Does time travel exist? The answer is complex, but that doesn’t mean we need to stop asking the question.
This massive collection of time travel books answers some of the most important questions of the human race.
And best of all, you can read them in the comfort of your home and stop bothering people about this so-called time travel.
From time travel to alien abductions and time paradoxes, these stories will blow your mind and leave you wanting more.
| Name | Category | Product |
|---|---|---|
| The Wheel of Time | Best Overall |  |
| The Time Traveler's Wife | Budget Pick |  |
1. The Wheel of Time
Pros:
- Definitive fantasy
- The story makes sense
- Fits the genre of fantasy seamlessly
- The first three novels are breathtaking
Cons:
- The story gets too large
- There are books that drag on
- The popularity turns it into a cliche
This classic fantasy series has everything a reader would want. Bravery, honor, love, betrayal, death, and a huge epic war between good and evil. It’s the type of book you look forward to reading in bed every night as you drift off to sleep, which is the highest compliment a book can be paid.
It is a world where men and women who have survived the end of a magic-dominated era find themselves suddenly thrust into the roles of heroes. Dark forces are stirring in the north, and their goal is nothing less than a resurrection of a mad god who will stop at nothing to achieve his goal.
2. 11/22/63: A Novel
Pros:
- Powerful plot
- Highly Emotional
- Gripping Tale
- Compact size
- Available on Kindle
Steve King
The 2011 novel 11/22/63 by Stephen King is a must read for anyone who is a plus time travel enthusiast. The book tells the story of a high school English teacher in Maine who has been drawn to the Kennedy assassination.
He finds a time portal that leads him back in time to the date of the murder of JFK. His goal was to stop Lee Harvey Oswald from shooting the President, but things seem to have existed and will lead this time traveler further than he could have ever expected.
3. Outlander: Outlander
Pros:
- Historic fiction is incredibly fascinating
- Mature storytelling
- A good long series to follow
Cons:
- Shocking scenes
- A little too much romance
By Diana Gabaldon.
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon is an extremely popular fantasy series which is strangely set in the past. The story doesn’t seem to be a very typical fantasy, though. It tells of Claire, a WWII veteran, who gets teleported to Scotland in 1743. She spends time there with a group of native Americans. She then meets Jamie, the red-haired man of her dreams who charmed my socks off.
The author writes very well and presents a mature romance. The main characters, Jamie and Claire, have realistic feelings which the author portrays. The whole story is a kind of a fantasy take on history, but it’s quite intriguing.
4. Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind
Pros:
- The book offers a unique perspective on the rise of Human civilization
- Offers great insights into the early history of mankind
Synthesizing scholarship spanning 3,000 years, Yuval Noah Harari’s “Sapiens” describes the history of humankind beginning with the appearance of modern cognition. Soon we’ll be in a new epoch, he says, one we won’t understand because we can’t imagine anything other than modern historical thinking.
He argues that the Agricultural Revolution made us who we are today and offers a bold new take on the significance of the past 10,000 years. From the development of money to the role of religion and the secrets of human evolution, Harari has a lot to say about the present and the future of our species.
5. A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court
Pros:
- Satirical account
- First novel to popularize the time-traveling theme
Long before he was adorning history books, every American schoolkid was young and curious enough to enjoy reading Mark Twain's few science fiction and fantasy works. The Yankee does not have the literary staying power of, say, Huckleberry Finn or The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, but it does get more attention than the rest, and not because of its time travel plot.
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court follows the adventures of Hank Morgan, a modern day man who suddenly finds himself in the time of Camelot, a period about which he claims to know a lot. Granted, most of his knowledge is derived from encyclopedias, but he does not hesitate to take the place of Sir Boss, the Court's mediocre administrator, in an attempt to make the land better.
6. The Time Traveler's Wife
Pros:
- The unconventional love story
- A look at marriage from an outsider's point of view
- The author's brilliant text
Cons:
- The book is written in a style that is easy to lose track of time in, hence, the two weeks to read the story
- Some people get put off by the subject matter of the book, but it isn't overly graphic. Overall, the book delivers a great narrative that is sure to keep you interested until the very end.
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger is a story of a man who has a genetic disorder that causes him to time travel without warning. He pops in and out of the lives of his wife and others. It is a narrative told in singular moments that a wife has about her husband.
In some cases, the woman seems to know what happens even though she doesn't know that it's him that happens. Even though the book may sound a bit strange, it's actually a very good book. It's themes of love, marriage, and time is a great read.
If you have read this and still want to read more books about time travel, these books are sure to keep you interested.
7. The End of Eternity
Pros:
- Wide variety of Sci-Fi elements
- Fantastic characters
- Story is awesome from start to finish.
Cons:
- The story may seem slow in some places.
- Ambiguous in some places.
Some of the most popular time travel movies and books are centered around the concept of changing the past. But what would happen if we went back in time and prevented our parents from meeting, or killed the U.S. President. Those thoughts normally sound preposterous, but this imaginative book does a fantastic job at answering some of those deep questions.
Below I will highlight some of the most interesting details about this book:
How would the world change if we prevented ourselves from existing?
8. A Brief History of Time
Pros:
- Just 274 pages
- Stephen Hawking writes in a very interesting and fun way
- The most influential science book of the last century
- Helps make physics more approachable while still offering depth
- Popularized Black Holes and Bose-Einstein Condensate
Stephen Hawking wrote A Brief History of Time. In this historic book, Hawking lays out the current theories regarding space, time, and the creation of the universe. He does this by addressing the major theories such as Einstein’s theory of Relativity and Quantum Theory. He also discusses cosmology, the origin of life, and a future time.
To many, this book is simply overwhelming. His theory’s are so far out there that they just fly over your head. I, however, found it a very enjoyable read. It’s important to note that this is not a book on physics. In fact, it barely even addresses what physics is. It’s more a history journey that focuses on the theories and how scientists came about them and what we know today.
9. Timeline
Pros:
- Futuristic setting
- Relatable characters
- Thought provoking
Timeline is a book written by Michael Crichton that tells the story of a group of archeologists who travel back in time to the year 1357 to rescue some friends who have been abducted. It’s a great piece of science fiction. The pacing and plot are great. There’s a constant sense of urgency to get back to the present day.
My only gripe with this book is the confusing time-lines. I felt like I was in the past, present, and future at the same time.
Overall, this is a phenomenal read. I highly recommend this book especially if you are a sci-fi buff and like the time traveling shows that are popular these days.
10. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Pros:
- Time travel
- The next adventure
- A lot of beloved characters
- Official canon
- The plot is movie-worthy
Cons:
- Parents are angry at the darkness level of the play and caution their children against picking it up
- Didn’t get the response it expected at the box office
- The play may not be available in other countries
- Daniel Radcliffe is too old now to play Harry Potter
- The play is very expensive to see
The main drawback of this book is its price but if you are a true Harry Potter fan who loves a good time travel tale, it is a must-read.
The Cursed Child is one of the craziest and compelling books one can pick up. There is so much happening in the book that we don’t even know where to begin our discussion of why it’s one of the best time travel books.
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child picks up 19 years later. It’s an alternate reality that you have never imagined. The characters are bigger and older. The theme and plot have developed over the years to a very intense level.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What are 10 books you must read?
When it comes to time travel books, it’s hard to imagine that any book could be considered "underrated" because talk about a genre that’s overpopulated. But if there is one, it’s ‘The End of Eternity’ by Isaac Asimov. Published in 1957, it’s not a typical time travel book by recent standards; it’s also less about the fictional aspects of exploring time. Instead, it’s really an excellent philosophical novel. But Asimov’s concepts of time travel are what make this book utterly fascinating.
How do you find a book if you forgot the title and author?
If you don’t remember a single detail about the book, you may think you’re stuck. With a little imagination, though, you can start to narrow down your search. Think of the author or the title and see if you can remember a single one of those. Even a word that might be in the title is a big help. Clicking on the relevant links for each of the title and author can also help you narrow down the search results.
At a point, of course, you won’t remember key details, and you may need to start guessing at key words. Fortunately, you don’t have to completely guess. You may be able to narrow down your results by selecting medium or large words. This is because key words are likely to be used more frequently in titles of books.
What are some books that expand your mind?
Here is a list of the best and most mind-blowing books of the last decade (publishing history). You can’t go wrong with any of these fantastic time traveling stories.
How do you make a good time travel story?
Well, time travel stories can be broken into two general categories: causal loops and tangible effects. Causal loops are the ones you see in movies where someone goes back in time and prevents a family from being killed (‡Minority on the Majority‡), or something like that, and then doesn’t change anything like he did in the past and sends the poor dead character back to the future. This differs from tangible effects because it won’t lead to any changes in the future, but it exists to give the character some really interesting stories to tell.
Conclusion
Whether you believe we are at the end or the beginning of civilization, fiction stories about time travel can be fascinating and exciting, and mind expanding, if you’re a closet fan of the genre or a major contemporary and classic sci-fi fan. But when it comes to time travel story material, it goes way beyond “The Time Machine,” the H.G. Wells novel.
If you’re in our older reader demographic, you might remember Tim just hanging out in a cave with his pet. Not exactly the same as exploring the future that lies ahead of us, or the past.
Our Recommendation
| Name | Category | Product |
|---|---|---|
| The Wheel of Time | Best Overall | |
| The Time Traveler's Wife | Budget Pick | |