time travel stories book

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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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 .

Read In Five Years : Amazon | Goodreads

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 .

Read Before the coffee gets cold : Amazon | Goodreads

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 .

Read The Midnight Library : Amazon | Goodreads

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.

Read The First Fifteen Lives Of Harry August : Amazon | Goodreads

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.

Read An Ocean of Minutes : Amazon | Goodreads

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.

Read Recursion : Amazon | Goodreads

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.

Read This Is How You Lose The War : Amazon | Goodreads

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.

Read All Our Wrong Todays : Amazon | Goodreads

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!).

Read Here And Now And Then : Amazon | Goodreads

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.

Read How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe : Amazon | Goodreads

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.

Read The Vanished Birds : Amazon | Goodreads

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!

Read Night Watch : Amazon | Goodreads

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 .

Read The Future of Another Timeline : Amazon | Goodreads

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.

Read The Kingdoms : Amazon | Goodreads

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.

Read The Light Brigade : Amazon | Goodreads

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.

Read The Umbrella Academy : Amazon | Goodreads

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.

Read The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle : Amazon | Goodreads

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 .

Read Outlander : Amazon | Goodreads

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.

Read 11/22/63 : Amazon | Goodreads

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 .

Read Kindred : Amazon | Goodreads

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.

Read What The Wind Knows : Amazon | Goodreads

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 .

Read One Last Stop : Amazon | Goodreads

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 .

Read The Time Traveler’s Wife : Amazon | Goodreads

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 .

Read In A Holidaze : Amazon | Goodreads

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.

Read A Knight In Shining Armor : Amazon | Goodreads

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.

Read The Night Mark : Amazon | Goodreads

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.

Read The Seven Year Slip : Amazon | Goodreads

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.

Read A Christmas Carol : Amazon | Goodreads

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 .

Read Slaughterhouse-Five : Amazon | Goodreads

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.

Read A Connecticut Yankee In King Arthur’s Court : Amazon | Goodreads

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.

Read The Time Machine : Amazon | Goodreads

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.

Read Displacement : Amazon | Goodreads

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 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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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 .    

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1 thought on “25 of the Best Time Travel Books”

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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20 Must-Read Time Travel Books

Dana lives in East Haven, CT. She works for that Ivy League institution down the street and tries to read as many books as possible in her free time. Audiobooks and print books get equal love. Also, she unapologetically judges books by their covers and makes way too many playlists (c'mon, books need a soundtrack too!). Follow her on Twitter @lucyhenley115 .

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Hear me out, there’s a sub-genre of sci-fi that that has a touch of anything you could ever want: time travel books. The best time travel books come in all packages: adventure, historical fiction, romance, social commentary, mystery, humor, poetry. It really has it all. So, if you can still recite the opening credits of Quantum Leap from memory, this list is for you. Enjoy these must-read time travel books.

Here and Now and Then  by Mike Chen

Kin is a time-traveling agent from the year 2142 who gets stuck in 1990s San Francisco after a botched mission, and his rescue team shows up 18 years too late after he’s already built a life for himself. Here and Now and Then has all those warm and fuzzy sci-fi feels with just the right amount of Doctor Who level angst . Kin dealing with the circumstances of time travel and the consequences it brings about is super compelling and emotional and so, so worthy of a Murray Gold score.

The Future of Another Timeline  by Annalee Newitz

In the world of Another Timeline , time travel has been around since forever in the form of a geologic phenomena known as the “Machines.” Tess belongs to a group called the Daughters of Harriett, determined to make the future better for women by editing the timeline at key moments in history. They run up against the misogynistic group called the Comstockers working towards the opposite goal. There’s time travel, murder, punk rock concerts, nerd references, and an edit war. As Newitz recently said in an extra of their podcast, Our Opinions Are Correct , history is a  “synthesis of good fuckery” and I can’t think of a better phrase to describe this book than that.

An Ocean of Minutes  by Thea Lim

There is a deadly flu pandemic in America. Polly’s boyfriend Frank gets sick and she signs up for a one-way ticket to the future to work off the cost of Frank’s cure. They agree to meet up in the future, but Polly is rerouted to a later time where America is divided and she has no connections and no money. This is a really gorgeously written and heart-wrenching story about time travel, dystopian society, the brutality of survival in an unfamiliar world, and a character study of a normal person dealing with it all.

Kindred  by Octavia Butler

Dana is an African American woman celebrating her birthday in 1976 California when she is pulled through time to Antebellum Maryland. She saves a young white boy named Rufus from drowning and finds herself staring down the barrel of his father’s rifle. She is pulled back to her present just in time to save her life, appearing back in her living room soaked and muddy. She is repeatedly pulled back to the past encountering the same young man.  Over the course of these harrowing episodes, Dana realizes her connection to Rufus and the challenge she is faced with. This is a brilliant, thought-provoking, and intense book that is required reading for so many reasons least of which is time travel.

Alice Payne Arrives  by Kate Heartfield

Alice Payne Arrives is a quick romp through time with some truly amazing female characters. Alice Payne is a half-black queer woman in 1788 England living in her father’s deteriorating mansion. She’s also a notorious masked highway robber and her partner is an inventor. Prudence is a professional time traveler from the 22nd century working fruitlessly to try and change one small event in 1884. The two women cross paths and work together to put Prudence’s plan to end time travel in motion. This novella packs a lot of action and time travel goodness and there’s a sequel called Alice Payne Rides . It also contains one of the realest lines of any of the time travel books I’ve read: “2016’s completely fucked.”

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

Charles Yu is a time machine repairman searching for his missing father, “accompanied by TAMMY, an operating system with low self-esteem, and Ed, a nonexistent but ontologically valid dog.” He receives a book from his future self that could help him locate his father. The book is called How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe and he wrote it. Hi, this book is super cool, fun, clever, and weird in the best ways. It has the highest distinction I can give a sci-fi book and that is warm and fuzzy.

The Psychology of Time Travel  by Kate Mascarenhas

Four female scientists invent time travel in 1967. One of the scientists, Bee,  suffers a mental breakdown just before they’re about to go public with their findings. The other three exile Bee from the project to save face. Fifty years later time travel is a normal part of life and a huge business. It’s regulated by the Conclave, founded by three of the original scientists, which seeks to self govern all aspects of time travel. The Psychology of Time Travel  serves up time travel with a locked-door mystery and the payoff of alternating perspectives and timelines slowly coming together.

The River of No Return  by Bee Ridgeway

At the moment of his death on a Napoleonic battlefield, Lord Nicholas Falcott wakes up in the 21st century. He’s recruited by a time travel agency known as The Guild for training. Julia Percy lives in 1815 England and after the death of her grandfather seeks to find her place in a world where meddling with time is commonplace. There’s a whole lot going on here: romance, betrayal, double-agents, and drawing on emotion to facilitate time jumps, leading to my favorite line: “Though really they were probably both insane. Two grown men dressed up like Mr. Darcy, holding hands behind a tree, trying to pull themselves by the heart strings back to the long ago.”

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

Blue and Red are fighting on opposite sides of an endless time war. They begin to exchange letters on the battlefield, first as a boast, then as an exploration of friendship across enemy lines, and finally as a romance. I have previously described this as “poetic sci-fi realness.” I could be more professional and say that this is an epistolary work of rival agents forming a bond despite their opposition, but like I can’t okay. This book is so intricate and beautiful and the letters are not on paper, they could be in the dregs of a teacup or the rings of a tree, and I’m not crying you’re crying.

All Our Wrong Todays  by Elan Mastai

Tom is a misfit in a utopian world, and he goes back in time and accidentally screws up the future. This mishap leaves him stranded in our 2016, but what we think of as the real world is a dystopian wasteland to Tom. He eventually finds different versions of everything he knows and maybe even his soulmate. Tom has to decide whether to fix the timeline and bring back utopia or live in this new version of the world he’s created. Probably me as a time traveler, tbh.

The Fire Opal Mechanism by Fran Wilde

The Fire Opal Mechanism  is technically a sequel to The Jewel and Her Lapidary , but it can definitely be read as a stand-alone. Ania is a librarian at the last university desperately trying to save as many books as she can. All the other universities have fallen to the Pressman, an extremist group bent on destroying all the world’s books and replacing them with a generic, self-updating compendium available to everyone regardless of economic class. Jorit, branded a thief, is on the run just trying to survive long enough to afford passage on a ship away from all these problems. They team up and inadvertently discover time travel, but will it help them fix the present? This is really beautifully written, especially the passages about books: “Touching a book, for Ania, was like touching a person’s fingertips across the years. She could feel a pulse, a passion for the knowledge the book contained.”

The Silver Wind  by Nina Allan

The Silver Wind  is a series of stories linked by the character Martin Newland. Each story is like an alternate universe brought about by time machines and time travel. As Allan describes on her website : “While the overarching theme of this book might properly be found in Martin’s struggle with infinity, its individual chapters deal with those small acts of creative defiance that determine our transcendence of ordinary mortality.” A thoroughly thought-provoking déjà vu experience.

What the Wind Knows by Amy Harmon

Anne Gallagher travels to Ireland to scatter the ashes of her beloved grandfather. She is pulled back in time to the Ireland of 1921 and is mistaken as the long-lost mother of a young boy. She assumes this identity and is drawn into the lives of those around her and the political unrest of the time. It’s a historical romance perfect for fans of Outlander.

The Shining Girls  by Lauren Beukes

What if time travel fell into the hands of a criminal?  The Shining Girls  is the story of serial killer named Harper Curtis who stumbles upon an abandoned house in Depression-era Chicago that allows him to travel in time. He chooses his victims and visits them at different times of their lives before returning for the kill. Kirby survives Harper’s attack and, along with a former homicide reporter, tries to unravel the mystery before anyone else dies. This book is wild, W-I-L-D. There’s a lot of violence, so it might not be for everyone, but it’s such an interesting take on the time travel story.

Version Control  by Dexter Palmer

Set in the near-future, Rebecca works in the customer support department of the dating site where she met her husband Phillip. He is a scientist building a causality violation device (definitely not a time machine!). But Rebecca can’t help but feel that there’s something wrong with the present. So, this is kind of about living with technology and kind of about relationships and overcoming tragedy and also time travel. Intelligent and poignant but make it sci-fi.

How to Invent Everything: A Survival Guide for the Stranded Time Traveler  by Ryan North

Starting out with an FAQ guide to your rented time machine, How to Invent Everything humorously goes through the history of well, everything. From how to determine what time period you have landed and are now stuck in to inventing language and electricity it’s a very Hitchhiker’s Guide -ish look at history presented as a guide for creating the things you’ll miss when you’re stranded in an earlier timeline than your own.

Time After Time  by Lisa Grunwald

It’s 1937 and Joe Reynolds is a hard-working railroad man at Grand Central Station. Nora Lansing is an aspiring artist and the last thing she remembers is her train crashing in 1925. They meet at the big clock and Joe walks Nora home, but she disappears in the street. She reappears one year later and meets Joe again. Realizing she’s jumping in time and trapped in Grand Central for mysterious reasons that might have something to do with Manhattanhenge, Nora and Joe try to unravel the mystery before she disappears again. For me this was a time travel books mashup of The Clock meets Kate & Leopold meets Gentleman in Moscow and I was very about it.

TimeKeeper  by Tara Sim

TimeKeeper takes place in an alternate Victorian world where time is controlled by clock towers. Danny is a young clock mechanic enamored with his new apprentice, who turns out to be the Enfield clock spirit, Colton. Bombings at other towers start to occur and broken clocks mean the towns they oversee will be frozen in time. The romance between Danny and Colton is very adorable and the race against literal time is an exciting backdrop. It’s the first in a trilogy.

Bones of the Earth by Michael Swanwick

If you’re a time travel fan then this sentence from the publisher’s summary is sure to get you excited, “World-renowned paleontologist Richard Leyster’s universe changed forever the day a stranger named Griffin walked into his office with a remarkable job offer…and an ice cooler containing the head of a freshly killed Stegosaurus.” Time travel allows a group of scientists to go back and study dinosaurs up close in their natural environment. If you are now humming the Jurassic Park theme, please know, So. Am. I.

Just One Damned Thing After Another (Chronicles of St. Mary’s) by Jodi Taylor

There is so much going on in this whirlwind adventure that if you blink you’ll miss a major plot point.  Just One Damned Thing After Another  is just the first book in a series of the adventures of St. Mary’s Institute of Historical Research as they rattle around through time trying to answer history’s unanswered questions. There are currently 11 books published and forthcoming and a ton of short stories that fill in the blanks between adventures. Taylor also has a spinoff time travel series, The Time Police, with the first book just out called Doing Time .  It follows three hapless new time police recruits as they try to keep the timeline straight.

Looking for more of the best time travel books? Check out these timey-wimey posts:

Time Travel Romances

7 of the Best Alternate Timeline Books

The Lack of Black Characters in Time Travel Romance

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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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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..

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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 🕰️

Curated by our reviewers this week

MONDAY 22nd APRIL, 2024

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The finale to the Syd Brixton trilogy is a continuation of the fast pace and action of the others in the series, leading to a s...

Reviewed by Rachel Deeming

The Movement (Time Corrector Series Book 2)

A sequel just as lyrical, engaging and beautiful as the original volume

Reviewed by Adam Wright

The Timepiece and the Girl Who Went Astray

Ollie Simmonds

An exciting book with in-depth characters that demonstrates a great written narrative mixed with an interesting and original st...

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The Normandy Club

Bill Walker

A German blitz brings war to Avalon. Can two imperfect heroes erase an alternate history to restore the past?

Reviewed by Abby Lane

Sunder of Time

Kristin McTiernan

Sunder of Time by Kristin McTiernan was such a pleasant surprise that's perfect for fans of Doomsday Book by Connie Willis.

Reviewed by Lauren Stoolfire

The Whisper

Jared Millet

If you're a fan of classic Hollywood film noir, Flash Gordon, The Shadow, and Back to the Future, I have a feeling you'll enjoy...

Outsmarting Time

Laura Hanks Kline

OUTSMARTING TIME does exactly what a sci-fi should do; it messes with your head and feeds you pieces of information in a race t...

Reviewed by Alexia Chantel

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Lauren Stoolfire

Time travel.

I am completely addicted to reading and I particularly enjoy fantasy, sci-fi, horror, and YA. I love the fact that being a blogger (and a librarian) helps feed my addiction and allows me to interact with other book lovers on a daily basis.

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Daniel Crocker

My name is Dan Crocker graduate in English Literature & Creative Writing (First Class) from the University of Central Lancashire I am looking forward to joining the discovery community and discovering some great new reads!

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13 Best Time Travel Books Ever (Modern and Classic)

By: Author Jess Esa and Willow Heath

Posted on Last updated: 3rd April 2024

Time travel is an element of storytelling that offers potentially limitless possibilities, allowing writers to explore politics, romance, warfare, discovery, and more in ways we might never expect.

Since 1895, with the publication of H.G. Wells’ The Time Machine (below), time travel stories in modern fiction have inspired and captivated readers around the world.

It isn’t only the genre of science fiction that utilises time travel, however. Many of the best time travel books are love stories, crime thrillers, and even fantasy novels.

Essential Time Travel Books

Because of the breadth of scope and possibility that time travel can offer, what you’ll find here is a spectrum of genres and styles from writers of all different walks of life.

Some of these time travel books are deeply allegorical and political, using time travel to make strong and noble points about modern society.

Others use time travel as a savvy storytelling technique to present readers with fantastic romance and thriller narratives.

There’s something for everyone here in this selection of the best time travel books ever written.

This Is How You Lose the Time Way by Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone

This is How You Lose the Time War is a stunning piece of time travel science fiction, co-written by two celebrated sci-fi authors.

Here’s one of the most unique time travel romance books you’ll ever read. Our protagonists, known only as Red and Blue, are deadly agents who operate for rival factions which are fighting for control of multiple timelines.

While wandering the remains of a mecha battlefield, Red finds a letter left for her by Blue.

The letter taunts and teases Red, but also hints that Blue is becoming disenchanted by this ceaseless and seemingly endless, ultimately pointless war between their factions.

From this point on, we shift narratives between both characters’ perspectives, and those perspectives are separated by letters they leave for each other to find.

As they move through various strands of time that shift back and forth through possible pasts and futures, each finds a letter left by the other, and these letters steadily take on a different, more poetic and romantic tone.

From flirtatious taunts to passionate declarations of love, the letters steadily spell out the intense addiction that these two opposing women have developed for one another.

This is one of those time travel books with larger-than-life concepts that involve time manipulation and riding the threads of time, taking us from Plato’s Greece to mech wars on distant planets.

This is a wildly exciting time travel romance novel that shows us how, no matter the scale of the world, no matter the advancements in technology, love can still win in the end.

Buy a copy of This is How You Lose the Time War here!

Before The Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

Translated from the Japanese by Geoffrey Trousselot

In a Tokyo café that has stood since the Edo period sits is a chair at the furthest point from the door. Local legend says this chair can transport you back through time, provided you follow a specific set of rules.

The legend is true, as Fumiko soon discovers when her boyfriend abruptly leaves her for a job in the US and she’s willing to do anything to go back in time and stop him.

Before the Coffee Gets Cold opens with Fumiko meeting with her boyfriend for what he calls a ‘serious conversation’. She hopes for a proposal, but he hits her with a break-up instead.

Goro moves to the US and a week goes by for the pining, mourning Fumiko, who continues to visit the café.

When Fumiko recalls the local urban myth surrounding the time-travelling chair, she asks the café’s staff if there’s any truth to it.

There is, but if the rules aren’t adhered to, there are dire consequences.

First, you cannot leave the chair. Second, whatever you say or do will not alter the present.

Finally, there is a time limit: the journey through time begins when the coffee is poured, and you must finish it before the coffee gets cold.

If you don’t, you take the place of the woman who is almost always sat in that chair; a woman who turns out to be a ghost. She leaves the chair to visit the toilet once a day, and that’s when you can sit and travel back.

Try to move her by force and she will curse you, as Fumiko finds out. This woman was the last person who let the coffee go cold, and now remains there always as a ghost.

Before the Coffee Gets Cold isn’t only one of the most unique and compelling time travel books of recent years, but is also one of the most celebrated Japanese novels of our time.

Buy a copy of Before the Coffee Gets Cold here!

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

Outlander is an enormous success story; a series of time travel books that have an ongoing history of more than thirty years. Add to this the huge popularity of the Outlander TV series.

The first novel in the series introduces us to protagonist Claire Randall, a British Army nurse who served during World War II.

Having been reunited with her husband after the end of the war, the two take a second honeymoon to Inverness, Scotland.

While gathering plants, Claire is drawn to, and touches, a standing stone (solitary monoliths known as a menhir, which date back to Bronze Age Scotland).

Upon touching the stone, Claire passes out and wakes up centuries into the past, in the year 1743.

This is a world she doesn’t know, one torn apart by politics, warfare, and bloodshed. There, she will be tempted by love as she falls for a man who is everything her 20th century husband is not.

Outlander has become one of the great and iconic time travel romance books of our time, and the series’ popularity only continues to grow.

Buy a copy of Outlander here!

The Time Machine by H.G. Wells

This is where modern time travel stories began, with H.G. Wells’ sci-fi masterpiece, The Time Machine , which has been adapted to film twice.

As a side note, the original 1960 film starring Rod Taylor remains a fantastic piece of sci-fi cinema; a must-watch classic.

Wells’ original novel was published in 1895 and set the stage for all the best time travel books that would follow.

The premise is simple: an inventor builds himself a time machine, and that machine carries him forward in time.

But while most time travel books focus on a future that remains relatable, understandable, and potentially possible, The Time Machine goes far beyond any of that.

Our scientist arrives in the year 802701 CE, an eerie future in which human evolution split into two very different groups.

The first group are the naive, child-like Eloi, who live in blissful peace and harmony, with all their needs provided to them.

The other group live underground, and they are the cannibalistic Morlocks, who feed on the Eloi.

As a socialist, Wells was critical of many aspects of European society during his time, and his novels were allegorical of the things he disagreed with.

This can be seen in The War of the Worlds , an anti-colonialism story. And it can also be seen here, with The Time Machine being a critique of class disparity and social inequality.

The Time Machine remains one of the most valuable time travel books ever written, by the godfather of modern science fiction .

Buy a copy of The Time Machine here!

11/22/63 by Stephen King

Stephen King is best known for his twisted horror novels — many of which have been adapted to film and TV — as well as his surreal fantasy epic , The Dark Tower .

But King has also penned a few excellent thrillers , and this is one of his very best. Beyond that, it’s also one of the coolest time travel books of this century.

In 11/22/63 , an English teacher named Jake is shown a wormhole that leads to the late 1950s.

A friend convinces him to use his time in the past to attempt the noble task of stopping the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

Jake and the reader soon learn that the past may be changed for the better but the future may not react so positively. 

Another great aspect to this time travel book is the relationship between Jake and his love interest, Sadie.

Both bring incredible warmth to a novel which, rather than just being a tense thriller, becomes one of the most surprising time travel romance books to boot.

Buy a copy of 11/22/63 here!

The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton

The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle is a puzzle box of a mystery novel that employs time travel and time loop rules to deliver one of the smartest, most captivating mystery plots you’ll ever read.

We begin halfway through a word that has just left the mouth of our nameless, amnesia-stricken protagonist. It is as though he has just woken up inside his own body.

He is in a forest, shouting a name he doesn’t know, and he is alone. That’s all we know, and it’s all he knows, too.

He walks, and eventually arrives at a manor house. The people there tell him he is their friend, that he is a doctor, and that he’s there for a party, just like they are.

The next morning, he wakes up as a different person in the house, and it is then that he learns that he will continue to jump from body to body for eight days, tasked with solving and preventing the death of the titular Evelyn Hardcastle.

The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle is a dizzying mystery novel, masterfully crafted and thrilling at every turn. Of all the time travel books you’ll ever read, none handle the mechanics of time like this one does.

Buy a copy of The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle here!

Kindred by Octavia E. Butler

A generation-defining science fiction novel and one of the best pieces of American fiction ever written, Kindred is a true masterpiece amongst time travel books, and science fiction in general.

When the novel begins, Dana and Kevin are unpacking after moving to a new house in California, when she finds herself teleported back 150 years to a plantation in 1815 Maryland and the sight of a drowning red-headed boy.

Dana saves the boy from drowning and immediately finds herself facing down the barrel of a white man’s gun, before being yanked back through time to her present in the 1970s.

As it transpires, the drowning boy is Rufus, an ancestor of Dana’s who will father a child with one of his family’s slaves, and Dana is now caught in a loop: any time Rufus’ life is threatened, she is pulled in time back to save him.

Similarly, if she is put in harm’s way while in the past, she is sent back to 1976. On her third journey back to 1815, her husband is dragged back with her by accident, raising the stakes even higher.

Being a Black woman married to a white man, Dana is assumed a slave, and Kevin her owner. Kindred is a sci-fi time travel novel about cruelty and compassion, about the importance of education and empathy.

A true masterpiece amongst time travel books by one of the USA’s most important literary voices, Octavia Butler’s Kindred is one of the most important American novels you’ll ever read; a masterpiece of time travel sci-fi.

Buy a copy of Kindred here!

Night Watch by Terry Pratchett

Terry Pratchett was a genius author, of that there is no debate . His Discworld series of fantasy books provided an enormous, expansive, satirical world of possibilities and endless narrative potential.

As we journey across the Discworld, we follow a handful of different protagonists, including Death himself. One of the most beloved protagonists is Sam Vimes, captain of the Ankh Morpork city watch.

In Night Watch , while Sam Vimes’ wife is in labour and he is in heroic pursuit of a known criminal, the city watch captain is hit by lightning and sent backwards in time.

Vimes is quickly arrested by a younger, less experienced version of himself, and in the cell beside his is the very criminal he was chasing across the rooftops in his own present day.

Night Watch is another fantastic Discworld novel, presenting an entirely new side to a fan-favourite protagonist, and is one of the most creative and hilarious time travel books you’ll ever read.

Buy a copy of Night Watch here!

Sea of Tranquility by Emily St John Mandel

With Sea of Tranquility , beloved contemporary author Emily St. John Mandel has written a phenomenal piece of time travel science fiction which surpasses even Station Eleven , her most successful novel.

Cleverly tied to her literary thriller The Glass Hotel with recurring events and characters from that novel, this is a book that unfurls gradually and strangely, creating a kind of symmetry with itself by the final page.

We begin in 1912, with an English nobleman exiled to the rural wilds of western Canada by his family. Then we move to the modern day, with characters from The Glass Hotel revealing what almost seems like a glitch in the world.

Next is the life of an author who grew up on a moon colony and is now doing a global book tour in 2203, just as a pandemic is about to sweep the planet.

Finally, at the book’s halfway point, we meet our true protagonist: a man named Gaspery, whose sister works for a time travel agency.

From here, we begin to move backwards through the time periods and lives we’ve already seen, as the truth gradually gets revealed and explored.

All of these lives become stitched together as this time travel novel progresses, in ways that will blow your mind over and over again. The plotting of this novel is beaten only by its incredibly revelations.

Sea of Tranquility is a true masterpiece of plotting and tone, moving with speed and grace. One of the best time travel books you’ll ever read.

Buy a copy of Sea of Tranquility here!

Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut

No other author has ever written, or even thought, like Kurt Vonnegut did. He was a masterful satirist who used science fiction to explore the deep, dark political themes of the 20th century.

Written during the Vietnam War, and displaying aggressively blatant anti-war themes and messaging, Slaughterhouse-Five remains Vonnegut’s most celebrated novel, and for very good reasons.

Based in part on Vonnegut’s own life as a serviceman during World War II, Slaughterhouse-Five follows the life of a man named Billy Pilgrim.

Pilgrim was an American PoW who experienced and survived the firebombing of Dresden, and who later was abducted by aliens and taken to a planet called Tralfamadore.

We spend some of the novel living through Billy’s experiences through World War II, then his life back home post-war, and finally his abduction by aliens and the time-twisting that follows.

It’s a strange time travel sci-fi novel that throws out surreal and dreamlike concepts about seeing in four dimensions, travelling through memories, and being held in an alien zoo.

Considered a work of postmodernism, Slaughterhouse-Five is an expressly anti-war book that explores this perspective through surreal science fiction and satire.

Blending war fiction , satire, science fiction, and time travel, Slaughterhouse Five does a lot of different things, and it does them all splendidly.

Buy a copy of Slaughterhouse Five here!

Hyperion by Dan Simmons

Dan Simmons excels at writing within and beyond the bounds of various different genres, from thrillers to historical fiction, to this: a time travel sci-fi novel based on The Canterbury Tales .

Set in a far-future in which a spacefaring human empire exists known as the Hegemony of Man, Hyperion follows a group of pilgrims who have arrived on the planet of Hyperion.

Hyperion is home to strange Time Tombs which move backwards in time, and are guarded by a strange native creature called the Shrike.

Modelled after Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales , Dan Simmons’ Hyperion is a time travel book that presents us with each pilgrim’s backstory, and what led them to the titular planet of Hyperion.

A wonderful exercise in world-building and sci-fi storytelling, Hyperion is a a trippy and strange novel, and one of the coolest, most experimental time travel books you’ll ever read.

Buy a copy of Hyperion here!

The Time Traveller’s Wife by Audrey Niffinger

This 2003 novel has become an absolute classic amongst time travel romance books, and time travel books in general, propelled into the public consciousness by its film and TV adaptations.

Our dual protagonists are husband-and-wife pair Henry and Clare. Henry suffers from a strange disorder which the novel calls “Chrono-Impairment”. This disorder causes Henry to become frequently unshackled from time.

From a very young age, Henry has been periodically shot backwards in time. Each episode is entirely unpredictable, as is where he will go and how long he will be trapped there for.

Clare and Henry’s meetings have happened out of order, with Henry first laying eyes on her at the library where he works when they are both in their twenties. This, however, was not the first time Clare met Henry.

After they meet in the present, Henry begins to travel back into Clare’s past. Eventually, he provides her a with list that will tell her when in her life he will appear. He also reveals to young Clare that they will eventually be married.

Inspired by the author’s own romantic disappointments, The Time Traveler’s Wife has become one of the best-known, best-selling time travel books of all time.

Buy a copy of The Time Traveler’s Wife here!

Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister

Our protagonist, Jen, is waiting for her teenage son Todd to come home. He’s late; it’s after midnight, and when he eventually appears outside, Jen watches her son kill someone with her own eyes.

The police arrive, Todd is in possession of the knife, has the victim’s blood on his clothes, and his own mother saw it happen. What doubt could there be that Todd did what he did, even if we don’t know why?

But this isn’t where it ends. In fact, from this moment, Jen goes to sleep and wakes up a day earlier.

Every single night she goes to sleep and wakes up a day earlier, rather than later, as time steadily reverses day by day and she is given a chance to follow this thread back to its beginning, and its revelation.

A dizzying thriller that plays with the tropes of time travel in fun new ways. Mixing time travel and thrillers is nothing new, but the way that McAllister does it is fresh and addictive.

The time travel gimmick is one that’s arguably best utilised by thrillers and mystery novels, and this is a glowing example. One of the most addictive time travel books of recent years.

Buy a copy of Wrong Place Wrong Time here!

25 Best Time Travel Books That Defy Time and Genre

By looking at the earliest iterations of traveling through time to the modern interpretations, we’ve collected the best time travel books. These best books vary from classic middle grade to contemporary romance. Each book defies a single timeline and a single defining genre.

25 Best Time Travel Books

The following books all feature time travel as a foundational element to the plot. In some, time travel is a narrative device which reveals more about the main character. Meanwhile, in others it is the hard-and-fast time machine that perhaps springs to mind. The inner workings of how the time travels functions are explained, or not explained, to various degrees.

Books about time travel have been around for more than a century and dip into almost every other genre. The picks on this list can also be categorized as romance or thriller, from middle grade to young adult to adult.

This is by no means an exhaustive list, but is our recommendations for the best time travel books. If your favorite book about time travel isn’t on this list, leave a comment below to let other readers know your recommendation.

25. The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes

Most time traveling books imbue a lesson about life and the importance of the small moments. This often occurs through a protagonist who, even if they aren’t perfect, is trying to be better. But what if the ability to travel through time landed in the hands of someone evil? That’s what Lauren Beukes explores in The Shining Girls.

This horror sci-fi is about a killer who finds a portal to the past. He then uses it to track, visit, and murder his victims.

Except one victim, Kirby Mazrachi, survives his attack. Now Kirby will do whatever it takes, no matter how improbable, to bring her attacker to justice.

24. Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister

In a similar vein, Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister is a combination of the 1993 movie Groundhog Day and murder. That’s because the main character is up late waiting for her son to return home when she sees the impossible. Her son kills a stranger right in front of their house.

With her son in custody and a million questions swirling in her mind, the main character goes to sleep and wakes up the day before yesterday. Each morning she wakes up one day earlier searching for the reason her son committed the murder, determined to find it.

23. Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier

The first book in the Ruby Red Trilogy veers slightly from the previous mystery thriller recommendations. That’s because Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier is a young adult romance with a historical fiction timeline. The trilogy is translated into English by Anthea Bell.

It follows sixteen-year-old Gwen who lives with her eccentric family in London. A time traveling gene runs through the female half of her lineage. However, Gwen was never introduced to the secrets of time travel as the gene was supposed to have skipped Gwen.

So, she is completely unprepared when she starts taking uncontrolled leaps into the past. Gwen needs to learn the ropes fast, while also dealing with her incredibly attractive time traveling partner Gideon.

22. Recursion by Blake Crouch

The time travel in the world of Recursion by Blake Crouch is slightly different than other recommendations, but the importance of memory is still paramount in this setting.

Barry Sutton, a cop in New York City, is investigating False Memory Syndrome. This is a new phenomenon that is driving victims to insanity.

The mysterious affliction is inserting memories into the minds of its victims. Most cannot cope with the onslaught of trauma. Barry and neuroscientist Helena Smith are the only ones who stand a chance at defeating this terrifying opponent.

21. Hyperion by Dan Simmons

Next in our list of the best time travel books is a classic: Hyperion by Dan Simmons. This is a sci-fi space opera which takes place on the world of Hyperion. It is the first book in a quartet with an additional prequel and sequel.

In this world there is a creature called the Shrike. Some worship it, some fear it, and some wish to destroy it. Structures move backward through time in the Valley of the Time Tombs and this is where the Shrike waits.

But on the eve of Armageddon, seven pilgrims set forth to Hyperion. They seek answers to the unsolved riddles of their lives. Each pilgrim carries hope and a secret, and one may hold the fate of humanity in his hands.

20. An Ocean of Minutes by Thea Lim

This is a story about love and the endurance of humanity. It unfolds against a backdrop of time travel, a flu pandemic, and sacrifice. An Ocean of Minutes by Thea Lim follows two people separated by time.

When Polly’s boyfriend Frank catches the deadly flu virus that is rampaging its way across America, she will do anything to save him. Even agree to a radical contract with a company that has invented time travel to work as a bonded laborer. If she agrees, the company will pay for Frank’s treatment.

Polly and Frank agree to meet in twelve years’ time in Galveston, Texas. But when Polly is sent an additional five years in the future, everything is thrown into question. Now Polly must try to find Frank, see if he is alive, and if their love still rings true.

19. The Rose Garden by Susanna Kearsley

The Rose Garden by Susanna Kearsley is another romance that involves themes of loss, grief, and identity.

Eva and Katrina spent their summers as children in Cornwall, so when Katrina dies that is where Eva returns to spread her ashes. But Eva must confront the metaphorical ghosts of her past. As well as the very real ghosts she finds in the home where she is staying.

That’s because in this home Eva can travel through time back to the eighteenth century. She finds herself interacting with the inhabitants who lived there then. She also finds herself falling for one of them, Daniel Butler, and needing to choose between the life she knows and the past she feels so drawn towards.

18. This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone

Another romance, This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone is equally ethereal and unexpected. It is written in the form of letters between two enemies from opposing sides of a war who slowly, through their shared correspondence, fall in love.

Known only as Red and Blue, their letters begin as taunts, then praise, and then something more. The prose in this book feels more like poetry. As Red and Blue traverse the strands of time and history to weave their own attacks in this War or snip others, we learn more about them, the intimacy of their correspondence, and the chances of their happily-ever-after.

17. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

No list of the best time travel books would be complete without Outlander by Diana Gabaldon, because it has become a beloved modern classic. Claire and Jamie’s love story has sold millions of copies and sprung from the pages into a hit TV adaptation. But this is where it all began.

In 1945, as Claire enjoys a second honeymoon with her husband in Scotland, she walks through an ancient stone circle and finds herself in 1743. Claire does not understand the forces which propelled her back in time, nor does she fully understand the fiery passion she feels for James Fraser, who has her questioning her vows of holy matrimony.

16. The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

Another book that has become synonymous with time travel and likely immediately springs to mind is The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. It too has a popular screen adaptation with a 2009 movie and a more recent 2022 television series.

It follows the love story of Clare and Henry as they try to navigate their lives with Henry’s genetic condition that causes him to travel sporadically through time. They first met when Clare was six and Henry 36, then married when Clare was 22 and Henry was 30. Their fight for each other is moving and unforgettable.

15. All Our Wrong Todays by Elan Mastai

The future imagined by those in the 1950s was remarkable. In the world of All Our Wrong Todays by Elan Mastai, it was also accurate. What we think of as the real world is actually an offshoot that feels like a dystopian wasteland when Tom Barren finds himself in our version of 2016 after a time traveling mishap.

But in this alternate reality Tom finds versions of his family, his career, and the love of his life. Now, Tom must make a decision on whether to he needs to fix his mistake, or if he should forge out a new life in this unpredictable reality.

14. The Impossible Lives of Greta Wells by Andrew Sean Greer

The Impossible Lives of Greta Wells by Andrew Sean Greer opens in 1985 and depicts the various lives Greta might have lived, if she had been born in a different time.

It all starts when Greta begins psychiatric treatment for her depression after the death of her twin brother and a difficult break up. Through her treatment she begins to experience alternative versions of her life in 1918 and 1941. Each comes with its own hardships and losses, but if she had a chance to choose, where would Greta stay?

13. Just One Damned Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor

The next recommendation in our list of the best time travel books is the first in The Chronicles of St Mary’s series. Just One Damned Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor follows a group of time traveling historians who try to stay under the radar, but don’t always succeed. It is a fun adventure-filled read.

That’s because the members of St Mary’s Institute of Historical Research have a penchant for disaster as they investigate major historical events in contemporary time. While they always intend to observe quietly, they quickly realize it’s not just History they’re fighting.

12. Doomsday Book by Connie Willis

This is another book which follows scholars and academics through time travel and is also the first book in a series. Doomsday Book by Connie Willis is the first book in the Oxford Time Travel series. It explores universal themes of evil, suffering, and the resilience of the human spirit.

Kivrin prepared for her next on-site study by receiving inoculations against the diseases of the fourteenth-century and crafting an alibi for a woman traveling alone. Her instructors in the modern day were busy with the painstaking calculations to send her to where she needed to be.

But then a crisis strands Kivrin in a time of superstition and fear. She finds herself becoming an unlikely angel of hope to those around her.

11. Time and Again by Jack Finney

Time and Again is the first book in the Time duology by Jack Finney. It follows a young man who is enlisted into a secret government experiment.

Si Morley finds himself transported from mid-twentieth century New York City to 1882. While enchanted by the city he solves a 20th-century mystery by finding its 19th-century roots. He also falls in love with a beautiful young woman and must choose between the past or the present.

10. The Kingdoms by Natasha Pulley

An alternative history standalone, The Kingdoms by Natasha Pulley asks the question of whether it is worth changing the past to save the future when it costs you everyone you’ve ever loved.

Joe Tournier doesn’t remember anything about his life before he stepped off a train onto the soil of 19th-century England, which is a French colony. The only clue he has is an old postcard of a Scottish lighthouse from 100 years ago. The post card is written in English, which is illegal, and signed with an M.

His search for his identity begins with who wrote this postcard. It will see Joe travel from French-ruled London to rebel-owned Scotland. He will remake history, and himself.

9. The River of No Return by Bee Ridgway

More than halfway through our list of the best time travel books is The River of No Return by Bee Ridgway. It presents another alternative history between London and France.

Lord Nicholas Falcott was dying on a Napoleonic battlefield when he suddenly awoke in 21st-century London. A secretive group of time travelers, The Guild, told him there is no return. But Nick’s heart belongs to Julia Percy back in 1815 and Nick is willing to gamble everything against the rules of time itself for their reunion.

8. One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle

After quite a few romantic time traveling stories, this recommendation ventures into a different type of relationship and form of love. One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle follows Katy to the Amalfi Coast of Italy as she grieves the loss of her mother.

Katy and her mother, Carol, were supposed to travel to Positano together; it is a town where Carol spent the summer before she met Katy’s father. While Katy travels to Italy alone, she soon feels her mother’s spirit all around her, and then she finds her mother walking through the streets, somehow 30 years old again.

Katy has gotten her mother back and has one Italian summer to get to know her as a young woman. But Katy will have to reconcile her version of her mother who knew everything with the young woman before her still figuring it out.

7. The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

This next recommendation quickly became a beloved favorite following its publication, but before you read The Midnight Library by Matt Haig you may want to check out the detailed content warnings as it does have themes of suicide ideation and depression.

Despite the heavy themes, Haig is able to create a world that is lyrical, poignant, and strangely uplifting. Between life and death in this world there is a library which holds all the different variations of your life: The might-have-beens.

Nora Seed finds herself in the Midnight Library with the possibility to change her life for a new one. As she travels through the stacks she must decide what is truly fulfilling in life and what makes life worth living in the first place.

6. 11/22/63 by Stephen King

While he is known as the King of Horror, Stephen King has a grasp on writing that shines through in any genre he tackles. That much is true for 11/22/63 which takes place in two timelines as an English teacher from Maine attempts to stop the Kennedy assassination.

It begins in 2011 as Jake Epping’s friend shares with him the time traveling portal in the back of his diner. Jake agrees to this daring, and seemingly impossible, mission to prevent the Kennedy assassination. But in this world of a bygone era, Jake falls in love with a high school librarian and then encounters a troubled loner named Lee Harvey Oswald…

5. Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut

As we begin counting down the top five best time travel books, this is where we start to feature the classics that undoubtedly affected the course of the genre. The first of these classics is Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

The time travelling aspect of this book is part of the narrative and how Billy Pilgrim relives his life in a slightly disorienting and non-linear way. Centering on the infamous bombing of Dresden during the Second World War, Billy Pilgrim’s odyssey through time reflects the mythic journey of our own fractured lives as we search for meaning in what we fear the most.

4. The End of Eternity by Isaac Asimov

Our fourth pick for the best time travel book is The End of Eternity by Issac Asimov. This is a dystopian science fiction in which humanity is split between Eternals and non-Eternals.

Andrew Harlan is an Eternal, which means it is his job to travel through the past and present to monitor Time and, when necessary, change it. But when he falls in love with a non-Eternal woman, he decides to use the powers at his disposal to twist time for his own purposes, so he and the woman he loves can carve out a life together.

3. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle

This next best time travel book is an evocative story about friendship and family. A Wrinkle in Time is the first book in the Time Quintet by Madeleine L’Engle, which is a middle grade classic.

It begins at the Murry house when a stranger beckons Meg, her brother Charles Wallace, and their friend Calvin O’Keefe on a dangerous and extraordinary adventure. It is a journey through time that will threaten their lives and our universe, but the life of Meg’s father hangs in the balance.

2. Kindred by Octavia E. Butler

Our penultimate pick for the best time travel book explores a theme that has not yet featured on our list, which is how time travel can be an incredibly different experience with the dangers of racism. Kindred by Octavia E. Butler is heralded as the first science fiction novel written by a Black woman; Butler and this novel have become a cornerstone of the genre.

In 1976 California, on her 26th birthday, Dana finds herself hurtled through time to antebellum Maryland. She saves a drowning white boy, but finds herself staring down the barrel of a shotgun. She escapes with her life when she is inexplicably transported back to the present, but this is just the beginning of multiple time traveling experiences with the same young man, which makes Dana realize the challenge she has been given.

1. The Time Machine by H.G. Wells

Finally, our best time travel book is the 1895 classic that literally coined the term which has now become universal: The Time Machine by H.G. Wells. Even though it was written more than a century ago, Wells’s novel remains a striking commentary on the duality of human nature.

It is a first-hand account of the main character’s journey from Victorian England to 800,000 years in the future. There the Time Traveller encounters an Earth that is slowly dying and populated by two races: The ethereal Eloi and the subterranean Morlocks. It depicts humanity’s greatest hopes, and its darkest fears.

Final thoughts on the best time travel books

In conclusion, here is a recap of our picks for the best time travel books. These recommendations span more than a century of literature. This list includes the first instances of time travel in fiction and other cornerstone classics that shaped this trope.

Books about time travel can go in countless directions, which makes it a building block for so many other genres: Middle grade, young adult, romance, or mystery. Regardless of whichever genre these time travel books share, each one offers a poignant reflection into the psyche of humanity. Each book on this list explores a what-if and the conclusions reveal a little bit more about our lived reality.

• The Time Machine by H.G. Wells (1895)
• Kindred by Octavia E. Butler (1979)
• A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle (1962)
• The End of Eternity by Isaac Asimov (1955)
• Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut (1969)
• 11/22/63 by Stephen King (2011)
• The Midnight Library by Matt Haig (2020)
• One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle (2022)
• The River of No Return by Bee Ridgway (2013)
• The Kingdoms by Natasha Pulley (2021)
• Time and Again by Jack Finney (1970)
• Doomsday Book by Connie Willis (1992)
• Just One Damned Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor (2013)
• The Impossible Lives of Greta Wells by Andrew Sean Greer (2013)
• All Our Wrong Todays by Elan Mastai (2017)
• The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger (2003)
• Outlander by Diana Gabaldon (1991)
• This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone (2019)
• The Rose Garden by Susanna Kearsley (2011)
• An Ocean of Minutes by Thea Lim (2018)
• Hyperion by Dan Simmons (1989)
• Recursion by Blake Crouch (2019)
• Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier (2009)
• Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister (2022)
• The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes (2013)

More Book Recommendation Resources

• 21 Best Psychological Thriller Books
• 15 Best Historical Fiction Books
• 17 Best Science Fiction Books
• 30 Best YA Fantasy Books

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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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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!

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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.

Best Travel Audiobooks to Inspire Your Next Adventure

We carefully selected the best travel audiobooks that allow listeners to live vicariously through both real and fictional adventures from around the world.

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.

Outlander: Books vs. Show

If you’re wondering about the similarities and differences between the Starz series Outlander and the series of books it's based on, check out our rundown below.

So many branches: The definitive Outlander family tree

Wondering who Jamie's father is or how the Clan MacKenzie fits into other character arcs? We're answering all of your questions with this family tree.

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Time Travel Short Stories (Gothic Fantasy) Hardcover – September 29, 2017

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• Part of series Gothic Fantasy
• Print length 480 pages
• Language English
• Publisher Flame Tree Collections
• Publication date September 29, 2017
• Dimensions 6 x 1.7 x 9.25 inches
• ISBN-10 1786644630
• ISBN-13 978-1786644633
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• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Flame Tree Collections; Deluxe edition (September 29, 2017)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 480 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1786644630
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1786644633
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.75 pounds
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 1.7 x 9.25 inches
• #1,063 in Science Fiction Short Stories
• #5,050 in Science Fiction Anthologies (Books)
• #22,228 in Short Stories Anthologies

About the authors

Dominick cancilla.

Dominick Cancilla is a horror and humor author who lives as near to Disneyland as practicable. Other books by Cancilla can be found listed under D. Cancilla, D. A. Cancilla, and Horatio Liar.

Kate Heartfield

Kate Heartfield's latest novel is The Valkyrie, a lyrical retelling of Norse and Germanic mythology. She is the author of the Sunday Times bestselling historical fantasy novel The Embroidered Book, the Aurora-winning novel The Chatelaine (previously titled Armed in Her Fashion), and the Nebula-shortlisted novella Alice Payne Arrives, along with dozens of stories. Her interactive fiction projects The Road to Canterbury and The Magician’s Workshop were shortlisted for the Nebula in game writing. Her 2022 novel Assassin's Creed: The Magus Conspiracy will be followed by the sequel, The Resurrection Plot, in 2023.

Her website is heartfieldfiction.com and she is on Twitter as @kateheartfield. She lives in Canada.

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More From Forbes

7 ways to travel more sustainably.

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Sustainable travel can be fun, rewarding and not at all challenging

Sustainable travel is surging in popularity, but what does it mean? The vague term can refer to traveling in a way that’s conscientious of the environment and local communities, leaving less of an impact on a destination and perhaps even bettering the location in the process. Sustainable tourism, in many ways a reaction to overtourism, helps protect the planet, to ensure destinations are liveable and worth visiting for years to come. And while travel can certainly takes its toll, creating carbon emissions, waste and more, responsible tourism is an essential step in protecting the planet.

Sustainable Travel Tips

Responsible tourism helps the environment by limiting ecological impact, supporting indigenous wildlife, respecting cultural heritage, and not taking away from a destination as a visitor, be it removing a shell from a beach or littering on a hiking trail. Plenty of responsible travel itineraries are easily replicable, but many trips can be adapted to be more sustainable. There are so many ways, big and small, to travel more responsibly and sustainably. Here’s how to start:

1. TSA-Friendly Doesn’t Need To Be Earth Hostile

You can buy single use and tiny versions of pretty much every care product these days, but do you actually need to? Opt for refillable travel bottles to decant your normal products into, and you’ll always have TSA-friendly bottles of shampoo, lotion, whatever you need at the ready. If you prefer to travel without liquids, consider switching to bars of shampoo and conditioner toothpaste powder and other products, which are eco-friendly wherever you are.

Planning ahead can be a major factor in sustainable travel

2. Opt For Public Transit

Public transportation — buses, trains, light rail, etc. — is always more sustainable than a private ride. If possible, use public transit to get to and from your destination and learn your destination’s public transit system to navigate while you explore. Not only will you likely save money as well as lower your carbon footprint, you’ll get a taste of how locals live. If public transit isn’t an option, consider booking shared rides to the airport and excursions, or renting an electric or hybrid vehicle if driving solo is the only option.

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A bit of planning ahead can save considerable landfill waste. Bringing a reusable coffee cup for morning coffee runs and reusable water bottle will hopefully cut down the amount of single-use items you purchase on the go. Other easy to pack items including a reusable travel utensil set, reusable straws and reusable earplugs can help avoid creating more waste on the road. If you’re someone who discards beach reads, consider switching to an e-reader. Pack tote bags to carry souvenirs or other items purchased on the road that won’t require disposable plastic bags.

4. Eat Conscientiously

Eating local is the best way for your diet to support local eco-systems. Not only does dining at independent, small businesses (e.g. not chains), support local business people, but can often have lower environmental impact than major franchised restaurants that ship ingredients and supplies across the country. Making lower impact choices, including eating mostly plant-based, when possible, can also make travel a bit greener. If you don’t have anything to do with leftovers, consider ordering with a bit more restriction so you aren’t creating an excess of food waste.

Local culinary experiences can be healthy, fulfilling and sustainable

5. Book A Sustainable Hotel

Staying at a property dedicated to sustainability can make a big impact, especially by showing the travel industry that this is a priority for hospitality. Hotels are offered various certifications to prove their sustainable status, which can be achieved as a remote eco-lodge or luxury property in a major city. Several hotels are seeking LEED certification , the Green Hotels Association has a collection of vendors who prioritize sustainability, and the Leading Hotels of the World has a sustainability collection of five star properties.

6. Buy Carbon Offsets

While we technically can’t undo the damage we cause to the environment, there are initiatives to at least mitigate it. Carbon offsets allow consumers to compensate for their carbon footprint by funding projects that reduce carbon dioxide pollution. CoolEffect.org can help you decide how much to give, based on trip itinerary and logistics. For example, to offset air travel, a roundtrip, 6-hour flight would add about 1.89 tons of CO2 per passenger, and $31.17 of carbon offsets would help mitigate that.

Some airlines offer the option to purchase carbon offsets alongside airfare

7. Slow Down Your Travel

Slow travel is a buzzword that’s emerged in the 2020s, when work and leisure travel aka bleisure have melded more than ever, and the concept of working and even socializing remotely is totally normalized. Rather than a quick jaunt back and forth, slow travel emphasizes taking your time with tourism, be it living in a rental property for a month and enjoying the sights on the weekends, going backpacking, biking or hiking for an extended off the grid period, or traveling via train instead of air. Slow tourism has been proven to have a positive environmental impact .

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'Expensive in every way': What travelers should expect this summer

Summer travel in 2024 will be "expensive in every way," said Katharine Nohr. And she should know.

She's planning a two-week adventure to Europe in June, which starts with a marathon flight from Honolulu to Zurich, where she'll speak at a conference. Then she's hopscotching across Europe – to Vienna, then on to the Olympics. Nohr made plans to be in Nantes, France, to watch a soccer game, in Lille for basketball, and in Paris for gymnastics, boxing and swimming.

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All told, it'll set her back five figures despite her best efforts, which include flying economy class and staying in the lowest-priced hotels. 

"The trip is pricey, even with my efforts to economize," said Nohr, an attorney from Honolulu. "But it's a once-in-my-life adventure." 

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Summer travelers are pursuing exciting, expensive vacations

Nohr is part of a wave of travelers who are making big plans for this summer. The itineraries are exciting – and expensive. 

Pretty much every barometer of travel intent is up for the summer travel season. Inflation and unemployment are low, and consumer sentiment and curiosity are high, fueling an unprecedented interest in travel. 

"Bookings are rising," said Susan Sherren, who runs Couture Trips , a travel agency. "Unfortunately, hotel, tour and air prices are not falling. So if you plan on hitting the road this summer, make sure you are willing to splash some cash."

Travel companies say they're overwhelmed with summer reservations.

"The travel economy is booming," said Joe Ialacci, owner of Yacht Hampton Boating Club , a company that rents yachts in Sag Harbor, New York. He's seeing a 40% increase in rentals this summer compared with last year as Americans shift some of their vacation dollars to domestic destinations.

Prices aren't the only thing trending higher. People's expectations for their summer vacation are also higher than at any time since the pandemic, said Sangeeta Sadarangani, CEO of Crossing , a multinational travel agency headquartered in London. 

"They're embracing the unknown," she said.

And one of the great unknowns is travel prices. How much higher will they be?

What will prices be like this summer?

It depends on where you're going. There's good news if you're traveling within the U.S.: Flights and hotels are a little less expensive than last summer . But they're rising elsewhere. Here's the breakdown:

• Airfares are mixed. Domestic round-trip airfares for summer will peak at $315 a ticket, according to the travel platform Hopper . Flights to Europe are cheaper, too. They've fallen 10% from last year to $882. But flights to South America are up 2% and flights to Canada have risen 7%. You'll pay an average of $708 to fly south of the border and $419 to head north.
• U.S. hotel rates are down. Domestically, they're about the same as last year at an average of $206 a night.
• Car rental prices are rising. Average domestic car rental rates are up only 3% this summer to $42 a day on a four-day rental, according to Hopper. 

But you can avoid the high prices with a little strategic planning, experts say.

What to avoid this summer

American travelers are becoming more predictable in their summer vacation choices, said John Lovell, president of Travel Leaders Group . Immediately after the pandemic, they embarked on "revenge" vacations to far-flung locations. Now they're returning to more conventional vacations.

"We continue to see U.S. travelers heading back to the more traditional locations across Europe this year, like London, Rome, Athens and Munich," he said.

There are places that will be exceptionally busy – and exceptionally pricey – this summer.

• Paris during the Olympics. The Olympic Games are in Paris this summer. Rooms are more than double the normal rates , which is typical of the Olympics. Paris is already crowded with tourists during the summer, so you can probably imagine what it will be like with the Olympics. Zut, alors!
• Taylor Swift is touring Europe this summer. Prices will be higher and the crowds will be denser. "If you aren't planning to attend one of her concerts, I recommend planning around those European cities when she's there," said Betsy Ball, co-founder of Euro Travel Coach . (Want to know if your schedules overlap? Here's Taylor Swift's concert schedule .)
• Other big summer events. Even if you steer clear of Taylor and the Olympics, you're still not out of the woods. There's the UEFA Euro 2024 football tournament in Germany in June. There's the Tour de France in July, which begins in Florence and finishes in Nice. France is also hosting the Paralympic Games in August and September in Paris, Nice, Marseille and Bordeaux.

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When is the best time to book a 2024 summer vacation?

Because this is going to be a busy season, the sooner you book, the better. Hopper recommends buying your plane tickets two to three months before your departure for domestic flights, and for international – well, it's probably too late to get that rock-bottom fare. If you're reading this in April, you can still find something for late August or early September, according to its airfare experts.

As always, you can save money by booking a flight for midweek instead of on the weekend – and, of course, by keeping far, far away from the big travel holidays like Memorial Day, the Fourth of July and Labor Day. 

Also, if you're going overseas, remember the holiday calendar is different there. For example, half of Europe shuts down in August for summer vacation. It's worth a look-up, otherwise, you could face some real disappointments.

Strategies for traveling better during the summer

One tactic that consistently works is splitting your getaway into two sections. Take that required summer vacation with your family somewhere less expensive during the high season. Then, wait until shoulder season for the big trip. 

That's what Ross Copas, a retired electrician from Tweed, Canada, is doing during the summer of 2024. It's a road trip across the northern U.S. by motorcycle – New York to Washington state, and then back east through Canada. 

Then he's heading to Amsterdam in September for a 23-day European river cruise. He said the late-summer getaway will be costly, but he doubts fares will fall anytime soon. "So price be damned," he said.

Actually, that's pretty smart. I took the same cruise on Viking River Cruises many years ago, and it was worth every penny.

With hotel rates rising in some places this summer, this is the right time to consider alternatives. Monica Fish, a writer from Glen Rock, New Jersey, is headed to Ireland to catch one of Taylor Swift's performances. She said hotel rooms in Dublin are overpriced, if they're even available. But Fish found an affordable vacation rental. 

"We just had to book it farther in advance than we normally would," she said. 

Go ahead, follow the crowds this summer

I think it's fine to follow the crowds this summer. I'll be doing it. I'm planning to rent an apartment for a month in Switzerland with Blueground, a long-term apartment rental company. Then I'm crashing on a friend's sofa in Spain, then heading to Sweden to see other friends and visiting my brother in Finland. Yes, travel writers know people everywhere . 

But don't follow the crowds off a cliff. There are places even I won't go. I might take the four-hour train trip from Zurich to Paris in June to check out my favorite patisseries, but I wouldn't go anywhere near the City of Lights during the Summer Games in July unless I made a reservation a long time ago.

And Taylor Swift? Puh-leeze. I'm more of a jazz guy.

Christopher Elliott  is an author, consumer advocate, and journalist. He founded  Elliott Advocacy , a nonprofit organization that helps solve consumer problems. He publishes  Elliott Confidential , a travel newsletter, and the  Elliott Report , a news site about customer service. If you need help with a consumer problem, you can  reach him here  or email him at  [email protected] .

Want to see the next total solar eclipse in 2026? An expert recommends booking travel now.

• 2026 will be Europe's first total solar eclipse in 27 years.
• Travelers worldwide will likely head to Spain, Iceland, and Greenland for the event.
• A hotel expert encouraged travelers to start planning and booking their trips now.

It'll be two decades before the next total solar eclipse hits the US .

Another option: hop on a plane to Europe and turn the 2026 total solar eclipse into a viewing vacation.

Eclipse cartographer Michael Zeiler at GreatAmericanEclipse.com told Space.com that up to 3.7 million people likely traveled for the solar eclipse on Monday.

HotelPlanner's chief communication officer, Philip Ballard, told Business Insider that the eclipse was a major revenue generator for many cities. For places like Austin, Texas, and Rochester, New York, it could have created $1 billion in revenue, Vox reported.

"I would say the total solar eclipse has become a global phenomenon," Ballard said.

Ballard added that the next solar eclipse , which will pass through Iceland, Greenland, and Spain on August 12, 2026, could result in similar tourism and revenue influxes.

And if travelers are considering a trip to Europe for the solar eclipse, Ballard recommends planning your trip now.

Determine your eclipse viewing destination

According to Space.com , 2026 will be Europe's first total solar eclipse in 27 years. Its path will go through Greenland, parts of western Iceland, and northern Spain.

Choosing where to watch the eclipse will be a tough and important decision for travelers.

Iceland and Greenland have some positives. These regions will experience longer totality times, so viewers can watch the eclipse longer. Plus, the sun will be higher in the sky, so finding a spot to watch the eclipse will be less challenging, Space.com reported.

The downside is that these regions are more likely to be cloudy, according to the outlet.

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While parts of Spain are likely to offer clearer skies, the eclipse's timing will be shorter and closer to the horizon, which means travelers will need to plan and track down a viewing location with unobstructed views of the western horizon, Space.com reported.

Regardless of the destination, according to the outlet, one bonus is that the strongest meteor shower in the Northern Hemisphere will happen the following night, so travelers can pack two events into one trip.

Book flights and hotels far in advance

Ballard encouraged people to book their hotels in their destination of choice as far in advance as possible.

"You should start looking now and booking hotels now because those cities in the path are already going to be at peak season," Ballard said.

Ballard said it's similar to when a Super Bowl city is determined or a Taylor Swift tour date is announced — you immediately see spikes in bookings. He predicts hotel occupancy rates will hit near-record highs, and room prices may double around the solar eclipse date.

Ballard's general rule of thumb is to book international travel at least three months in advance, but since this is such an anticipated event, booking earlier is smart. His advice is to start discussing plans with friends and family. If you decide on a destination, book a refundable room to keep your options open if plans change.

Regarding purchasing a plane ticket, a study from Expedia states that international travel's sweet spot is at least six months in advance.

According to Expedia, travelers who book six months in advance save an average of 10% more than travelers booking within two months or less.

Skip the hassle of planning altogether and book a solar eclipse tour

Another option is to let a tour operator do the work for you. A handful of tour companies have seen the increased interest in the solar eclipse and launched tours designed around the event.

These tours will have predetermined locations to view the eclipse, hotel blocks reserved, and itineraries highlighting both the region and the eclipse.

However, these can sell out quickly. For example, Space and Telescope created an 11-day tour of Spain around viewing the 2026 solar eclipse. The tour has already sold out as of Wednesday, and the waitlist is full.

Other operators, such as Wilderness Travel and Eclipse Traveler, have similar itineraries for the total eclipse in 2026.

Watch: A small Australian town was treated to a rare hybrid solar eclipse

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