doing so, the allure of mystery is replaced by the banality of fact.

Reading The Ministry of Time , it’s difficult not to contemplate the more recent tropes of the genre it playfully skewers, but also neatly encapsulates—temporal bureaucracy, fish-out-of-water anachronism, an elaborate vocabulary of techno-jargon—and wonder how the conventions have changed over time. Moreover, Bradley’s novel reminds us how time travel stories fail to address the many ways time itself—our understanding of it, cultural paradigms about it, its use by powerful entities—determines so much about our lives, our history, and the very foundations of our society. The conceit that time travel is so complicated as to require explicatory condescension from authors belies the truly complex issues revolving around time, sans any fantastical feats. Not only will the great problems at the heart of existence not be fixed by time travel, but such stories rarely even take on those problems, nor the very real dangers and surprisingly wide influence of the construct whose rules they’re ostensibly violating.

So let’s put the two up against each other—time travel versus time—to show that the former is a kind of Devil’s advocacy, while the latter is multi-pronged, with numerous iterations and contradictory attributes. But if we can rethink our reflexive grasp of time, in this life, now, it can do more for us than a novel’s thought experiment—hell, it could do more for us than if time travel actually existed.

The plots of time-travel stories, rather than the theoretical concept of moving through time, are what truly bewilder us—with their doubling and tripling of characters, their narrative contradictions, their constant juggle of story and twist. Watching a brilliantly constructed show like Dark challenges our ability to retain complex developments—characters depicted at various ages, in numerous periods, as well as their parents and children who, by a miracle of casting, look remarkably similar to the actors playing their kin, making the show feel more realistic, but also more confounding.

Confusing us with convoluted plots, though, is different from doing so with the theories from which they derive. In practical reality, the quagmires of time travel run their course rather quickly. Storytellers, on the other hand, push beyond the nonsensical repercussions in search of a way to explain away, incorporate, or ignore the inevitable contradictions and dramatic dead ends. Their dedication to the intricacies of plot can be impressive, to be sure, but it’s nothing more than an elaborate construction festooned with quantum accoutrement. The claims of physics disabuse us of explanations based on our common sense, but leave nothing to replace them other than a series of vague terms like “branes” and “strings” and “foam” and “blurring.” Physics—like all sciences—aims to discover the laws that govern the universe, but in the eyes of ordinary people, it seems merely to disprove ideas to which we’ve only just grown accustomed. The scientific method operates on the premise that our search is never over, that our assumptions don’t necessarily hold, and that new and better ideas are always on the horizon. Existence in all its naked glory has yet to be completely understood.

Stories, conversely, seek fundamental truths in the messy, incomplete pile of the ways things are. They rummage through what’s there—regardless of its value—and sift out something resembling meaning and purpose. Time travel, then, provides writers with additional mounds of life to contrast with the one belonging to the character’s own period. In Mark Twain’s early take on the genre, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court , a man from the 1880s tries to introduce his era’s ethos to medieval England. In H.G. Wells’ seminal The Time Machine , it’s the economically segregated future that brings relief to the societal ills of the traveler’s present. The Ministry of Time jettisons a Victorian sea commander into near future England, and what’s wonderful about Bradley’s approach is the leisure it allows itself in tracing the commander’s acclimation to his new temporal circumstances. Bradley has a lot of fun with this setup, giving Commander Gore some hilarious moments, as in the chapter where he returns to his “bridge” (his future-time handler) and asks her, “Some charming young women—out on the heath—addressed me quite boisterously—what is a ‘dilf’?”

Such fish-out-of-water antics are the bread and butter of time travel narratives, certainly, but they’re also the meeting point of science and literature: the circumstances are brought about by scientific ideas, but examined by literary principles. In the years after Wells published The Time Machine , James Gleick writes in his indispensable Time Travel: A History , philosophers scrutinized his concept, despite the fact that Wells “never meant to promulgate a new theory of physics” and would later disappoint admirers with his curt dismissal of time travel’s viability. Gleick quotes Wells from the late 1930s: “The reader got a fine confused sense of immense and different things. The effect of reality is easily produced. One jerks in one or two little unexpected gadgets or so, and the trick is done. It is a trick.”

For Wells’s contemporaries, Gleick notes, “technology had a special persuasive power.” For us, now a quarter of the way through the 21st century, things have grown complicated. Technology governs everything we do, but rather than enhancing our lives, our gadgets seem to exploit us, isolate us, box us in. Moreover, the technology itself has moved beyond our understanding, leaving us dependent on the two or three corporate entities producing it. The World of Tomorrow never arrived; no matter how much technology has progressed, it is still frustratingly Today.

Instead of holding out for a future that will solve our problems, contemporary readers now look into the past to address the wrongs inflicted on the less powerful, so what makes a convincing time travel story in the 21st century isn’t the verisimilitude of the science, but rather the morality of the characters’ intentions. In her book on ‘80s movies, Life Moves Pretty Fast , Hadley Freeman notes that in Back to the Future , “Marty’s meddling in the past results in his parents living in a nice house, with chicer furnishings, posher breakfast dishes, and even domestic help in the form of Biff Tannen in 1985. Marty’s triumph is to lift his family up to middle-class status.” If Hollywood rebooted the franchise today, Freeman writes, “Marty’s challenge would be to save the world.” I still think a remake would keep Marty’s adventures confined to his personal bubble; it’s just that instead of reuniting his parents to ensure his existence, his mission would instruct him to meddle in his parents’ past because down the line, this will save the world. Nowadays, to exploit time travel for personal gain—and indeed to tell a story in which such actions are uncritically celebrated—is unacceptable, as is returning to our discriminatory, segregated, slavery-filled history without seriously grappling with those realities. It’s no longer technology, but rather moral conviction that now has a special persuasive power on us.

Not all time travel stories involve a person literally moving through time. Peggy Sue doesn’t actually go back to high school in Peggy Sue Got Married ; rather, she dreams it (although there is, in another trope, an inexplicable trace of her journey left in the form of a book dedication). In Marge Piercy’s novel A Woman on the Edge of Time , Connie, the Chicano protagonist, is a “catcher” whose “mind and nervous system are open, receptive, to an unusual extent” and can receive messages from “senders” in the future. A similar idea is explored in the film Frequency , where a son in the late ‘90s talks with his dead father in 1969 through a ham radio. Washington Irving’s Rip Van Winkle unwittingly sleeps for 20 years and thus experientially travels through time, but he’s no more jumping ahead than any of us are.

One of the most insightful works on the subject is Ted Chiang’s novella “Story of Your Life” (and Denis Villeneuve’s film adaptation, Arrival) . In both versions, aliens touch down on Earth; as the story unfolds, scientists learn the nuances of their language, which differs from human linguistics because the aliens experience time non-causally, so they can see the past, present, and future simultaneously. In the film, the purpose of their visit is to help humanity, because they know that in three millennia, they will need our help. What’s fascinating about both versions is how learning the language of the aliens changes the human characters’ fundamental perception of time, freeing them from the limitations of cause and effect. This is, in the film, the gift the aliens traveled across galaxies to give us—language not as a tool that describes how we understand reality, but one that determines how reality appears to us. Moreover, with her newfound time-language, the main character can learn from the future—essentially, time travel as a personal premonition.

The Ministry of Truth also explores the relationship between language and time. The ministry hypothesizes that because “language informs experience,” the more an expat assimilates linguistically, “the more likely they would temporally adjust.” In her role as a bridge to Commander Gore, the narrator assiduously updates his vocabulary. She recognizes the appeal of a language-generated reality: “At its heart,” she says, “the theory promised that the raw stuff of the universe could be carved into a clausal household, populated by an extended family of concepts.” When, finally, she stands in the presence of the Ministry’s time machine, language abandons her: “Words flex and disperse when I think about it,” she says. “It had a mouth, I think. About it, color was not. About it, space was not.” The ominous object “belched its belly-deep cosmos outward” and “fired time as a rifle fires bullets.” Its shelling “radiated” antagonism and “appeared both constructed and grown.”

A protracted moment of awe-struck speechlessness in the face of a time travel device is actually a staple of the genre, but the narrator’s loss for words is not due to reverence, but rather timelessness. If language determines our perception of time, then without time, there is no language.

Just as the term “time travel” includes so many varieties as to render it almost meaningless, the very concept of time is one of the strangest and most mind-boggling precisely because time relates to all things, micro and macro. Bradley isn’t the first writer to menacingly anthropomorphize time. Time is definitely a villain—just not the way we typically think.

The British author J.B. Priestley was a writer haunted by time (he was also one of the aforementioned fans to be disappointed by Wells). Born near the end of the Victorian era, Priestley witnessed the final stages of the world’s adoption of standard time just as Einsteinian relativity upended its validity as a concept. Although he channeled much of his wariness onto the stage via his Time Plays —which explored various theories and themes of the subject not through science fiction, but human drama—he seemed to have saved up a good deal of his anguished energy for his nonfiction work Man and Time , published in 1964. Describing the undertaking as “the hardest task I ever set myself,” Priestley embarks on a personal, passionate, and vigorous examination of society’s relationship to time. He recounts with striking vividness the grandfather clocks of his childhood some six decades earlier. These ominous and ornate contraptions appeared to young Priestley as “half human, half mechanical” beings who “cleared their throats” every hour, kept watch over the children, and introduced the boy to the concept of death when “their gravely deliberate tick-tock, tick-tock … made us wonder what it was that was being tick-tocked away.”

In Priestley’s adolescent view, time is a merciless villain gobbling up the hours until we are no more. The grown-up Priestley takes it further: he imagines a future of “machine-men” who manage to keep pace with the robot overlords. What truly frightens Priestley are “not the machines but these men who were no longer on our side , so convinced they were that it was only a matter of time before machines would be much better than men.” The phrasing here is purposeful:

And a matter of time it really is. For if we really are completely contained within passing time, not able to escape from it with any part of our being, then machines that work faster, are more dependable, and last much longer, may indeed be better than men. But that will only be when we have completely forgotten what men really are, when we have disinherited ourselves perhaps for ever.

He compares the belief in an ever-marching time with conquest, living as if “bulldozing our way to a receding glorious future.”

This criticism recalls one of the charges Friedrich Nietzsche levied against Christianity, with its emphasis on the rewards (or punishments) of the afterlife in exchange for living in a way that goes against nature. Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Two voices the same insight regarding the prophecy of Paul Atreides’s messianic destiny: “You want to control people?” Chani (Zendaya) asks. “Tell them a messiah will come. They’ll wait for centuries.” She’s rightfully dubious: the prophecy does turn out to be a fabrication by a powerful religious cabal planning to prove the prediction true by orchestrating its claims—but Chani’s point would be accurate even if no premonitions came “true.” Prophecies, she tells her fellow Fremen, are tools the powerful use to enslave the powerless. Time can be weaponized.

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The literary theorist Mikhail Bakhtin borrowed a metaphor from Einstein in his term “chronotope” (“literally, ‘time space’”), which describes “the intrinsic connectedness” of time and space in fiction. Bakhtin points out something he calls “historical inversion”: a view of time that “locates such categories as purpose, ideal, justice, perfection, the harmonious condition of man and society and the like in the past .” It’s basically Golden Age thinking, and as a result, “the present and even more the past are enriched at the expense of the future.” This is due, Bakhtin argues, to the present and the past containing, in our limited perception, “the force and persuasiveness of reality,” a stirring and convincing characterization of our tendency to privilege the immediacy of now and then —or, as Bakhtin puts it, “the ‘is’ and the ‘was’”—in our understanding of time.

Whether you’re a Fremen looking forward, waiting for salvation—or, conversely, Gil Pender from Midnight in Paris , looking backward, who travels to what he considers the greatest era, Paris in the 1920s, only to meet Adriana, who claims the Belle Epoque period was truly the best—in either case, how you see time, what you believe about it, is a major factor in your circumstances.

Consider the ancient Greeks, who believed in a linear time conceived by Aristotle. Their development of concepts like reason and written history, Leonard Shlain argues in his book Art & Physics , “could have taken place only in a civilization that adhered to linear time.”

Or consider Thomas Jefferson, who was, in the words of Christopher Hitchens, “a revolutionary who believed above all in order.” Although he remained “opaque” about his religious beliefs, Jefferson is often attributed “an indeterminate deism, which accepted that the natural order seemed to require a designer but did not necessitate the belief that the said designer actually intervened in human affairs.” The perfect metaphor for deistic rationalism that Jefferson used was the same one William Paley famously used: the watchmaker analogy. This wasn’t merely an Enlightenment notion that Jefferson just happened to agree with; for him, it was the central metaphor for his life. He wrote, in his later years, that he was “an old watch, with a pinion worn here, and a wheel there, until it can go no longer.” Jefferson looked to time as a means to explain the universe, but he also saw in the timepiece a paragon of order that can operate indefinitely without further assistance from its creator—something he wanted to ensure for the new country he helped establish. America, then, is what it is in part because of philosophical views about time.

The same is true of our culture as a whole, defined and regulated as it is by temporal units. This fact relates, yes, to one person’s (incomplete) ideas about time: Isaac Newton.

The end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th witnessed a clash between two theories about time that might seem to differ only by degree. In truncated form: Isaac Newton believed there was an absolute time that chugs along independently; Einstein, as James Gleick puts it, proved that time “can be defined, but not absolutely .” Newton’s enormous influence can be seen in the ways the industrial revolution made clockwork of our days, measuring with infinitesimal exactitude what before had been abstract. Einstein’s monumental theories dispelled Newtonian Time in favor of a relative spacetime, upending two centuries of thought. But instead of taking us back to the pre-industrial timekeeping of shadows and seasons, relativity thrust us into an uncertain new world in which space can bend and time can slow down. As Bertrand Russell put it in his Einstein guidebook The ABC of Relativity , “What is demanded is a change in our imaginative picture of the world,” a demand which is “always difficult, especially when we are no longer young.”

We still live our lives by clocks, schedules, dates, the varying flotsam of measured time—now, we just know it’s mostly an illusion (lunchtime, doubly so), or at least we’re aware that the unceasing momentum of the calendar is more a methodology for productivity than an absolute truth of existence. Time, as it turns out, comes in endless flavors. There is “apparent” time and “mean” time—the former adjusts to the noon sun, while the latter is, per Michael O’Malley in his book Keeping Watch: A History of American Time , “an average of the sun’s daily variation.” Because there is no absolute time, the time that we as localized entities use for measurements is known as “proper” time. There’s “deep time,” a term coined by John McPhee to describe the unimaginable spans of time geological change requires. On the micro side of things, Planck time is the minimum unit of measuring infinitesimal durations before any concept of time ceases to matter.

Stories are organized around causality, and this makes us think that life is too.

The human scale is measured in seconds, minutes, hours, years, because those are the durations we feel we experience, whereas nanoseconds, on one end, and millennia, on the other, exist only as abstractions to us. But nothing in reality says that our extremely limited and personalized perception of time ought to be the privileged one on which we base our claims about the nature of things way beyond our scope. No time is the time, which means there is no time; only times . The word “time” is how we name our inability to see these dimensions of existence.

These are not the kinds of ideas within the jurisdictions of the Time Enforcement Commission or the Ministry of Time. Of course they aren’t; stories about such dense and unsatisfying notions would be boring, frustrating, emotionally removed. But you can see why it’s funny how, for all their posturing about being complicated, time travel stories not only fail to live up to the intricacies of time itself, but they usually reaffirm Newtonian time in the guises of destiny or fate. Conclusions are meant to be, preordained, or paradoxically instigated by future versions of the unwitting participants, because narrative needs the arrow moving in one direction. Stories are organized around causality, and this makes us think that life is too.

In his essay “Tomorrow Rarely Knows,” Chuck Klosterman observes that although the temptation to travel backward in time would be “electrifying and rational,” it’s ultimately “a desire of weakness.” He writes, “At its nucleus, this is a fantasy about never having to learn anything.” Who, after all, has the authority to decide what should be altered? Even the worst tragedies can, in time, lead to wonderful things. This is why in Avengers: Endgame , when they bring back the billions dusted in the Blip, Tony Stark urges, “Don’t change anything from the last five years.” In the brief aftermath of losing half the population of the universe, humanity found things they didn’t want to let go of.

Time travel is the realm of the desperate, the selfish, the “people who want to solve life’s mysteries without having to do the work,” as Klosterman puts it. If you want to make the world a better place, a quick trip back in time seems much easier than trying to be a better person, or working to help others, or contributing to the beauty that makes time tolerable.

People often assume that peace is only an absence of conflict, rather than a complex state that must be painstakingly forged . Time travel isn’t the right solution because a better world—free of violence, oppression, suffering—is too complex to be fixed with minor adjustments. What’s needed, like Bertrand Russell said, is a change in our imaginative picture of the world. But now, it’s not about us grasping relativity or quantum physics; rather, it's about recognizing how often our knee-jerk attitude toward time can deprive us of the thing in life we know to be real and true: our present moment. It’s about the lesson that Marcel Proust spends a millions words and four-thousand pages learning in the greatest time travel story ever told, In Search of Lost Time —namely, what he calls “embodied time, of past years not being separated from us.” It’s about seeing as best we can the grand Aristotielian triad—was, is, will be—not as three discrete entities, but one fluid, fluxing plane that bends and breaks and folds and crumples and stretches and rips and whatever else. It’s about learning the language of Ted Chiang’s aliens so that we might, in some way, learn from the future as well as the past. It’s about no longer being satisfied with thought experiments about how to improve existence, and instead demanding and forging changes in the boring, slow, old-fashioned way of traveling through time: living.

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The 25 Best Time Travel Listens to Take You on an Unforgettable Journey

Searching for your next time travel escape? With this guide, you're sure to find an exciting audiobook to transport you to the perfect place in another time.

Time travel is one of science fiction's most popular subgenres. Fans are drawn to its infinite possibilities, offering a glimpse into past cultures, societies, and pivotal events while exploring big  what if ? questions. What if you knew what would happen next in your life? What if you could go back and change history? What if you did change history?

If you’ve already listened (and re-listened) to the Outlander series and are ready to explore something new and different in time travel, check out our top 25 picks below. Varying in tone and setting, these outstanding audiobooks will take you an unforgettable trip not only across time but also around the world and into new dimensions. Happy traveling!

Save this list to your Collections Library now.

Kindred is a harrowing, genre-defying classic from the trailblazing, multiple award-winning queen of science fiction, Octavia E. Butler . It begins in 1976 when Dana, a 26-year-old African American woman, is suddenly wrenched out of her life in California and transported to antebellum Maryland. She remains in the past long enough to save a white boy from drowning and then, just as suddenly, finds herself back in the present. But she's returned to encounter this young man, again and again, the tension and danger growing with every visit.

The Psychology of Time Travel

Actress and director Ellie Heydon's superb narration grounds this twisty, alternating timeline story about four female scientists whose invention changed the world forever. In 1967, four women built the first time machine—but on the cusp of its debut, the project was halted and one woman's contributions were erased from history. Flash forward 50 years: time travel is thriving—and the granddaughter of one of those women is determined to find out what really happened to its unsung pioneers. This is a must-listen for fans of novels about strong women as well as time travel adventures.

How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe

Fans of whimsical, humorous, creative sci-fi will love this delightfully odd yet totally charming story about a time travel technician named Charles Yu. Minor Universe 31 is a kind of alternate reality where time travel is routine and serious business. Every day, ordinary people use time machines to tinker with the past, even when it's foolish or dangerous. Part gadget repairer and part counselor, Charles is tasked with keeping these time travelers safe. But now his father is lost somewhere in this vast story-space. Could a book, written by Charles's future self, hold the key to finding him?

The Golden Orchard

This enchanting middle grade novel mixes the wonder of time travel with the warmth of comfort food. Maya's favorite activity is cooking with her grandmother—her Halmunee—whose recipes are filled with stories and family history. One day while cooking together, Maya and her Halmunee create a memory so strong that it physically transports them back into the memory itself. As Maya soon learns, the women in her family have the gift of time travel through food. Will Maya be able to use her gift to protect the ones she loves? Narrator Kathleen Choe captures both Maya's sparkle and her Halmunee's tenderness. Not just for kids, this listen is made to be enjoyed by the whole family, especially while cooking or eating together.

The Time Traveler's Wife

In this contemporary classic, Chicago couple Clare and Henry find their lives defined by Henry's unusual ability to travel through time. Though he has no control over where and when he travels, he's often drawn to momentous or emotional periods in his past or future. Lush, vivid, and bursting with passion, The Time Traveler's Wife is both a time travel saga and an operatic love story about two ordinary people struggling to build a life together amidst extraordinary circumstances. Through their dual narration, Phoebe Strole and Fred Berman perfectly capture this loving couple and their extremely complicated relationship.

The Shining Girls

Six talented narrators capture every twist and turn of Lauren Beukes 's unpredictable and unpausable time travel thriller, The Shining Girls . Harper Curtis is a serial killer with a secret source of protection from his terrible crimes. Hiding in plain sight in Depression-era Chicago, his home base is a house that lets him disappear into other time periods after he commits a murder. Thanks to the house, Harper believes himself invincible—until one of his victims survives and makes it her mission to catch her would-be killer, no matter where or when her quest for justice takes her.

Cowritten by William Gibson , best-selling author of Neuromancer , Archangel takes time travel across two worlds. In 2016, on a different Earth than ours, the power-hungry President-for-Life Lewis Henderson is desperate to save his dying planet. His terrifying solution is a machine called the Splitter, which creates a new version of Earth—one in which none of the events that led to the apocalypse have happened yet. In a flash, our Earth, the way it was in 1945, becomes the battleground for President Henderson's plan. An Audible Original, this high-stakes sci-fi thriller is rendered even more heart-pounding by the stellar full-cast narration.

Here and Now and Then

Mike Chen 's Here and Now and Then is a warmhearted time travel adventure. Kin Stewart, a time-traveling agent from 2142, finds himself stranded in 1990s San Francisco. Making the best of being stuck in the past, he eventually settles in and builds a life for himself. Now, 18 years later, he's dealing with ordinary challenges—parenting a teenager and keeping his marriage afloat—until a rescue team from the future shows up. Their mission: to return Kin to 2142, where he's been gone only a few weeks, not years, and he has a family waiting for him. Suddenly, Kin's whole life is thrown into disarray. You'll want to hear how he sorts it all out and protects the people he loves.

This Is How You Lose the Time War

In this unusual and beautifully written epistolary time travel romance, two women, agents on opposite sides of an ancient galactic war, fall in unlikely love. Red and Blue have always been rivals, traveling through time and space as their superior officers command them, always trying to stay one step ahead of each other. But slowly, over years, their once-playful and cutting notes transform into revealing love letters—with consequences for the entire universe. Accomplished narrators Cynthia Farrell and Emily Woo Zeller bring each woman to life, with all her longing and turmoil.

Narrator Davina Porter 's flawless accent and nuanced delivery make the 30 hours of the first Outlander novel fly by. In this beloved tale of love across time, Clare Randall, a former war nurse, is on vacation in Scotland with her husband in 1945 when she is suddenly and mysteriously transported to the 18th century. As she struggles to orient herself in time—and stay alive long enough to get home—she finds herself drawn to a Scots warrior, who makes staying a hundred years in the past seem like not such a bad idea.

Oona Out of Order

New Year's Eve, 1982. At the stroke of midnight, Oona will turn 19, and she's looking forward to the year ahead. Then she faints, and wakes up in a lovely but strange house, now 51 years old. She soon learns that with each passing year, she will leap to another age and stage in her life, completely at random. That's the start of Oona Out of Order . What follows is a wild journey through time, as Oona deals with the changing world and her changing place in it. Brittany Pressley's performance adds to the magic of the story—she perfectly captures Oona at every age, subtly changing her voice while retaining the spark, passion, confusion, and hope of a 19-year-old beginning the adventure of life.

Version Control

Version Control is an intricate story about the past and the future, technology, and what we believe we know about ourselves—and each other. After a personal tragedy, Rebecca Wright met her husband on a dating app, for which she now works, and reclaimed her life. On the surface, all is well and perfectly normal. Yet, Rebecca can't shake the sense that something is not quite right in her world. She constantly feels as if she has walked into a room and has no idea why; people around her often seem to be out of place. Meanwhile, her husband is busy working on his life's passion: a machine he insists on calling a causality violation device (definitely not a time machine). Award-winning narrator January LaVoy is flawless as usual, expertly voicing Rebecca and bringing even the most minor characters and small details to life.

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court

Actor, author, and talented narrator Nick Offerman breathes hilarious new life into Mark Twain 's satirical classic with his pitch-perfect performance in this Audible exclusive. The story stars Hank Morgan, a modern 19th-century New Englander who is suddenly thrust back in time to Camelot and sets out to improve the lives of King Arthur and his court. Offerman and Twain are a match made in heaven; Offerman instinctively captures Hank’s straightforward manner and can-do attitude.

The Future of Another Timeline

Annalee Newitz 's gripping and thoughtful novel provides a fresh take on the classic dual-timeline time travel story. In 1992, after helping her friend hide her abusive boyfriend's body, 17-year-old Beth sets out on a quest for revenge, determined to protect other women from violence at the hands of men. In 2022, Tess has devoted her life to using time travel to make the world a better place, traveling back to important moments in history in the hopes of changing them for the better. When Tess and Beth's paths collide, it's not just their lives that will change forever, but the future of the timeline itself.

An Ocean of Minutes

An Ocean of Minutes is a moving story about love, faith, and weighing the costs of holding on to the past against letting it go. It opens as America is gripped by a deadly pandemic. When Frank catches the virus, his girlfriend, Polly, will do anything to save him—even traveling into the future where scientists have found a cure. If she signs up for a one-way trip into the future to work as a bonded laborer, the company will pay for the life-saving treatment Frank needs. Polly promises to meet Frank again in Galveston, Texas, where she will arrive in 12 years. But when she is rerouted an extra five years into the future, Frank is nowhere to be found. Alone in a changed and divided country, with no money or status, Polly must navigate a new life as she continues to search for Frank. Is he still alive? Has their love endured?

The Girl from Everywhere

Kim Mai Guest narrates this excellent duology that sweeps from 21st-century New York City to 19th-century Hawaii to timeless mythical places. It focuses on a young woman named Nix who makes her home on a ship piloted by her father, which can slip through time, providing they have a historical map to their destination. For Nix’s entire life, her father has been searching for a map of Honolulu from 1868, the very place and time her mother died in childbirth. Nix dreads the moment of his discovery. Will her father's intervention in the past risk her very existence? Heidi Heilig presents an intriguing YA saga with a clever take on time travel.

Alexander X

While not strictly a time-travel series, Edward Savio 's Battle for Forever saga follows a man named Alexander who has traveled through time as an immortal being. In recent years, he has focused on avoiding trouble and making his life as innocuous as possible. But when he and his friends are kidnapped by some very bad people, Alexander finds himself stepping out of the shadows and into a vast conspiracy across time. This Audible-exclusive series is narrated by Wil Wheaton , making it a definite must-listen.

In this trilogy , narrated by Gary Furlong, an alternate Victorian England is completely controlled by clock towers. When the clock towers break, time runs funny. When they stop altogether, so does time. It's a reality 17-year-old Danny, ace clock mechanic, knows too well. His father has been trapped in a stopped town for three years, and he's obsessed with staging a rescue. To divert his fixation, Danny's employer sends him to a town where the clock tower is plagued with problems—accompanied by a new apprentice. Danny's annoyance towards his helper soon turns to fascination. His enigmatic apprentice is a clock spirit. The Timekeeper Trilogy intertwines magic, mystery, and romance in a fully realized historical setting.

Alice Payne Arrives

A time-traveling bandit must step up and become a hero in this novella series from best-selling historical fantasy author Kate Heartfield . Skipping across time, notorious highway robber Alice Payne juggles some of the most interesting periods of history with two opposing ideologies—setting the scene for a major war! Clocking in at just over three hours per installment, this is a quick and fun listen that explores time periods often overlooked in fiction, and Jennywren Walker’s smooth narration will take you through each twist and turn.

The Very First Damned Thing

From British author Jodi Taylor , this expansive, rollicking series follows the adventures and hijinks of the historians at St. Mary’s. Proper scholars, they don’t time travel—they simply observe history by going to the settings and time periods they wish to study. But simple observation proves difficult, and they often find themselves in hot water in an attempt to not mess with timelines. This is the perfect series to dive into if you like quirky humor and dedication to favorite characters. There are 10 books in the series, plus several short stories and novellas to fill out the spaces in between, and nearly all of them are narrated by Zara Ramm. (Taylor herself narrates the prequel.) Since it’s an Audible exclusive, you’ll only find it here!

This colorful trilogy ( Ruby Red , Sapphire Blue , and Emerald Green ) was originally written in German and translated by Anthea Bell. Marissa Carlin narrates all three books, which focus on a family with the gift of time travel. Gwyneth doesn't think of herself as gifted—all her life, she’s been watching her beautiful, sophisticated cousin Charlotte prepare for her future as a time traveler. But one day, in the middle of class, Gwyneth takes an unexpected trip to a different era, She's woefully unprepared for her journeys through time. But Gwyneth will do everything it takes to learn how to harness her power—and find out why her mother would lie about her birth date to conceal her ability.

16-year-old Kate is certain her grandmother must be senile when she hands her a medallion and says she has the ability to time travel. But soon, it all becomes clear and chillingly real—when a murder in 1893 at Chicago’s World Fair rocks Kate's life in the present and threatens her very existence. And now it’s up to her to go back and right the past in order to have a future. How will Kate's actions affect her family and the fate of the entire world? Kicking off The Chronos Files , Timebound was the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award winner in 2013. All of books in the series, including spin-off novellas, are available as audiobooks, narrated by Kate Rudd.

Doomsday Book

This engaging series from acclaimed author Connie Willis is a multiple Hugo and Nebula winner. The first book follows Kivrin, a student at Oxford, and her mentor Dunworthy as they travel back to the 14th century for a chance to perform valuable research on the time period. Kivrin is also ready for an adventure—but not for being trapped in an era marked by the bubonic plague. Over in the 21st century, things are going pretty sideways for Dunworthy as well. Combining action and adventure with insights into the facts of life and human nature that connect people across time, these audiobooks, similar in length to Outlander, are the perfect picks if you’re looking to get lost in time for a while.

Beyond the Highland Mist

If you’re looking for your next romantic historical time travel series to marathon after Outlander, look no further than Highlander ! In the first installment, you'll meet Hawk, legendary Highland warrior and infamous womanizer. No woman can claim his heart until he meets Adrienne, who must certainly be a fairy because she is not of this world. In fact, she’s from modern-day Seattle, and her journey back into time is a mistake. But when she’s betrothed to Hawk, she finds a love she’ll fight for across time. Each book in the series is narrated by Phil Gigante and follows a different but connected couple in a time travel adventure.

Time and Again

One of the very foundations of the time travel narrative, Jack Finney 's 1970 classic Time and Again is a must for any listener fascinated by the curiosities of jumping through eras. Mystery, romance, and sci-fi blend in bringing to life the story of Si Morley, a young man transported from the mid-20th century to the 1880s as a result of a clandestine government project. Finney crafts a richly detailed, totally charming past, one that creates a perfect backdrop as a conflicted Morley weighs returning to his life in the present—or staying behind with the woman he’s slowly fallen in love with. Paul Hecht performs a time travel gem that continues to shine.

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The Best Audiobooks for Outlander Fans

If you're looking for more historical romance series or time travel books, you've come to the right place. Here are the top series to listen to after Outlander.

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Exploring History's Greatest Adventures throughout time!

25 Time Travel Novels and series for Children, Middle Grade, and Young Adult

Time Travel Is An Exciting Science Fiction/Fantasy Genre Where The Plot Possibilities Are Truly Endless And They Can Sometimes Be As Educational As They Are Entertaining. Of course, not all time travel books are a set up to teach kids about a specific time period. Many are simply a fun fantasy. They’re the perfect gateway to historical fiction – especially if the child enjoys the time period.   Here are our picks for kid-friendly, time-travel books – some old, some new – including series and stand-alone novels.   A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle. This book only makes the list because people would expect to see it. But the brother and sister characters do not travel “back” in time. Instead, they travel through space and time, from galaxy to galaxy in search of their father – perhaps to future worlds? For ages 9 – 12.   Magic Tree House series by Mary Pope Osborne. There are over 60 books in this series where siblings Jack and Annie go on adventures throughout history experiencing dinosaurs and sabertooth tigers, Vikings, Egyptian Pharoahs and more. These make great early reader books. For ages 5 – 8.   The Secret of the Hidden Scrolls by M. J. Thomas is an adventure-packed chapter book series that follows siblings Peter and Mary and their dog, Hank, as they discover ancient scrolls that transport them back to key moments in biblical history. For ages 6 – 9.   Rescue on the Oregon Trail (Ranger in Time #1of 13) by Kate Messner. Ranger is a time-traveling golden retriever who has a nose for trouble . . . and always saves the day! For ages 7 – 10 years   World’s Worst Time Machine (Volume 1) by Dustin Brady. From the bestselling author of Trapped in a Video Game series, Brady’s laugh-out-loud sense of humor and daring adventure will keep even the most reluctant reader wanting to turn the pages of this new series. For ages 8 – 11.   The Secret Lake by Karen Inglis. Siblings Stella and Tom go back 100 years from their London home to solve a mystery in this page-turning instant classic. For ages 8 – 11.   George Washington’s Spy (Time Travel Adventures trilogy) by Elvira Woodruff. Ten-year-old Matt Carlton and six friends are accidentally swept back in time–to Boston in 1776! The British now occupy the city, and redcoat guards are everywhere! For ages 7 – 10.   One if By Land, Two if By Submarine by Eileen Schnabel. When Paul Revere is kidnapped by a time traveler determined to change the outcome of the American Revolution, thirteen-year-old Kep Westguard is sent to Boston, 1775, to take his famous midnight ride. For ages 10+.   Displaced: Both Feet in the Game by JJ Carroll. Seventh grader Nikola and his friends travel back 100 years and must travel over 4,500 miles with no money, no means of transportation and a sinister FBI agent on their heels. For ages 8 – 12.   Laurella Swift and the Keys of Time by Allison Parkinson. Laurella Swift and the Keys of Time is the first in a new series of Laurella Swift adventures. The historical fantasy takes middle-grade readers on a rip-roaring escapade to the court of Cyrus the Great. For ages 7 – 12.   The Last Musketeer by Stuart Gibbs. On a family trip to Paris, Greg Rich’s parents disappear. They’re not just missing from the city—they’re missing from the century. So, Greg does what any other fourteen-year-old would do: He travels through time to rescue them. For ages 8 – 12.   Anachronist : The Infinity Engines series (Book 1) by Andrew Hastie. Travelling into the past using the timelines of ancient artefacts, the Oblivion Order explore the forgotten centuries, ones that never made it into the history books. They make subtle adjustments to the past – saving us from oblivion in the future. Young Adult.   Glitch by Laura Martin. Glitchers are people who travel through time to preserve important historical events. Regan Fitz finds a letter from his future self, warning about an impending disaster that threatens him and everyone he knows. For ages 10+.   The Rhythm of Time by Questlove. Seventh grader Rahim Reynolds goes back to 1997 and learns what every time traveler before him has: Actions in the past jeopardize the future. For ages 10 – 12.   Stealing the Sword (Time Jumpers series Book 1) by Wendy Mass. Aimed at newly independent readers with easy-to-read text, high-interest content, fast-paced plots, and illustrations on every page. For ages 6 – 9.   Justice for Joe by Dianna Dorisi Winget. When twelve-year-old Birch first learns the rare clock gene she inherited from her grandmother enables her to time travel, she’s not excited–she’s terrified. For ages 8 – 12.   The Hat, George Washington, and Me! By Gregory O. Smith. Part time travel, part crazy school, full-time fun! “Hey Mom, there’s a patriot in my cereal box!” A fast-moving mystery adventure for children ages 8-14.   The Eye of Ra by Ben Gartner . For readers graduating from the Magic Tree House series and ready for intense action, dive into this middle grade novel rich with meticulous historical detail. For ages 8 – 12.   The Thrifty Guide to the American Revolution : A Handbook for Time Travelers by Jonathan W Stokes. If you had a time travel machine and could take a vacation anywhere in history, this is the only guidebook you would need! For ages 8 – 12.   Hot on the Trail in Ancient Egypt by Linda Bailey. Book 1 of the series. All twins Josh and Emma want to do is get out of the creepy Good Times Travel Agency where their little sister, Libby, has led them. But the peculiar shop owner encourages them to open one of his guidebooks first — and they suddenly find themselves transported back in time.   The Egypt Game by Zilpha Keatley Snyder. Everyone thinks it’s just a game until strange things start happening. Has the Egypt Game gone too far? For ages 8 – 12.   Greg’s First Adventure in Time (Book 1 of 5) by C. M. Huddleston. Archaeology, time travel, and a moose hunt combine to force 12-year-old Greg to face his fears and find his strengths. Greg explores a world that existed more than 3,000 years ago with his new Native American friend Hopelf. While Greg learns about Native American ways of life, how to hunt and fish, and just to survive, he is always searching for a way back home. For ages 10+.   The Time Travelers by Linda Buckley-Archer. Gideon, Peter, and Kate are swept into a journey through eighteenth-century London and form a bond that, they hope, will stand strong in the face of unfathomable treachery. For ages 8 – 12.   Found (Book 1 of 8) by Margaret Peterson Haddix. One night a plane appeared out of nowhere, the only passengers aboard: thirty-six babies. As soon as they were taken off the plane, it vanished. Now, thirteen years later, two of those children are receiving sinister messages, and they begin to investigate their past. Their quest to discover where they really came from leads them to a conspiracy that reaches from the far past to the distant future–and will take them hurtling through time. For ages 10+.   The History Mystery Kids: Fiasco in Florida (Book 1 of 10) by Daniel Kenney. Professor Abner Jefferson is missing. His children watched him get sucked into a book. Now they must find him. By going back… through History! For ages 8 – 10.

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Reading Pennsylvania, USA

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'The Ministry of Time' by Kaliane Bradley is our 'GMA' Book Club pick for May

Kaliane Bradley's novel is a blend of travel, romance and spy thriller.

"The Ministry of Time" by Kaline Bradley is our "GMA" Book Club pick for May.

A British-Cambodian writer and editor based in London, Bradley was the winner of the 2022 Harper’s Bazaar Short Story Prize and the 2022 V.S. Pritchett Short Story Prize.

A blend of multiple genres from romance to thriller, her debut fiction novel chronicles the journey of a civil servant who is offered the salary of her dreams working for a new government ministry gathering “expats” across history to find out if time travel is attainable.

MORE: 'Just for the Summer' by Abby Jimenez is our 'GMA' Book Club pick for April

Her responsibility is to serve as a bridge by living with, assisting and monitoring an expat known as “1847” or Commander Graham Gore.

As far as history is concerned, Commander Gore died on Sir John Franklin’s doomed 1845 expedition to the Arctic, so he’s a little disoriented to be living with an unmarried woman who is surrounded by outlandish concepts such as “washing machines,” “Spotify” and “the collapse of the British Empire.”

But with an appetite for discovery, a seven-a-day cigarette habit, and the support of a charming and chaotic cast of fellow expats, he soon adjusts. The dynamic later evolves from an uncomfortable situation into something more genuine and deeper.

By the time the true shape of the Ministry’s project comes to light, Gore and the bridge are forced to confront the choices that brought them together. Can true love prevail? What does it mean to defy history, when history is living in your house?

Read an excerpt below and get a copy of the book here .

The Ministry of Time: A Novel

This month, we are also teaming up with Little Free Library to give out free copies in Times Square and at 150 locations across the U.S. and Canada. Since 2009, more than 300 million books have been shared in Little Free Libraries across the world. Click here to find a copy of "The Ministry of Time" at a Little Free Library location near you.

Read along with us and join the conversation all month on our Instagram account, @GMABookClub, and with #GMABookClub.

***************************

The interviewer said my name, which made my thoughts clip. I don’t say my name, not even in my head. She’d said it correctly, which people generally don’t.

“I’m Adela,” she said. She had an eye patch and blond hair the same color and texture as hay. “I’m the Vice Secretary.”

“Of . . . ?”

“Have a seat.”

This was my sixth round of interviews. The job I was interviewing for was an internal posting. It had been marked security clearance required because it was gauche to use the top secret stamps on paperwork with salary bands.

I’d never been cleared to this security level, hence why no one would tell me what the job was. As it paid almost triple my current salary, I was happy to taste ignorance.

I’d had to produce squeaky-clean grades in first aid, Safeguarding Vulnerable People, and the Home Office’s Life in the UK test to get this far.

I knew that I would be working closely with refugees of high-interest status and particular needs, but I didn’t know from whence they were fleeing. I’d assumed politically important defectors from Russia or China.

Adela, Vice Secretary of God knows what, tucked a blond strand behind her ear with an audible crunch.

“Your mother was a refugee, wasn’t she?” she said, which is a demented way to begin a job interview.

“Yes, ma’am.” “Cambodia,” she said. “Yes, ma’am.”

I’d been asked this question a couple of times over the course of the interview process. Usually people asked it with an upward lilt, expecting me to correct them, because no one’s from Cambodia.

You don’t look Cambodian, one early clown had said to me, then glowed like a pilot light because the interview was being recorded for staff monitoring and training purposes. He’d get a warning for that one.

People say this to me a lot, and what they mean is: you look like one of the late-entering forms of white — Spanish maybe — and also like you’re not dragging a genocide around, which is good because that sort of thing makes people uncomfortable.

There was no genocide-adjacent follow-up: Any family still there [understanding moue]? Do you ever visit [sympathetic smile]? Beautiful country [darkening with tears]; when I visited [visible on lower lid] they were so friendly...

Adela just nodded. I wondered if she’d go for the rare fourth option and pronounce the country dirty.

“She would never refer to herself as a refugee, or even a former refugee,” I added. “It’s been quite weird to hear people say that.”

“The people you will be working with are also unlikely to use the term. We prefer ‘expat.’ In answer to your question, I’m the Vice Secretary of Expatriation.”

“And they are expats from . . . ?” “History.”

Adela shrugged. “We have time-travel,” she said, like someone describing the coffee machine. “Welcome to the Ministry.”

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I was thrilled to get the job. I’d plateaued where I was, in the Lan- guages department of the Ministry of Defence.

I worked as a translator - consultant specializing in Southeast Asia, specifically Cambodia. I’d learned the languages I translated from at university.

Despite my mother speaking Khmer to us at home, I hadn’t retained it through my forma- tive years. I came to my heritage as a foreigner.

I liked my Languages job well enough, but I’d wanted to become a field agent, and after failing the field exams twice I was at a bit of a loss for career trajectory. It wasn’t what my parents had had in mind for me.

When I was a very small child, my mother made her ambitions known. She wanted me to be prime minister. As prime minister, I would “do something” about British foreign policy and I would also take my parents to fancy governmental dinners.

I would have a chauffeur. (My mother never learned to drive; the chauffeur was important.) Regrettably she also drilled the karmic repercussions of gossip and lying into me — the fourth Buddhist precept is unambiguous on this—and thus at the age of eight my political career was over before it began.

My younger sister was a far more skilled dissembler. I was dutiful with language, and she was evasive, pugnacious with it.

This is why I became a translator and she became a writer — or at least she tried to become a writer and became a copy editor.

I was paid considerably more than her, and my parents understood what my job was, so I would say that karma worked in my favor. My sister would say something along the lines of: Go f--k yourself. But I know she means it in a friendly way, probably.

Even on the very day we were to meet the expats, we were still arguing about the word “expat.”

“If they’re refugees,” said Simellia, one of the other bridges, “then we should call them refugees. They’re not moving to a summer cottage in Provence.”

“They will not necessarily think of themselves as refugees,” said Vice Secretary Adela.

“Has anyone asked them what they think?”

“They see themselves as kidnap victims, mostly. Nineteen-sixteen thinks he’s behind enemy lines. Sixteen-sixty-five thinks she’s dead.”

“And they’re being released to us today?”

“The Wellness team think their adjustment will be negatively im- pacted if they’re held on the wards any longer,” said Adela, dry as a filing system.

We — or rather, Simellia and Adela — were having this argument in one of the Ministry’s interminable rooms: pebble-colored with lights embedded in the ceiling, modular in a way that suggested opening a door would lead to another identical space, and then another, and then another. Rooms like this are designed to encourage bureaucracy.

This was supposed to be the final direct briefing of the five bridges: Simellia, Ralph, Ivan, Ed, and me.

We’d all gone through a six-round interview process that put the metaphorical drill to our back teeth and bored. Have you now, or ever, been convicted of or otherwise implicated in any activity that might undermine your security status? Then nine months of preparation.

The endless working groups and background checks. The construction of shell jobs in our old departments (Defence, Diplomatic, Home Office). Now we were here, in a room where the electricity was audible in the light bulbs, about to make history.

“Don’t you think,” said Simellia, “that throwing them into the world when they think they’re in the afterlife or on the western front might impede their adjustment? I ask both as a psychologist and a person with a normal level of empathy.”

Adela shrugged.

“It might. But this country has never accepted expatriates from history before. They might die of genetic mutations within the year.”

“Should we expect that?” I asked, alarmed.

“We don’t know what to expect. That’s why you have this job.”

From "The Ministry of Time" by Kaliane Bradley. Copyright 2024 by Kaliane Bradley. Reprinted by permission of Avid Reader Press, a Division of Simon   & Schuster, Inc.

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