How Time Travel Works: Time Travel Series Introduction | EP01
- Aug 6, 2020
- 2 min read
Updated: Mar 9
Welcome back to Journey Through Sci-Fi.
After exploring artificial intelligence, space exploration and other iconic themes in the genre, we’re beginning a brand new series on one of science fiction’s most fascinating ideas: time travel.
Few concepts have captured the imagination of sci-fi storytellers quite like the ability to move through time. Whether travelling to the past to change history or journeying into the future to glimpse humanity’s destiny, time travel stories have produced some of the most creative and mind-bending films in the genre.
In this episode we introduce the time travel subgenre, exploring how it became such a popular part of science-fiction storytelling.
Because here on Journey Through Sci-Fi, our goal is simple: to explore the history of science-fiction cinema one subgenre at a time.
Listen to the full episode below:
What We Discuss In This Episode
In this episode we talk about:
• Why time travel became such a popular idea in science fiction
• Early literary and cinematic influences on time-travel stories
• The narrative possibilities created by travelling through time
• Some of the films we’ll be covering in the upcoming series
• How time travel allows sci-fi to explore history, destiny and paradox
Why Time Travel Works So Well in Science Fiction
Time travel is one of the most flexible storytelling devices in science fiction.
It allows filmmakers to explore alternate histories, distant futures and complex paradoxes that challenge our understanding of cause and effect.
Stories about time travel often ask fascinating questions:
What if we could change the past?
What does the future hold for humanity?
Can history be altered, or is everything predetermined?
These ideas have inspired countless sci-fi films and continue to shape the genre today.
The Evolution of Time Travel Stories
The idea of travelling through time dates back long before modern cinema.
Early science-fiction writers imagined machines that could carry people across centuries, opening the door to stories about distant futures and forgotten pasts.
As science fiction developed in film, time travel quickly became one of the genre’s most enduring themes — appearing in everything from epic adventures to philosophical dramas.
Throughout this series we’ll be pairing films from different eras to see how the time travel concept has evolved over the decades.
What’s Coming in the Time Travel Series
In the upcoming episodes we’ll be exploring some of the most influential and imaginative time-travel stories in science-fiction cinema.
From classic films that helped define the genre to modern sci-fi adventures that play with complex timelines and paradoxes, the series will chart how filmmakers have used time travel to explore the possibilities of the past and the future.
Explore more Journey Through Sci-fi series
About Journey Through Sci-Fi
Journey Through Sci-Fi is a podcast exploring the strange, visionary and world-changing history of science-fiction cinema.
Each series focuses on a different sci-fi subgenre, examining the films and ideas that shaped the genre - from classic cinema to modern science-fiction storytelling
Comments