Synopsis

A machine with a madman inside seems to suddenly appear inside a laboratory. It is soon realized that his machine actually disappeared at that moment as it has slowly been traveling backward in time.

History

First publication: Anticipations, ed. by Christopher Priest, Faber and Faber, 1978

1979 Hugo finalist for best short story.

Review

I do love time travel stories, probably because of H. G. Wells. But I also love the rich variety of time travel ideas writers have come up with over the years. This story is one of the best in that theme.The ideas here about time and about the traveler’s place in history are absolutely fascinating. The science is fictional but well described to make it sound reasonable. The story is short and the guy is trapped inside the machine, only able to communicate by holding up signs to a small window, so character is naturally limited, but otherwise the writing is terrific. This has long been a favorite of mine and is highly recommended.