What would you do if you were suddenly sent back in time?
I’m a sucker for time travel, probably as a result of watching The Time Machine (1960) as a kid. By today’s standards, the special effects in that film were archaic, but I found them dazzling. George (H.G. Wells) sat in his time machine and watched decades fly by through his workroom window. Then, when he goes waaay into the future, he finds the world has changed completely. What would you do if you were suddenly sent back in time?
Back to the Future (1985) was a cute look at time travel. Marty McFly is sent thirty years into the past, and finds himself dealing with his own parents. His very presence, unfortunately, disrupts events in such a way he begins to fade from existence…thus illustrating the time travel conundrum.
If you change the slightest detail in the past, what impact will that alteration have on events going forward? The law of unintended consequences would seem to kick in at some point. Even if you went back in time with the most noble of intentions, your actions might have extremely unpredictable and possibly undesirable results.
In my latest release, Tournament of Chance: Dragon Rebel, I have a little fun with the time travel paradox. Heather is accidentally sent eight hundred years into the past, with mind-bending repercussions. Her original goal beforehand was to restore the Ormarian monarchy. Once she’s part of history, however, can Heather prevent the downfall of Ormaria in the first place? Her opportunity to prevent untold misery and bloodshed may come at the cost of her own personal happiness.
Therein lays the dilemma.
If I could write down some sage advice in a time capsule and shoot it back to my younger self, I could very likely prevent some very painful episodes. On the other hand, those tumultuous times taught me a lot and shaped my character. Hmm…would I be doing myself a favor—or a mischief?
If you had the chance to change something in the past would you do it?
~ Suzanne
A hunter’s daughter becomes the spark that ignites a revolution—in time.
