Time travel is one of the most interesting concepts when it comes to science fiction whether you discuss movies or books. The concept isn’t just interesting but it is inspiring as well because it hasn’t been a lot of time since the concept of time was elaborated in front of our eyes. The books that try accommodating them may sometimes be insightful and sometimes they can be scientifically misleading.
But no matter what we say, these books peak the interests of most readers. Such books obviously shed light on time-travel but they even make the reader fall in love with the intricacies of the time paradox. I’m a huge fan of books that concentrate on time travel which is why it is very important for me to have a nice book to curl up with.
Due to this reason I have constructed my own list of best time travel books that will blow your mind. These books might be an adventure, action and so much more which is why they will just grab on to you and take you on a wild ride, so buckle up.
10 Best Time Travel Books To Read:
#1. A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court
This book is written by Mark Twain. The title itself is so interesting that it doesn’t have to do much in order to attract a reader. And on top of that, the author’s stature isn’t questionable at all due to his previous works that have made everyone quite interested in his work. His Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn have been legendary which is why his following has only grown.
This insightful novel is often considered one of the first few foundational works on this sub-genre. It revolves around Hank Morgan, who is from the Connecticut firearms factory and worked there as a supervisor. He is sent back to the year 528. After this happens, he has to deal with a couple of situations that make this satire worth reading.
#2. The Book of Kells
This book is written by R. A. MacAvoy. The vintage cover of this book attracted me a lot although that is just a small thing to be said about this book. This book will cast an enchantment on you that you might not be able to get out of. The book can lead you to an adventure that you just don’t want to miss.
The book’s male protagonist, namely John Thornburn and the female protagonist, namely Derval, are what this book revolves around. They go back to the 900s to avenge a Viking attack in Ireland. The things turn out to be pretty bold and interesting after that. The concept provided by the book is obviously unique and insightful.
#3. Time After Time
This book is written by Lisa Grunwald. The book has a very different approach to time travel which I like the most. The storyline is mysterious and eye-catching and entraps its reader pretty well. The best thing about it is the element of surprise and the consistent twist in the story.
The book revolves around Joe Reynolds and Nora Lansing who are the main characters of the book. Joe works at Grand Central Station as a railroad man and Nora is an artist. Nora disappears after she remembers that her train crashes in 1925 and that the two main characters meet at the big clock when Joe walks her home.
But the twist is that she doesn’t make it back home, instead, she just disappears. She then reappears a year later and then meets Joe all over again. Soon enough she figures out that she is traveling in time without her own knowledge and that she is trapped in Grand Central Station for unknown reasons. When she discusses this with Joe, they both try to find out the reason behind all of this before Nora disappears again.
#4. Timekeeper
This book is written by Tara Sim. It is a classic and might be known to a lot of people worldwide for the work of this amazing author. This book takes place in a Victorian world of an alternate universe where we can control time using clock towers. The book revolves around Danny, who is a young clock mechanic and Colton, his apprentice.
The news of bombings starts to spread at other towers around the world and that means that the town overseen by the particular clock will be frozen forever in time. This makes the book really interesting as the love affair of Danny and Colton sprouts while they are literally through a battle of time where a lot of things can’t be under their control.
#5. Everyone Says That at the End of the World
This book is written by Owen Egerton. It is an awesome piece of work to read and I am sure that you have judged this book by its title, and I think that’s allowed. It is a pretty humorous book that begins four days before the world is ending. What is next is more fascinating until the description you have heard yet.
The book revolves around a couple named Milton and Rica who are a couple and expect their first child. In order to let their child into the world, they plan on making an escape to survive the planet’s doom which they end up doing by traveling cross country somehow and they come across angels, ghosts, inter-dimensional time travelers and a whole lot of confusing things. I guess their luck might help them survive through this ultimate doomsday.
#6. Time Loves a Hero
This book is written by Alan Steele, who is a Hugo award winner. He tries to bring forward another great book to excite his readers positively and make them fall in love with his work yet again. His take on time travel is pretty fascinating to read.
In this book, he talks about a series of event which takes place pre, post and during a time travel experience by a pair of operatives who travel from the 2300s to research over the Hindenburg explosion. The book is full of plot twists that might just make your day.
#7. The Dancer from Atlantis
This book is written by Poul Anderson. It is a romantic tale that is linked with an element of time travel which is what makes the author quite loved for his work. The author himself praises this book a lot and I can clearly see why after giving it my first read. It revolves around a malfunctioning time machine.
This time machine sends four people to the year 4000 BCE, who are all from different timelines to the Mediterranean coast of Egypt. Two people out of them are Duncan Reid, an American architect from the 1900s, and Erissa, a priestess who has traveled just a few decades in time from Atlantis. This priestess is their only hope of getting back to their own reality but that can only be done by risking their own lives quite a lot.
#8. How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe
This book is written by Charles Yu. The title of this book is quite interesting and really attracts me every time I see it. It portrays an incomplete and unpolished world in which the laws of physics are discarded and the residents feel like they are unfinished.
The name of this world is Minor Universe 31 and it has a male protagonist with the author’s name, Charles Yu. He has a hypothetical dog and a feminine AI interface which is the apple of his eye. The best thing I found about this book is that there are illustrations and pictures in it.
#9. The End of Eternity
This book is written by Isaac Asimov. It has a beautiful storyline that will definitely spellbind you. It plays on the clichéd phrase of loving someone to the end of time which is quite regretful. This is a beautiful love story that is supposed to make people fall in love with themselves.
It revolves around an Eternal who starts a loving relationship with a person excluding his elite which is a threat to Eternity itself. If he doesn’t look for a solution of it himself, he might be causing damage to Eternity which will actually destroy it forever.
#10. Man in the Empty Suit
This book is written by Sean Ferrell. It is unlike any other in the list and combines time travel with an element of a murder mystery. If you are actually interested in murder mystery novels, then this is the book for you. It revolves around a time traveler who is also the narrator of this story. This person spends his birthday in a hotel room in New York along with all the future and past versions of him.
But on his 39th birthday, his party goes off the cliff after figuring out that his 40-year-old self has been killed and that too by a gunshot to the head. This is why he only seems to have a year where he needs to figure out who the killer is, otherwise, he will cease to exist, along with all his other versions.
I hope I was able to help you in finding the perfect book on time travel to read and enjoy. These books are my personal preference and might differ in interest from person to person. If the content was helpful, please leave a like on the post or drop a comment below.
