The 10 Best Science Fiction Books with Time Travel

The Time Machine by HG Wells

The Time Machine is a classic science fiction novel by H.G. Wells, first published in 1895. The story follows a nameless inventor who builds a time machine and travels to the future. He arrives in the year 802,701, where he finds a world divided into two distinct societies: the Eloi, a race of gentle, childlike creatures who live in leisure, and the Morlocks, a subterranean race of savage cannibals.

The Time Machine’s journey is a cautionary tale about the dangers of progress and the potential for humanity to destroy itself. It is also fascinating to explore the future and what it might hold.

The Time Machine is a must-read for science fiction fans, and it will stay with you long after you finish reading it.

Kindred by Octavia Butler

Kindred is a science fiction novel by Octavia E. Butler, first published in 1979. The story follows Dana, a young black woman living in Los Angeles in 1976, who is suddenly transported back to the antebellum South. She finds herself enslaved on a plantation owned by Rufus, a white man who is her ancestor.

Dana is forced to live as a slave and witnesses the horrors of slavery firsthand. She also learns that she is connected to Rufus in a way she doesn’t understand. If she dies, he dies too.

Kindred is a powerful and thought-provoking novel that explores the legacy of slavery and how it continues to shape our lives today. It is a must-read for science fiction, historical fiction, and African American literature fans.

The Gone World by Tom Sweterlitch

The Gone World is a science fiction thriller by Tom Sweterlitsch, first published in 2018. The story follows Shannon Moss, a federal agent who is investigating the murder of a Navy SEAL in 1997. She soon discovers that the murder is connected to a mysterious event that happened in 2042, and she is forced to travel back in time to investigate.

The Gone World is a fast-paced and suspenseful novel that explores the nature of time travel and the power of memory. It is a must-read for science fiction, thrillers, and mystery novels fans.

The Time Treveller’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

The Time Traveler’s Wife is a love story about a man who travels through time and his wife who must learn to live with his condition. The story is told from both of their perspectives, and it explores the challenges and joys of a relationship that is constantly changing.

The Time Traveler’s Wife is a beautiful and heartbreaking novel that explores the power of love and the importance of acceptance. It is a must-read for fans of love stories, science fiction, and fantasy novels.

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

This Is How You Lose the Time War is an epistolary novel about two agents from warring factions who fall in love through their letters. The novel is told in letters that the two agents, Red and Blue, write to each other.

The two agents begin their correspondence as enemies but soon fall in love. Their letters are full of wit, humor, and longing. They share their thoughts on art, literature, and philosophy. They also share their fears and hopes for the future.

This Is How You Lose the Time War is a beautiful and moving novel about love, loss, and the power of words.

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

Outlander is a historical fantasy novel about a woman who travels back to 1743, Scotland. Claire Randall is a married nurse on a second honeymoon with her husband in Inverness, Scotland, when she is mysteriously transported back to 1743.

Outlander is a fast-paced and exciting novel that explores the themes of love, loss, and identity. It is a must-read historical science fiction with time travel.

11/22/63 by Stephen King

11/22/63 is a time travel novel about a man who travels back in time to prevent the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Jake Epping is a high school English teacher who discovers a portal that allows him to travel back to 1958. He decides to use the portal to prevent the assassination of President Kennedy, believing that it will change the course of history.

Jake arrives in 1958 and sets about befriending Lee Harvey Oswald, who will eventually assassinate President Kennedy. Jake tries to convince Oswald not to go through with the assassination. However, Oswald is determined to carry out his plan.

However, Jake’s mission becomes increasingly difficult as he approaches 1963. He must deal with the dangers of time travel, the threat of the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the possibility that he is changing the course of history in ways that he cannot predict.

Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier

Ruby Red is a time travel novel about a 16-year-old girl who discovers she is a time traveler. Gwendolyn Shepherd is a normal teenager living in London in 2001 until she suddenly finds herself transported back to 1782. She meets Gideon, a time traveler from the 18th century, and they must work together to find a way to get Gwendolyn back to her own time.

Along the way, Gwendolyn learns about her family’s history of time travel and the dangerous secret society trying to control it. She must also choose between her life in the 21st century and her love for Gideon in the 18th century.

The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton

The man, whose name is never revealed, wakes up in the body of Aiden Bishop, a wealthy aristocrat hosting a party at his country estate. He soon realizes that he is trapped in a time loop and must relive the same day repeatedly. Each day, he dies a different death, and he must figure out who is killing him and why.

Along the way, the man meets a cast of colorful characters, including Evelyn Hardcastle, the woman being murdered. Hugo, her mysterious butler. And Lady Hardcastle, her eccentric aunt. He must use his wits and cunning to solve the mystery before he wakes up dead for the seventh time.

Recursion by Blake Crouch

Recursion is a science fiction thriller about a woman who tries to save her husband from a condition that causes people to have false memories. She believes the condition is caused by a temporal anomaly that allows people to travel back in time and change the past. She must use her skills to stop the anomaly and save her husband.