I have two significant reasons for being thankful to Herbert George Wells (21 September 1866 13 August 1946). Firstly of course he was a writer who came out with a number of books of science fiction which along with his near contemporary,Jules Verne had influence on the evolution of the genre in the twentieth century. Secondly, although much less well known, he enjoyed the hobby of Miniature Wargaming (playing with toy soldiers) which I discovered at the age of 12 and I still pursue when I get the time. In fact I got into wargaming before I later discovered the joys of boardgames and roleplaying at university and which I tend to do more often these days.

Wells was born in the town of Bromley which is near London.  His father was Joseph Wells – a shopkeeper of limited financial means who supplemented his  income by earnings from playing cricket. Joseph injured his leg when Herbert was in his teens and the loss of income from cricket meant that his mother Sarah had to return to work as a domestic servant.

In 1874 Herbert broke his leg and spent weeks laid up at home. To pass the time he read extensively and this clearly had a good deal of influence on the young lad. Herbert’s education was restricted by the families poor finances. At times he was a student pupil -teaching younger boys as part of his payment for getting an education. He did well in Latin and the sciences. Later he was educated at the Normal School of Science in London. Between and whilst attending various schools he first worked as a draper’s apprentice and later a bookkeeper. He was never successful at these careers and eventually set out on a career as a Free lance writer.

Romantic Life

Having no money he moved in to stay with his aunt where he became engaged and married a cousin, Isabel Wells, but left her in 1894 for one of his students, Amy Robbins. he remained married to Amy until her death in 1927 but had numerous affairs leading to various illegitimate children.

 

Writing Career

In 1895 Wells wrote and published The Time Machine – one of the early novels to explore this fascinating concept. Although it takes a somewhat dark view of the future (influenced by Wells own pacifist views and feelings about society and social classes) it is certainly a novel which along with the film version got me thinking about Time Travel in my own writing.

The Time Machine was followed by The Island of Doctor Moreau, The Invisible Man, The War of the Worlds, When the Sleeper Wakes, and The First Men in the Moon. Wells also wrote some non fiction and literary fiction – again usually commentaries on the times, war and social classes.

Politics

Wells held broadly socialist views, was a member of the Fabian society and ran as a Labour candidate in two elections. He held generally pacifist view but supported the First World War and in particular rejected calls for an early peace as such peace would involve the German nation retaining control over large populations in Africa which he opposed. He had strong feelings about inequalities between classes and wrote about these at length in both his science fiction and other works.

Wells believed in a One World state – gradual unification of all nations and therefore opposed Zionism as separatist and divisive in his opinion.

Religion

Wells was a theist – believing in a god but denying that any one world religion is right.

Little Wars

IN 1907 HG Wells produced a book about playing games with Toy Soldiers called little Wars that inspired the early generations of wargamers to get out model soldiers and start building hills and houses and rolling dice and refighting Waterloo.

A sign of his male orientated times (and with appologies to lady readers) he introduced the book with: “A game for boys from twelve years of age to one hundred and fifty and for that more intelligent sort of girl who likes boys’ games and books”

Below: A modern Wargame

Later Life

In later life Wells developed Diabetes and actually founded the patient support group Diabetes UK.  His writing deteriorated and he became embroiled with projects and obscure problems – often pursuing local matters (such as falling out with  neighbour) obsessionally. He died at the age of 79.

He predicted many things that came to happen – just as World War Two and the importance of Air power in war. As his epitaph he left the comment “I told you so. You damned fools.”

I  wrote this entry on the anniversary of Wells birthday. So thanks Herbert for the Sci-FI and the Wargames. Its your fault!

For more on my Time Travel Novels for teens go to: http://www.richarddenning.co.uk/tomguard.html

Experiences of organising visits to schools to do author talks.

by Richard Denning

For an author the hardest part of the process of writing and publishing books is promotion and marketing. Getting your book read by people involves getting it IN FRONT of people. The hard grind of achieving that falls to the author not the publisher (and in many cases they are one and the same in any event).

One opportunity worth exploring is giving talks at schools. All schools are keen to bring in a variety of visitors to talk about all subjects and topics and therefore an author should think hard about whether they or their books could be of interest to the school.

1)Working out what you could talk about

Whether your book is fiction or non fiction ask yourself:

• Is the book aimed at or appropriate for Primary or Secondary age children?
• Is the subject matter one that fits with the schools curriculum? Here in the UK there is a National Curriculum that it is worth checking over to see what is actually taught at schools. Most other countries will have something similar.
• Are you an expert on your subject matter. The answer may well be yes even if you don’t think it. If you have researched a particular historical period, an area of science or a specific location the chances are that you know a lot about that – a lot more than most others anyway.
• Are there other aspects of the world of writing planning a book that could be used in a talk?
• Is there something about publishing that you can talk about. Actually getting a book published -whether mainstream or self published or Print on Demand involves many steps that has given you an experience that most people do not understand and that could be valuable.

Sit down and write out the sorts of topics that you could cover. So in my case I write Historical Fiction and also Young Adult Science fiction involving time travel to different periods. This means there are specific historical periods I know a lot about. I have also explored the physics of Time Travel as well as seen an unhealthy number of films and read too many books about it. I have developed my own method of researching, plotting and writing that I can discuss. I am self published so I have experiences of that process and because like all authors I have approached mainstream agents and publishers I know something of the stages of making submissions.

I then summarised several of these areas into a brief description:

Time Travel sound like fun until you try it The fascination of time travel and why it could be more dangerous than you think! A rattle through Time Travel in book and movie, the physics of Time Travel and its dangers. Includes readings from Tomorrow’s Guardian. Ideal for Years 6 to 8.

The Great Fire of London 1666 By Permission of Heaven! A talk about The Great Fire of London – its causes, extent and the fallout from it. Includes readings from Tomorrow’s Guardian and/ or The Last Seal and use of video, maps and my Board Game to illustrate. Can be pitched at Primary school or adapted for secondary schools.

Introduction to writing Historical Fiction Making the past believable. Looking at writing historical novels. Inspiration for ideas, researching the subject, plots and people, making it vibrant and alive. Where to go next. This is intended for Year 6 Primary school or Secondary schools.

The ins and outs of getting published – by a self published author “I would be grateful if you would consider my novel.” So you have written a book – where to go next. Researching the market, spotting the next big thing. Writing a proposal. Agents, publishers, Print on Demand, Small press and self publishing. This is intended for secondary schools and possibly Year 6 primary schools.

The Zulu war of 1879 –Great Courage and great fools! About the invasion of Zulu land in 1879 – the mistakes and the amazing heroism on both sides.

From those outlines I then planned out each talk which included estimates of timing of each bit. No plan will survive intact on contact with school children but you need A PLAN and then the ability to adapt it. I aimed for talks that would last about 60 to 90 minutes but could be shortened if needed. See more later.

2)Approaching Schools

The next thing I did was to set up a page about the visits on my website so that the schools could see what was on offer. On this website I lay out my expectations. So I specify the talks that I will do. I say something about age groups and duration. I give some idea about the sorts of activities that would go on. Then I say what I would expect in return. Now this is a delicate matter. At my stage I am very keen to get more readers and so I will go to some lengths to facilitate a visit. All I ask for is that the school buy 1 copy of each of my 4 titles at £6 each – which is not exactly a vast outlay. In the case of primary schools only2 of my titles are really appropriate so I only ask that they obtain those 2. Schools do have a budget for this sort of thing and that kind of outlay is really within their scope. You have to consider whether to charge travel costs. I say on my website that I will charge 25p a mile but will actually wave this if the school is local.

I don’t charge any form of appearance fee. My view is that I want to get my books in front of as many people as possible so why put obstacles in the way. Furthermore I am an unknown author beyond a small readership so who would pay me?

You can contact schools:

• In person by going in. This is difficult as most schools are not keen on drop in visits but it would be a way of getting material to them. It is easier if you have contacts in the school.
• By mail – but a physical mail shot to lots of schools will get expensive.
• Email. School do list contact email addresses and there are sites that list schools in each area and even ones that have lists of contact emails BUT these can be out of date quickly.
• By word of mouth. Of you get a good visit, ask the school to tell other schools.

When you have contact with a school I suggest you spell out in detail:

• The exact time and date of the visit
• The age group and group sizes you will be talking to
• What environment will you be talking in – the school hall, library or class room etc.
• Who is the supervising person. You should never be left alone with children.
• The time length of the sessions
• The subject matter you are being asked to talk about
• An agreement on terms of any payment, expenses , book purchases etc
• Can you park the car, will they feed you!

3) The Talk

Attention spans are getting shorter we are told. Therefore it is important to grab the audience’s attention and keep them engaged. As I have progressed through the talks I have done so far I have added in MORE interaction and more times when the children can get up, come forward and do something.

I take a lot of props along – such as old uniforms, weapons, armour posters from movies and books. The children should be encouraged to pick them up, talk about them and try clothing on.

I incorporate activities. FOR EG I hand out lots of post cards of histocal periods and ask them to choose one to wrire about. When exploring Time Travel I get them to play out some paradoxes and experiments and I am always on the look out for more to add in.

I build in video clips from movies and cartoons. I use power point to illustrate talks as well.

The key is to break it up. Have lots of different things going on. Get the children out to take part and involve them in discussion. Challenge them “Do you think Time Travel is possible?” “No — why not?”

4)The Promotional bit

I take along book marks and postcards and posters and liberally hand these out. I make sure that I do a reading from a book at least once in a talk – even if a brief one. I mention my website and blog and suggest if they want to find out more they go there. I DON’T try and sell the books to the children BUT I of course will do so if they ask. You wont sell many books directly at school most likely BUT you hope that some will be picked up afterwards and if the school can buy a couple then that is a result already.

I take a camera and ask one of the children to take some photos. I ask permission IN ADVANCE about this and also ask the school to check permissions for each child’s image to be taken (most schools will get parents to sign these at the start of the year).

5)Afterwards

I email the school within a day or two, thank them for having me, ask for feedback and permission to use images and ideally a quote I can use on the website. I offer to go back if they want another visit.

You can see my visits page on my site here:

http://www.richarddenning.co.uk/visits.html

For more about my time travel series go here:
http://www.richarddenning.co.uk/tomguard.html

For more about my historical fiction series go here:
http://www.richarddenning.co.uk/theambertreasure.html

For more about the Great Fire Historical Fantasy go here:
http://www.richarddenning.co.uk/thelastseal.html

 

 

 

 

Today is the anniversary of the Hindenburg disaster in 1937. This event appears in Yesterdays Treasures. Here is the excerpt.

Chapter ten – Hindenburg

 

 

Tom stretched out both his arms. Edward and Charlie each placed a hand on one and Mary and Septimus on the other. In his mind Tom brought up the Map. He scrolled across it to find the eastern seaboard of the United States. Once there he located the naval base at Lakehurst. He focused upon it and Walked in that direction. As he moved, he brought into his mind an image of the Clock – his brass alarm clock that had once belonged to his father. He spun the timepiece’s hands backwards, moving them faster and faster until he knew he had reached the target date and as he did, he Walked them all back through time to May 6th, 1937, a few minutes before seven p.m. local time.

They materialised in the gap between a warehouse and some packing cases. Septimus popped up to take a look over the top of one and glanced about then turned and beckoned for Tom to join him. Tom peered carefully round a box labelled ‘J.P. Sutton – Machine Tools’. Beyond the cases, and only a few feet in front of them, was a wire fence about twelve feet high and through it he spotted two enormous hangers running off to their right. Ahead and to the left was a large open space with marked out runways and a windsock fluttering in the breeze. On the far side of the landing field, more huge hangars loomed. To their left and about two hundred yards away, in the middle of the large open landing field, was a tall structure made of steel girders. Much like the Eifel Tower, but actually shaped a bit like a rocket, it rose to a point high above them.

“I have been here before,” the Welshman whispered. A few years prior to today, in fact; I was … ahem, borrowing some secret plans. Anyway, according to memory, those hangers house the airships when they are not in flight,” Septimus pointed at the vast buildings. “The Americans had several naval airships based here I believe, as well as it being the landing field for the Hindenburg. Now, look over there everyone,” he gestured.

They all stared at the huge tower.

“That’s the airship mooring mast. When the Hindenburg arrives, it will come in and descend so that it is level with the top of the tower. It will then dock with it and be winched down to ground level. That at least is the plan. Of course, that never actually happens, because, whilst the ship is approaching the tower the disaster occurs and she burns and crashes.”

“Good Lord, there she is!” Charlie exclaimed.

They turned to see the airship approaching from behind them: an impossibly large cigar-shaped balloon hundreds of feet above them, but still vast, casting a giant shadow over the airfield. She was a metallic blue colour all over, with the exception of the glass windows in the control car at the front and the promenade windows of the passenger deck at the thing’s belly. Prominently displayed were red and black swastika flags painted onto the fish like fins projecting out of her rear end. Eerily, her approach was almost silent.

Tom heard a loud sob and turned to see Mary staring up at the Hindenburg, one hand over her mouth and the other clutching at Septimus. “I am frightened, Mr Mason. What demons drive that creature, what magic can make it fly?”

“Mary, don’t get upset. It is a thing; a machine that men make. There is no monster within it – just engines,” Septimus explained, but Tom could see Mary was far from convinced and she kept on staring at the airship as it moved by. Did she see it as yet more evidence of incomprehensible things beyond her time – a time she was perhaps never meant to see? Exchanging worried glances with Edward and Charlie, Tom placed his arm around her waist and gave her a comforting squeeze. He could feel her whole body trembling and knew she was struggling not to weep.

Mary, you don’t have to come.  You can stay here and i’ll pick you up later.

No, Master, she said firmly, letting go of Septimus and dashing a hand across her face, clearly making an effort to regain her composure.Forgive a moment’s weakness. I will be fine now, I swear it.

Relieved to feel that she was no longer shaking Tom gave her an encouraging smile and withdrew his arm.

The Hindenburg was still high up and well above the mooring tower. As it passed over the top it turned to the north and then to the west and now Tom could see that it was descending slowly as it curved around and began to come back towards the east – back towards them and the tower.

Septimus checked his watch, “Right, it’s about fifteen minutes before the disaster. Time to get on board. Tom, take us into the superstructure near the crew compartment’s access door to the aft gangway.

Tom nodded and tried to hide the doubts he was feeling. He was glad he had taken careful notice of the Professor’s plans, but had he paid enough attention to the details? What if he got it wrong? One of them could end up outside the airship or inside one of the gas cells. Then, of course, it was not just a question of recalling the layout correctly. If whatever had afflicted him the previous day happened again they might all end up in the middle of the sea for all he knew. The lives of his friends were in his hands and the enormity of the responsibility made him falter.

“OK Tom? Septimus hissed. “No time to hang about, boyo!”

Shaking his head in an effort to dismiss his gnawing anxieties Tom frowned in concentration. They had only minutes on this job and he had to get it right. In his mind he brought up the Map and then, having made sure he was anchored to the location at Lakehurst, he superimposed the floor plan of the airship, orientating it in his mind so it matched the alignment of the real ship above them. There, just behind the hatch into B-deck, was a corridor. But it was a narrow space, only wide enough for one person, so with a hurried explanation, Tom had his companions form up in single file then positioned himself in the middle of the line. He nodded to the others and they reached out to touch his outstretched arms then, with a final nod, he Walked them away.

They materialised in the corridor running along the keel of the airship, which was formed within a triangle of steel girders. A narrow gangway led in two directions within the triangle, whilst outside the girders there were huge sheets of whitish canvas. Tom realised after a moment that these were the gas cells and that he and his friends were surrounded by thousands of tons of hydrogen: the gas that fuelled the sun. A single spark might turn it all into an inferno. He gulped and looked along the walkway.

From one direction down the corridor the whirl and clunk of machinery could be heard. “Generator room in the heart of the ship: that’s aft of the cabins. Come on, this way,” Septimus muttered and led them in a single file away from the generators. On either side of them they now saw a series of cabin doors. Septimus held his finger to his lips to keep them quiet and hissed two words, “Crew quarters,” before carrying on along the corridor.

Beyond the crew quarters, a large steel door blocked their path: the rear hatch leading into B-deck.

Septimus looked round to check they were all still with him and glancing at Tom he raised a questioning eyebrow and tapped his watch.

“It is now seven-fifteen local time,” Tom said. “Assuming the Professor knows what he is talking about and the stone tablet is also correct, then these pearls we are after will begin to change into the fragment of the Crown in eight minutes. The fire starts in, er … ten and then in two minutes more, the ship is destroyed.”

“Right then. Charlie, Mary and I will go and try to get into the Captain’s safe. Tom, you and Edward go to the passenger cabins and look for the pearls there. If we fail to find them, we meet up here in ten minutes. All clear?”

“As mud!” muttered Charlie.

“Excellent,” replied Septimus. “Right, let’s go!”

Cautiously, Septimus opened the hatch and peered around it. Beyond the doorway, the corridor extended forwards about fifty feet before ending at another hatchway. More doors led off the passageway on either side. Septimus allowed Mary and Charlie to pass by him into the corridor. He went to follow them then suddenly he slapped his forehead, turned around to face Tom and Edward and frowning, pointed up at the ceiling.

“Damn!” he exclaimed. “I just remembered that you can’t get to the stairs from here without going through the Purser’s cabin and the bar. The bar is through the smoking room airlock and will be manned by the barman. You two are going to have to Walk up through the ceiling.”

Tom nodded and imagined the plan of the airship in his mind. Directly above them he could picture the hallway at the top of the stairs from B-deck, which was the entrance to the passenger cabins. “Ten feet straight up,” he instructed his companion. Edward nodded and they both Walked to the landing.

On either side of them, stairs led downwards. Beyond these were doors to the dining room, on one side of the ship, and the passenger lounge on the other. Directly in front of them two corridors ran between the passenger cabins. A moment after they had appeared, a smartly dressed man in a jacket and tie strolled out of one of the corridors examining a camera he was holding. He pushed past with barely a glance and then turned to take a second look at them.

“Guten Abend, wie heissen Sie?”

“Er, Ich heisse Herr Edward Dyson,” Edward said in hesitant German.

“Ah, you are American? Why have I not seen you before?” the stranger asked, switching to English.

“English, actually but we have both been ill, only just come out of our cabin.”

The German gentleman looked doubtful at that answer, but shrugged and walked on towards the lounge. “Well, we are just landing,” he said over his shoulder, “so I would hurry yourselves: you don’t want to miss that do you?”

After he had gone, Tom let out the breath he had been holding and Edward nodded at him. “Phew, I thought he might raise the alarm. Come on, let’s go – we can’t have long now.”

“Just nine minutes to go,” said Tom, turning to peer towards the cabins. “Which corridor?”

Edward shrugged and then rushed across to one of the openings and glanced along it, his gaze taking in the nearest of the doors on one side and then the one opposite it. “We want number 17 don’t we? These are 1 and 14 so not this corridor,” he announced moving to the other entrance. “Here’s 15 to 28. Come on, it’s this way.”

Tom ran after his friend, counting off the cabins as he passed them: “15 … 16 …”

“Ah, 17, this is it,” Edward announced, giving a gentle tap on the door, his ear pressed against the polished wood. “Thank goodness, no one there,” he said after a moment, his hand twisting the doorknob. “Blast! Locked,” he muttered and then stepped back, steadied himself and hurtled into the door like a rugby forward putting his weight behind his right shoulder. With a great crack followed by a splintering sound, the door was knocked back off its hinges.

“You don’t think it might have been easier to Walk? Tom muttered with a wry grin.

Edward shrugged and just smiled. “Maybe … but it wouldn’t have been as much fun.”

Beyond the shattered doorway the cabin was tiny: only six feet long by about five feet wide. On their left they could see a wash basin and a curtain that led to a small closet. Ahead of them was a fold-down table and a stool. Finally, on the right, was a bunk bed complete with a ladder leading to the upper bunk. On the lower bunk Tom spotted a suitcase.

Edward had seen it too and tried the catches. “Locked!” he grunted. “Try checking the closet, hurry we have only eight more minutes,” he added, pulling out a penknife and flicking out a blade.

Tom poked his head through the curtain, but the shelving inside was bare. Frau Denitz had obviously packed her clothes away in the case.

Edward, meanwhile, had pushed the point of the blade behind the lock and twisted. With a snap the catch flew open. He repeated this manoeuvre on the other side then he tipped the case upside down. Shirts and blouses, trousers and skirts fell out of the case and tumbled on to the blanket covering the lower bunk. Two small boxes fell out as well: one bouncing on the bed to land on the floor. Tom bent over to retrieve that one, opening it hopefully, but then grimaced when it turned out to contain only a fountain pen. Edward opened the other to reveal a string of shiny and very beautiful white pearls. Tom grabbed the jewellery and grinned at Edward.

“Eureka! Found it!” Tom said. “Quick, let’s go.”

He turned to exit the cabin and then froze, for there, in the corridor outside, stood a man. He was somewhat older than the young lieutenant – perhaps about the same age as Septimus – clean shaven but with a shock of red hair. He wore army style canvas trousers and a Chelsea football top. There were two striking things about him, other than his hair. Firstly, the football shirt was from the recent 2009 to 2010 football season and secondly, he was holding a pistol.

“I’ll ‘ave that mate!” he said, speaking with a London accent, cocking the revolver and pointing it at Tom.

Chapter eleven – Rolf Lapace

Edward Walked: vanishing from where he stood next to Tom and appearing in the corridor beside the stranger, his fist going back ready to land a punch on the redhead’s face. Edward blinked, gasping as he saw the man was no longer there, but had vanished the instant Edward materialised.

Tom was about to join Edward when he felt a pistol barrel dig into the back of his neck. With a chill he realised the man was now right behind him and that he too was a Walker.

“Nice try, sunshine!” said a voice in Tom’s ear. Reaching over, the redhead seized the string of pearls and with a pop, was gone.

Edward slammed his fist against the wall in frustration, “Damned cheek! Who the devil was that chap?”

“I have no idea, but he’s got the pearls and it’s less than two minutes before they become the fragment.” Tom frowned as a thought occurred to him, “Tell you what though, whoever he is, if like us he’s after the Crown, he won’t leave until the fragment appears.”

Edward closed his eyes and screwed up his face in concentration then nodded. “You are quite right, Tom. He is still on board. He is … oh my … he’s in the Captain’s cabin!”

Tom’s eyes widened, “The others: come on, let’s go!” he yelled and without waiting for Edward, he Walked down through the vessel to the keel corridor near the bow of the airship, above the control car and just outside the Captain’s cabin.

As they materialised, Edward gave a cry of alarm, seized Tom and yanked him sideways. An instant later, Septimus tumbled out of the doorway, blood streaming from his nose. Without hesitation, Edward rushed into the room followed by a slightly more reluctant Tom, to find themselves face to face with two huge men.

Both were at least six foot six inches tall, bald-headed, wore boiler suits and appeared to be identical twins. One of them, his face bearing a scar above the right eyebrow, had presumably just punched Septimus, for the other had Charlie in an arm lock around his neck and was squeezing the sailor’s throat. Charlie was clawing at the man’s hands, choking and struggling to get free. A third man – the redhead in the Chelsea shirt, who was clearly the leader of the trio – was pointing his gun at a terrified Mary, who stood cowering beside the Captain’s desk.

As Tom and Edward burst into the cabin, the redhead swung the pistol round to cover them and in that instant Tom saw that the door of the safe was hanging open, its contents strewn across the desk. Amongst them was a jewellery case.

“Now now, gentlemen, no need to take any risks,” the leader waved the gun from Tom to Edward. “We all want to get off this airship alive, don’t we?” He glanced at the huge twins, “Orme, get the pearls!”

The big man with the scarred face grunted and stepped towards the desk, but at that moment, Mary lunged for the jewellery case. The leader swung the pistol back and again the silenced weapon pointed at the girl.

“Don’t try my patience, lass. I warn you: I will shoot if I must,” the man threatened, frowning as Mary flung her arms upwards and screamed, “Wall!” There was a flash of light and surrounding her now was a shimmering shield of frozen time.

“Nice trick, lass!” the leader said and with a mocking grin he Walked, appeared on top of the desk and pushed Mary roughly to the ground, the shield disintegrating as she fell. Seizing the jewellery case, her assailant jumped down and an instant later the gun was once more pointing first at Tom then at Edward. They exchanged a despairing glance: they had not had a chance to move; Charlie was still struggling and gasping for breath … and the seconds were ticking away.

“Right! Orme, Jez we have them both. Back to location Y,” the redhead ordered and the three of them were gone.

Septimus staggered back into the room, blood still streaming from his nose, whilst Edward ran over and helped Mary to her feet and Charlie stood coughing, one hand massaging his bruised throat.

“Where are they?” Septimus asked turning to Edward.

“Gone … to the rear of the airship,” Edward shouted. “Around ring 62, I think.”

“What do we do now?” Charlie gasped.

“Get us after them, Tom!” Septimus snapped.

“It is only seconds before the pearls … whichever set it is, becomes the fragment,” Tom warned. As he spoke, the sound of bellowed orders and the clattering of running feet echoed through the open doorway as a group of men hurtled down the corridor towards the front of the ship.

Septimus leapt to the opening and quickly closed the door, but stood holding the handle in case anyone should try to enter. Whoever they were though they did not stop at the Captain’s cabin, but carried right on by. “Those are crewmen running towards the bow to help straighten up the Hindenburg,” he explained. “The Captain had some difficulty keeping it straight and he used their weight to level it out. That was only just before the fire. In other words, we don’t have long: come on Tom, NOW!”

Tom Walked them all back through the ship to the corridor near ring 62. It ran into a dead end just behind them – the very rear of the ship. On either side of them were long, white, oval-shaped canisters the size of coffins – ballast tanks, Tom thought. Above them a ladder ran vertically up through the ship between the gas cells. A few rungs up the ladder, still holding his pistol and pointing it at them, was the red-headed man in the Chelsea shirt. Higher up the twins were hanging on to the ladder, each holding out a single set of the pearls they had stolen.

“Just stay there, Septimus,” said the redhead. “No need for a fuss. I only need a few seconds more.”

Tom gaped at Septimus: the fact that this man knew the Welshman by name came as a great surprise and not just to Tom judging by the shocked faces of his companions. They all turned to look at Septimus.

The Welshman paid them no heed. Glaring up at the stranger, his face twisting with outrage, he spoke at last. “Damn you, Rolf Lapace! I thought we agreed to keep out of each other’s way.”

The other man snorted. “Yes, well, IF you recall the conversation, what we actually agreed was to avoid competing for the same contract. It seems that you and I are working for different employers who are apparently both interested in the same item just now. I appear to have possession of that item – one of these,” he gestured at the two sets of pearls dangling above his head. “We will see which one in a moment – so don’t try anything stupid. I would hate to have to shoot an old pal! It might cause an explosion,” he laughed.

“Keep him talking, I’ll get up there,” Tom whispered to Septimus and he slid back behind the Welshman and out of sight. Then, as he Walked, he felt Mary slip her hand onto his elbow. They materialised side by side on the ladder directly above the uppermost one of the big brutes – the scar-faced one: Orme, thought Tom; the lower one must be Jez.

When they appeared, both he and Mary clamped one hand onto a rung to steady themselves. The sudden noise drew Orme’s attention and he glanced up at them, but not quickly enough to prevent Mary from reaching down to grab the pearls. He swayed, almost overbalancing, slack mouth falling open in his brutish, unintelligent features.

“Boss!” Orme’s very deep voice boomed.

Lapace looked up to where Tom and Mary balanced precariously on the ladder. He whipped the pistol round and without hesitation fired a shot. The bullet missed Mary by an inch and there was a ping as it ricocheted off the rung next to her head and flew away.

“Lapace, you fool!” Septimus yelled, “The whole ship is full of hydrogen!”

As if in response to those words there was a muffled explosion above them. Tom glanced upwards. The ladder upon which he, Mary, Lapace and his grunts clung ran up above his head, emerging in another corridor – the axial one that ran though the very centre of the airship. Another ladder ran up again from there to the top of the airship and ended at a ventilation shaft that led out onto the external surface. There – high up at the top of the Hindenburg  – a gas cell had been punctured and, as Tom looked on with horror, it suddenly erupted into flames.

“Oh, my God!” he yelled as the fire spread down towards them.

Still clutching the string of pearls, Mary held out her hand and grunted in concentration. Just as she had done once before in Pudding Lane, she held the flames at bay. However, the fire in 1666 had not been fuelled by thousands of tons of hydrogen. Sweat collected in beads on her forehead as she struggled to contain the ball shaped inferno that threatened to expand and incinerate them along with the ship.

Biting his lip, Tom stood as if paralysed, watching whilst the fireball glowed and flickered like a miniature sun that would devour the Hindenburg in just a few brief moments.  In the last few months he had faced death on more than one occasion, but never had it been more terrifying.

Just then he heard a new sound: a strange screeching, like someone running their nails down a blackboard. Distracted by the fiery globe only thirty feet above his head, it took Tom a moment to realise the sound was coming from below, not above. He glanced down and saw that the string of pearls in the hands of Orme’s brother, Jez, was glowing intensely. All eyes were drawn to it as the sounds and the glowing lights seemed to reach a crescendo. Then Tom saw that Jez no longer held a string of pearls, but instead he now clutched a shard of metal. Tom recognised it instantly as a piece of an ornate crown: the Crown from his dream.

“Sorry lass,” Lapace drawled, “bad luck and all, but it looks like you’ve got the wrong one there,” he taunted. “Let’s go boys!”

The three of them vanished away from the Hindenburg, leaving Mary holding a string of beads; just an ordinary set of pearls. She was pale as snow, her brows drawn together as she swayed on the ladder, her strength almost at an end. The fireball began to inch towards them.

“Blast!” Septimus cursed.

“They are not on board anymore,” Edward shouted up. “Maybe I can track them, and we can follow?”

“I can’t hold it any longer!” Mary cried. She slumped exhausted into a dead faint, letting go of the ladder and tumbling away. Tom reached out and seized her with one hand as she fell, but her weight jerked him off the ladder. They both landed in a crumpled heap in the keel corridor.

Above them there was a detonation. The entire ship shook with the violence of it, throwing them all off their feet. As they struggled back upright the fire erupted forwards through the gas cells and down towards them. Then the Hindenburg lurched and tilted backwards onto its tail.

The sudden movement of the airship saved their lives, removing them from the worst effects of the blast. The five of them tumbled to the dead end of the keel corridor, rolling over each other and ending up as a mass of arms and legs, with Tom buried underneath them all. Mary came to with a groan then screamed.

Charlie, on top of the heap, seized Tom’s arm. “Tom, get us away now! For God’s sake NOW!” he yelled as the heat around them grew fierce and fire proceeded to incinerate the great vessel.

Tom closed his eyes and just Walked. Anywhere, any time was better than here and now, but as he Walked them all away, he realised that, as once before, the Map was spinning and the Clock’s hands were rotating erratically: he had no control over where they were going. They all cried out in panic as they hurtled through the void, still an entangled ball of limbs.

“Concentrate, Tom, concentrate!” Septimus yelled.

“I can’t!” Tom shouted back, panicking now.

“Yes you can, lad. Just focus on the Map. Focus on one point on it – Hyde Park. Find the Serpentine and get us there.”

“I … I … OK, I will try!” Tom stammered. He tried to block out everything else and just find the lake in the Park. There: he had it. Now, just go there and try and get the date right.

“Go – go now!” he shouted and suddenly, with nauseating abruptness, they hurtled out of the void and landed with a mighty splash right in the centre of the Serpentine.

There followed a few moments of paddling and splashing around as they swam to the side of the lake and, to the amusement of city workers and some French tourists, they emerged, dripping on the grass.

After he had caught his breath, Septimus turned to Tom and said, “OK, I’ll admit it: I did say ‘find the Serpentine’. But I didn’t expect you to land us right in it, boyo!

The challenges of writing fiction involving Time Travel
(This first appeared as a guest post on Once Upon a Bookcase)

Of the various genres of fiction, the writing of Sci-Fi and Fantasy novels brings with it their own unique challenges. Writing any fiction shares a number of common elements which apply equally to this genre as to any other. So, for example, it is still necessary to invent and flesh out believable characters complete with their own share of motives, flaws and strengths. The reader needs to care about the main characters just as much as in any other form of writing. It is important to have a good strong story which is well plotted and wraps up nicely at the end. A lively pace is just as necessary to maintain and the book has to be just as well edited and readable as any other.

Where Science Fiction and Fantasy (along with Historical Fiction) requires extra effort is in the area of the creation and laying out of the rules that govern the world you have created. If your novel is set in modern day New York all the readers will instinctively know a large amount already about the world that surrounds the characters. They know about New York Taxi cab drivers, cops, the Bronx, the Twin Towers, Time Square, baseball and hot dogs. Even if the novel explores a less familiar part of New York all that background knowledge will still mean the writer does not need to explain too much about the world the characters are in.
This is not true of Sci-Fi/Fantasy/ Historical Fiction. In all these cases the world you are creating may be radically different to our world. My Historical Fiction Novel The Amber Treasure for example is set in the quite obscure time of 6th century Britain. So along the way I had to weave into the story enough background about the invasion and conquest of Britain by the Saxons, enough about the food they ate, the clothes they wore and the way that warriors trained and fought so as to fill in the gaps in the reader’s knowledge. This process is also necessary if the novel is set on a manned mission to mars or a fantasy world. In the case of Sci Fi and Fantasy the way the world works may be even more far removed from our own. There may be magic, there may be matter transport, faster than light travel and any of a thousand other differences.

The writer must be able to establish consistent rules that the reader learns. Can anyone cast a spell or is it just a few? Is there a limit to the amount of spells you can cast? Do you get burnt out by too much magic use? All these rules have to be established so the reader knows the boundaries of the world. The process of passing on that knowledge, but in a way that the reader naturally picks it up without feeling they are reading a science book or being lectured to, is one trick the writer of these genres must learn.

The Rules of Time Travel
So bearing all his in mind when I decided to write a Young Adult Novel about time travel there were many decisions I needed to make about how it applied to my world:

How is time travel possible?

Time travel could be a mechanical process. It might involve a machine such as the Tardis or HG Well’s Time Machine. It might use a device that creats a route to the past such as in the 1970s The Time Tunnel series. Or it could be an often unexplained phenomenon at a specific location – a door to another time or like in Tom’s Midnight Garden a house which at certain times takes the hero back to the 19th Century. In some cases the world itself travels through time and comes to meet the character. This happens in Brigadoon where a village moves forward 100 years every night.

In Tomorrow’s Guardian I decided to make time travel a talent or ability which is inherent in certain people who are called Walkers – because by concentrating they can Walk through time. Discovering he has this ability is a frightening experience for the hero who must decide what to do with it.

Are there restrictions on Time Travel?

How omnipotent is the Time Traveller? Do they have full control over the process or are there limits. The Tardis in the earlier series of Dr Who was very erratic and the Dr had almost no control over where and when they would appear. In The Time Tunnel the travellers get sucked away at the end of every episode and on to their next random encounter. In Planet of the Apes Time Travel is by virtue of moving at near light speed and is always forward in time and never back. This is true of the tale of Rip Van Winkle in which he sleeps for 100 years in a cave. In The Terminator time travel is one-way and backwards in time.
In Tomorrow’s Guardian I allow a high degree of control over time travel but there are limits:

“So… then, I only get one shot at this?” Tom frowned as he thought it through, “I mean, if I mess up, I suppose I can’t …”
The old man finished the question, “Just try again? No, certainly not. Firstly this is not a video game. You can’t load a saved game or whatever the correct terminology is. Secondly, you can’t begin to imagine the complications of actually meeting yourself. Other than it being extremely embarrassing, that is. I mean who else knows all the bad things about you, except you!” The Professor smiled then grew serious again, “But aside from this, it breaks a fundamental rule of the Universe and while we may manipulate time to a limited degree believe me, my boy, when I say we do not break such rules. Thirdly, you just can’t. It’s been tried. You cannot, having visited a time, revisit those same moments. It’s as if somehow time keeps a record and blocks those years from you forever.”

Can you change the past?
The writer has to make decisions about how the time traveller can interact with the past (or future). Is it possible to make changes to history. It may be that the traveller can only observe the past – such as Scrooge in A Christmas Carol. Or it could be that history can be radically altered by a single action. In Back to the future II the history of a small town in the US and the lives of many of the inhabitants is altered radically when a book containing details of future sporting events is taken into the past. Another option is that you can interact with the world but that history is robust and will, by and large, play out the way it originally did.
In Tomorrow’s Guardian I allowed history to have a certain resistance to fundamental change but still a radical effect on individuals might be possible:

“Well, from what you are saying then, none of us is important. So it would not matter if we did accidentally wipe out this family and all their descendants,” said Tom, pointing out a flaw in Septimus’ thinking.
“No, that is not what I am saying. What I meant was that history is like a great river surging along. Its force and power is irresistible. Mankind would always have invented fire, learned to write, made machines and explored his world. Nothing could have prevented those things. But even so, sometimes everything hinges on what one person, man or woman, does …”
Their conversation was interrupted by a shout of alarm from the building they were watching. The baker’s apprentice had spotted the fire and was rushing upstairs to raise the family.
“But right now, everything hinges on what you and I do in the next few moments,” Septimus observed.

Tip of the Iceberg.
There are many other implications of including Time Travel in a novel that must be thought through. Can you create Paradoxes such as accidentally killing your own Grandfather? Will alternate worlds exist where a decision gone one way creates a parallel universe? What will the characters who can travel in time choose to do with it? I close with one of my characters pondering just that question.

“Tom, you know better than most that history can change. There are various powers in this universe with vested interests in the course of time. They seek to change it, to preserve it, to observe it or some just to profit from it. ”
“Yes, I know − we have been through all this already, and we know which sort you are, don’t we?” Tom retorted sharply.

The use of Time Travel in a novel brings with it a challenging element to a story. I have always been fascinated by it and I hope your may be too.

Richard Denning
www.richarddenning.co.uk
Tomorrow’s Guardian Paperback Published: January 2011
ISBN: 9780956483560 (Hourglass Institute Series Book 1) Published by Mercia Books.
Sequel is coming Spring 2011

The defeat that shook the Victorian World

The Anglo-Zulu war of 1879 started with a great defeat for the British invaders. On the 22nd January 20,000 Zulu’s overwhelmed a force of 1800 British and allies on the plain beneath the mountain of Isandlwana and destroyed it. An entire battalion of British Infantry was wiped out to the last man. It was a defeat that stunned a Victorian Britain which was used to victory and conquest.

This battle, along with the stubborn and heroic defence of Rorke’s Drift the following night by the British garrison there, has always been of interest to me as it seems to exemplify the heights of human heroism (exhibited by both sides) coupled with the depths of folly and horrors that only war can bring.

Background

The origins of the conflict with the Zulus in 1879 have strange parallels with the conflicts in the gulf and the Middle East. In fairly recent times the US and allies’ interventions in the gulf have been seen by some as spurred on by a concern about access to oil. Whether that is true or not the British government in Cape Town back then did not take much interest in the interior of South Africa and much less Zululand until diamonds and other resources were discovered there. Suddenly in the 1870s efforts and policies were introduced aimed towards confederation of the various colonies under a strong British rule.

Amongst the territories brought under the British Crown was Natal and the Boer’s homeland of Transvaal. The Boer’s main enemy and rival was the strong and powerful independent nation that had arisen under Shaka Zulu in the 1830’s. A nation that could put 25,000 warriors in the field was a threat to the security of Transvaal and so ultimately all of South Africa. Or at least THAT is the way that Sir Henry Frere – the British governor – looked at it.

Frere sent Cetshwayo – the Zulu King a series of demands and ultimatums insisting that he disband his army and allow a British governor into his capital Ulundi. Frere knew that Cetshwayo would never agree to that and when the Zulu King declined his demands, the British general Chelmsford was ordered to invade.

Chelmsford’s original plan envisaged splitting his army into 5 columns which would invade and converge on Ulundi. Chelmsford himself accompanied the central columns (II and III). They marched to the mission station at Rorke’s Drift and on 11th January began the invasion. It would have been better to have waited a few weeks as in January there was heavy rain and as a result moving a large army with baggage and artillery would take a long time. However Frere was eager to have the matter resolved and so the British went in. The result was that it took many days for the central column to assemble fully inside Zululand at a base Chelmsford has established beneath an odd shaped mountain called Isandlwana.

What Happened

Cetshwayo heard of the invasion soon after it had begun and on 17th January ordered 24,000 men to move towards Isandlwana, although some 4000 splitt off to move towards Column I. On 21st January the Zulu Impi had arrived near the British camp. Chelmsford’s scouts had seen it approach but could not fix its location precisely so on the 22nd Chelmsford decided to take half his force away on a march to try and locate the enemy.

This left Major Pulliene – a staff officer and administrator in the base with his 1700 men. Chelmsford had refused to order the camp to form into a laager – a reinforced camp with wagons around the outside, trenches and thorn bushes pulled into impede attack. He did not feel it was neccesary and was scathing of threat posed by the Impi.

This mistake would prove to be costly for the Zulu commander had out maneouvered Chelmsford and whilst the British general was chasing around trying to locate him, the Impi moved forward in redinness to fall on Pulleine.

The crunch happened when a patrol of Natal mounted trops attached to the British command moved out of the camp to scout some valleys to the north east. There in a valley within a couple of miles of the camp was the entire Zulu army. As one the zulus rose up and attacked the fleeing horsemen and followed them up and out onto the plain.

Pulleine formed the 24th Foot up into firing lines and the British Infantry began puring volleys from their Martini Henry Rifles into the enemy ranks. The zulus fell in droves but still came on- massing and waiting to charge. Actually the redcoats held the vast numbers away for a long time but then something went wrong.

Around 1.15 pm that day the Natal irregular companies out on the British right wing were outflanked and fell back. More or less at that moment Pulleine was ordering the Regular companies to pull back to shorten their line. There was also a shortage of ammunition reaching the forward companies. There was a vast supply in the camp but for some reason these were not being handed out quickly enough. A combination of these factors meant that the previously pinned Zulu Impi was able to charge the British line.

Gaps appeared in the companies, then the gaps widened as the warriors surged through them. In a matter of fifteen minutes the Zulu army overwhelmed the British and the wings of the Impi swung into deny escape to all save a lucky 80 or so men. The colour party with the regimental and the Queen’s flag wrapped the flags around the chests of two officers who made a bid to reach the Buffalo river. Their bodies were later found in the river, where they had fallen.

It was all over in a flash and the British had suffered a huge defeat.

Aftermath

Cetshwayo had ordered that the Impi should NOT invade Natal and should stop on his side of the border. However a few thousand Zulus who had not fought at Isandlwana decided to attack the British base at the mission station of Rorke’s Drift. Throughout the night of the 22nd to 23rd January they led repeated attacked against a single company of British that fortified it. 11 Victoria crosses would be handed out for the bravery of officers and men on the 24th Foot stationed there. The Zulus broke of the attack in the morning.

Cetshwayo had missed two opportunities to inflict a decisive defeat. His Impi had not attacked the column under Chelmsford, nor captured Rorke’s Drift. As a result, the war was not yet over.

News of the defeat at Isandlwana reached London on 11th February and caused an uproar. It literally stunned the nation and even the Queen demanded to know why her soldiers were fighting the Zulus.  It  is small wonder then that the subsequent news of Rorke’s drift arriving hot on the heels of the disaster was greeted with enthusiasm.

Nevertheless the defeat lead to a calling off of the of the January invasion. It would be June before the British army would be in a state to resume the war and July before the Impi was defeated at the battle of Ulundi. Cetshwayo was captured by the British in August but, perhaps in recognition of the bravery of his army, was treated pretty well, became something of a celebrity in London and was allowed to live on a pension for the rest of his life. His Kingdom, however, was absorbed into the British Territory of South Africa.

So then, a terrible battle and a tragic outcome for a brave warrior people. It remains a dramatic moment in history.

In Tomorrow’s Guardian, Edward Dyson – a officer in the 24th, is believed perished in the battle. Tom and his companion Septimus travel back in time to rescue him and bring him to the present day.

Find out more about Tomorrow’s Guardian as well as listen to an account of the battle and the rescue of Edward here:

http://www.richarddenning.co.uk/tomguard.html

Here I read the first few pages of Tomorrow’s Guardian. Hope you enjoy.
Find out more here: http://www.richarddenning.co.uk/tomguard.html

Tom Oakley experiences disturbing episodes of déjà-vu and believes he is going mad.

Then he discovers that he’s a “Walker” – and can transport himself to other times and places.

Tom dreams about other “Walkers” in moments of mortal danger: Edward Dyson killed in a battle in 1879; Mary Brown who perished in the Great Fire of London; and Charlie Hawker, a sailor who drowned on a U-boat in 1943.

Agreeing to travel back in time and rescue them, Tom has three dangerous adventures, before returning to the present day. But Tom’s troubles have only just begun. He finds that he’s drawn the attention of evil individuals who seek to bend history to their will.

Soon, Tom’s family are obliterated and Tom must make a choice between saving them and saving his entire world.

Tomorrow’s Guardian is a Young Adult Fantasy Novel.

Tomorrow’s Guardian Paperback publication date: 27 December 2010
ISBN: 9780956483560 (Hourglass Institute Series Book 1)

Reviews:

What Robert James says about Tomorrow’s Guardian:

‘Richard Denning, … keeps the action fast and furious for the 400 or so pages of the book. Diving in and out of time, and in and out of the Twisted Reality (the other universe), there’s never a dull moment as the inevitable confrontation with the evil Redfeld, villain of the piece, comes closer and closer.’

‘I recommend it to readers around Tom’s age, many of whom I confidently expect to absolutely love it. ‘

Read the full review here: http://thebookbag.co.uk/reviews/index.php?title=Tomorrow’s_Guardian_by_Richard_Denning

I recieved Tomorrows Guardian on Thursday and my youngest James (10) and I are reading it together. It’s causing bedtime issues in that he wants to read more than time allows.

Great story. Sue Rankin

Flamingnet (US Teen Fiction website)

Teens will love this book because they can relate to Tom who is their age and very believable. Since Tom is from another country, the reader has a chance to travel to another place. With Tom’s time traveling, the reader gets taken to a different time too.

Full  review here:
http://www.flamingnet.com/bookreviews/newreviews/newbookreview.cfm?title=Tomorrows%20Guardian&CFID=43812585&CFTOKEN=13523675

Coming spring 2011, The Hourglass Institute book 2: Yesterday’s Treasures

Everyone is searching for pieces of ‘The Crown of Knossos:’ historical artefacts which when assembled allow control over all of history in this and in the Twisted reality. The Hourglass Institute, Redfeld’s masters and even the Directorate are soon in the hunt. One by one the pieces are found but eventually Tom and the others discover who is really after The Crown and what their motivations are.

Then they realise the extent of the danger, for ‘Yesterday’s Treasures’ can mean the destruction of tomorrow.

Find out more: http://www.tomorrowsguardian.com/

I think I must be odd. I often see posts arguing over who their favourite Dr was. There are quite a few who liked Tom Baker (number 4), many who rave about David Tennant (10) and a good following for Matt (number 11). But I like them all in their own way.

Lets have a quick refresh of the Drs.

1st Dr William Hartnell

The first Dr. Rather an anti hero at the start – the grumpy old man who went on the run from his own people .You grown to love the character after a few early shocks.

2nd Dr Patrick Troughton

The hobo, vagabond and cheeky cheeful Dr with the recorder. Seems a fool at times till he produces a trump card. For me he is a strong favourite

3rd Dr – John Pertwee

The dandy with the yellow car Bessie. The dr of the classic Unit stories (and some REALLY great ones). Action Doc with the Karate chop.

4th Dr Tom Baker

Would you like a Jelly baby? The scarf. Bohemian DR with the longest stint in the post. And probably the best series of all (his first -Giant Robot, Arc in space, Sontaran Experiment, Genesis of the Daleks (awesome), Revenge of the Cybermen.

5th Dr – Peter Davidson

If I had to choose a favourite THIS would be him. The cricketer Dr, with quiet courage, some of the best little scuffles with the Master and one of the longest companions: Teegan.

6th Dr: Colin Baker

Hard done to by the BBC. Episodes were poorly funded. Eventually cancelled. But one or two stories were really excellent. Would have liked to have seen more.

7th Dr Sylvester Mccoy

The last Dr of the Classic series. Had some VERY good episodes. Battlefield (the Brigadiers last), Silver Nemesis are two superb ones. Promised some great story lines before the bbc pulled the plug.

8th DR Paul Mcgann

What sometimes happens when you let film makers loose on a classic TV program – they screw up. Paul Mcgann  himself was great as the DR and went on to make some excellent CDs – get them if you can for they are some of the best DR Who stories.

9th Dr – Christopher Eccelston

Brought into reprise the role and did a decent job. Not my favourite DR Who and hampered (IMHO) by a bit too much SOAP influence of needing to sort out companion’s mothers and other ties(which lingered on into David Tennant’s tenure- what is wrong with just good stories.) Never the less a good start.

10th Dr David Tennant

In the way that Tom Baker defined the role in the 70s Tennant did in the latest series. Light hearted at times and maudlin in equal measure – he was always going to take some following.

11th Dr Matt Smith

But Matt Smith managed to do it. His youthful enthusiasm and confidence shines through and Matt has made  a superb latest incarnation.

So who is your favourite?

In the end these arguments about who was the best Dr Who miss the point in my opinion.  Dr Who transends all the individuals who played the part. Each in their way defined the character in some fashion and each added something to him but to me DR Who is more than any one character. Its that overarching story, its the optimism and hope built into even the darkest stories that there is this man trying his best to protect everything. Each should be enjoyed for what they bought to the part. Why argue about who is best when DR Who is just dam fine Television.

Time Travel fascinates us.  The dangers and potential gains along with the adventures that might be had are the stuff of a wealth of books, TV programmes and Films. No wonder: for Time Travel produces intriguing possibilities and ‘what ifs’.

There is the desire to explore the past that many of us have. We like to go on holidays to exotic locations, to see the world and different cultures. We like to be present at important moments – a sporting triumph maybe or to meet celebrities and famous people. But, the majority of the cultures that have existed, the bulk of the famous people the world has produced, many of histories greatest of moments have been and gone. Time Travel raises that chance of maybe meeting Leonardo DaVinci, Mozart, Caesar or Cleopatra. There were once seven wonders of the ancient world. Of these only the Great Pyramid exists. How wonderful to be able to visit the other six.  Think how marvellous to be present at the moment Newton discovered gravity, to sail (and hopefully get off) the Titanic or how fascinating to see the first airplane flight.

Then there are the dangers of Time Travel that make it intriguing. Could you get trapped in the past and never return to the present? Could you meet and kill your own ancestor and so never exist. Could you prevent the discovery of fire, the light bulb or penicillin. The possibility of changing history and so creating a different future is explored in many Time Travel adventures.

Here are some of the more famous Time Travel adventure stories:

TV

Dr Who (1963 to Present day). The world longest running Sci Fi and Time Travel story and to many of us a cornerstone of our culture.  I have enjoyed all the stories – watching the older stories on cable later and still watch Dr Who today.

Time Tunnel 1966-1967. Two US scientists  tumble through a tunnel in time that drops the off in one time period of an adventure and then whisks the off to the next. I remember that image of them rolling around in the tunnel and then out into a street somewhere from 1970s and later re runs.

Star Trek. Although mainly about space exploration and fighting Klingons there are a number of time travel stories in all the series.  “The City at the Edge of Forever” where Mccoy, Spock and Kirk end up in the US during the depression and possibly wipe out the entire future is fascinating and an abiding favourite of mine. The movies take a slightly comical view of time travel in “The Voyage Home” when they have to go find a whale in the 20th century to save the future. The Next Generation episode “Cause and Effect” is one of my favourites with the crew repeating the same day multiple times until they can prevent the disaster that flings them into the unending cycle.

Movies

The Time Machine (1960) is a classic and based on the HG Wells novel. This was an early treatment of this genre. Time travel here is into a alien future in some post apocalyptic world taht was not a place you would want to visit. But I loved the Time Machine itself with its Victorian stem punk style knobs and levers.

Back to the Future (1985) and its sequels were entertaining teen adventure stories. The first film I saw at university  and I have to say that despite the technobable science was just a fun film, but it did explore interesting themes. What if you parents don’t marry – do you cease to exist? What if you change the past -what will the future be like? How easy is it to change the future?

Terminator (1984) and its sequel are about cyborg assassins being sent back in time to kill a future leader. I enjoyed the first two movies and felt they were complete and we did not need any more.  The message changed from the hopeful – we can change history  nothing is written in stone –  to the grim – nothing we do changes anything! Maybe I like happy endings too much!

Time Bandits (1981) Now this one was fun. Thieves steal a  time travel map showing gates between time periods and use it to try and rob their way across history. Comedy but explored that idea of meeting the famous characters from history who of course turn out to be not quite as you expect them to be.

Books

I have already mentioned The Time Machine by HG Wells. Mark Twain’s A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s court is also an early novel. This one explores what happens if a modern day man ends up in the past. It takes a slightly condescending view that modern ways must be better than in the past  and the movie version takes this further with the traveller trying to teach the court Jazz music!

There are dozens of books that use time travel and the one thing that is obvious when you read them is that pretty much any method of time travel, any reason for doing it, any adventure you might have through it has been thought about. That however does not stop us wanting to read more, see more movies and in some of our cases write more books about this most fascinating of genres.

Having said all that it is not surprising that I have written a time travel story myself – and here is the plug:

Tomorrow’s Guardian:

Tom Oakley experiences disturbing episodes of déjà-vu and believes he is going mad.

Then, he discovers that he’s a “Walker” – someone who can transport himself to other
times and places. Tom dreams about other “Walkers” in moments of mortal danger: Edward Dyson killed in a battle in 1879; Mary Brown who perished in the Great Fire of London; and
Charlie Hawker, a sailor who drowned on a U-boat in 1943.

Agreeing to travel back in time and rescue them, Tom has three dangerous adventures,
before returning to the present day. But Tom’s troubles have only just begun. He finds that he’s drawn the attention of evil individuals who seek to bend history to their will.

Soon, Tom’s family are obliterated from existence and Tom must make a choice between saving them and saving his entire world.

Tomorrow’s Guardian is a Young Adult Fantasy Novel.