Time travel books... (novel, cover, best, fantasy)

[gizmo980]

As a librarian, I feel kinda funny asking for book suggestions on an internet forum - but even a doctor occasionally needs medical care, LOL. I could read some of my professional review sources or visit whatshouldireadnext.com, but really would prefer some PERSONAL recommendations from real people. Anyway, I absolutely love time travel-themed books, and just finished the excellent Replay by Ken Grimwood... now I'm trying to find something similar to read next. For those who aren't familiar with it, here's the synopsis from Amazon:

"Jeff Winston, forty-three, didn't know he was a replayer until he died and woke up twenty-five years younger in his college dorm room; he lived another life. And died again. And lived again and died again -- in a continuous twenty-five-year cycle -- each time starting from scratch at the age of eighteen to reclaim lost loves, remedy past mistakes, or make a fortune in the stock market. A novel of gripping adventure, romance, and fascinating speculation on the nature of time, Replay asks the question: "What if you could live your life over again?"

I've already read the obvious The Time Machine, and tried to read the popular Time Traveler's Wife and Time and Again, but just couldn't get into them. I also have 11/22/63 on my Kindle, but keep hearing it's a slow-paced story... and as much as I love Stephen King, I'm lacking the patience for 850p of plodding right now. Does anyone have another suggestion, whether it's classic or current? FYI, I'm not into the "Star Trek" or overly scientific type of sci-fi, if that makes any sense. TIA!

[Sam I Am]

The plot to your book is strangely like 11/22/63 without the dying aspect. I read it cover to cover and couldn't get enough. I'm not into time travel, but I thought King's book pretty much moved to the early 60's and stayed there. Excellent. I didn't like the ending so much, though. You just kind of have to watch for parallels and correlations throughout the book (sorta like Mad Men!).

No recommendations here, sorry - except that I think you will be interested no matter how long King's work is - I learned a LOT about that era as well, and a lot about Oswald and his plans...all historically based. I thought it was fascinating.

[DawnMTL]

Sorry, time travel isn't my thing so I've got no first-hand suggestions but...

Do you know that one of our very own book forum members is an author of time-travel stories? (Actually, I thought she only wrote one, but upon searching Amazon for the link, I see that there are two of them.)

Amazon.com: The Time Baroness (The Time Mistress Series) eBook: Georgina Young-Ellis: Kindle Store

Amazon.com: The Time Heiress (The Time Mistress) eBook: Georgina Young- Ellis: Kindle Store

They're only available on Kindle, though. Maybe she has paper copies for sale? You can ask her, I suppose: http://www.city-data.com/forum/membe...s-1166492.html

[Green Onions]

Originally Posted by gizmo980

As a librarian, I feel kinda funny asking for book suggestions on an internet forum - but even a doctor occasionally needs medical care, LOL. I could read some of my professional review sources or visit whatshouldireadnext.com, but really would prefer some PERSONAL recommendations from real people. Anyway, I absolutely love time travel-themed books, and just finished the excellent Replay by Ken Grimwood... now I'm trying to find something similar to read next. For those who aren't familiar with it, here's the synopsis from Amazon:

"Jeff Winston, forty-three, didn't know he was a replayer until he died and woke up twenty-five years younger in his college dorm room; he lived another life. And died again. And lived again and died again -- in a continuous twenty-five-year cycle -- each time starting from scratch at the age of eighteen to reclaim lost loves, remedy past mistakes, or make a fortune in the stock market. A novel of gripping adventure, romance, and fascinating speculation on the nature of time, Replay asks the question: "What if you could live your life over again?"

I've already read the obvious The Time Machine, and tried to read the popular Time Traveler's Wife and Time and Again, but just couldn't get into them. I also have 11/22/63 on my Kindle, but keep hearing it's a slow-paced story... and as much as I love Stephen King, I'm lacking the patience for 850p of plodding right now. Does anyone have another suggestion, whether it's classic or current? FYI, I'm not into the "Star Trek" or overly scientific type of sci-fi, if that makes any sense. TIA!

Replay was excellent! It's one of those books that will sit on my shelves for a few more years until it is ripe for a thoroughly enjoyable re-reading.

I enjoyed Michael Crichton's Timeline.

Julian May's four-book Saga of Pliocene Exile involves a one-way time portal to pliocene Europe, through which a number of 22nd-century humans travel. The first book is The Many Colored Land.

Also, not exactly time travel per se, but a book (well a series) about a number of historical figures thrown together (ie, resurrected, but in a science fiction setting, not in a religious or magical sense) and interacting with each other. The figures include Richard Burton (the main character - and 19th century British explorer, not the actor), Mark Twain, Herman Goering, King John, Cyrano de Bergerac, a historical pharaah (I forget which one). While the prose is very forgettable, the tale is highly engaging. The first book in the four-books series is To Your Scattered Bodies Go.

While these are all science fiction, none of them get bogged down in the science aspect of the fiction.

[AnneWest]

I hesitate to recommend a series that I (as a sf/fantasy fan for my entire life) also love.
The first book in the series is Outlander by Diana Gabaldon.

My hesitation is based on the fact that a great many people seem to think it belongs in the romance section and, while there is a romance underpinning the entire story arc, its also a historically epic tale starting after WWII, going back to Scotland pre-Culloden and forward to the American Revolution from there. Adventure, political intrigue...there's something for everyone.
I have sold this series to many male readers who enjoyed it and came back for all of the other books.
It's an auto-buy for me and many others...the second the books go on sale.

[John Dark]

Slaughterhouse Five!

[CA4Now]

Originally Posted by gizmo980

...tried to read the popular Time Traveler's Wife and Time and Again, but just couldn't get into them.

The Time Traveler's Wife is one of the best books I've ever read but it does take a lot of concentration. Time and Again was actually a better movie than a book.

Outlander is one I tried twice but could not stick with.

[Travelling Gal]

Originally Posted by AnneWest

I hesitate to recommend a series that I (as a sf/fantasy fan for my entire life) also love.
The first book in the series is Outlander by Diana Gabaldon.

My hesitation is based on the fact that a great many people seem to think it belongs in the romance section and, while there is a romance underpinning the entire story arc, its also a historically epic tale starting after WWII, going back to Scotland pre-Culloden and forward to the American Revolution from there. Adventure, political intrigue...there's something for everyone.
I have sold this series to many male readers who enjoyed it and came back for all of the other books.
It's an auto-buy for me and many others...the second the books go on sale.

I definitely second this recommendation! Although I'd hesitate for a different reason...they are fairly large books. I also agree that this is not a typical romance novel by any stretch of the imagination, but seems to be hard to categorize. I've seen it in both fiction and science fiction sections as well. Favorite series and one that I've re-read a few times while I wait for the next book to come out.

[figmalt]

An historical fiction novel I've quite enjoyed (even thought it's geared to teens/young adult is "Another Shore," by Newberry Honor author Nancy Bond. However, I think it's out of print and may be more difficult to find.

[Red On The Noodle]

The best is The Doomsday Book by Connie Willis. You go back to the days of the Black Plague. She also has two other books, but I did not like them as well as the first one.