In a world where time travel is a reality, three men—Wesley Adams, Chuck Hudson, and Johnny Cooper—embark on an ambitious project to establish a new nation in the Pleistocene era, which they name Mastodonia. Their goal is to create a sanctuary and exploit the natural resources of this untouched land. However, their initial attempts to gain recognition from the modern world are met with skepticism and dismissal, leading to their eventual isolation in the past. As they navigate the challenges of survival in a prehistoric landscape filled with dangerous fauna, including mastodons and saber-toothed cats, they grapple with the implications of their actions. The trio faces existential questions about purpose and legacy, as they realize that their dream of a thriving nation may be unattainable without support from their own time. After a series of misadventures, including the destruction of their helicopter, which serves as their only means of returning to the present, they are left to fend for themselves. Adams, the visionary behind the time travel project, becomes increasingly obsessed with repairing the time unit, believing it to be their only hope of returning home. Meanwhile, Hudson and Cooper work to establish a semblance of civilization, hunting and gathering resources while contemplating their uncertain future. As time passes, the men confront the reality of their situation: they are stranded in a world that is both beautiful and perilous, with no clear path back to their own time. The narrative explores themes of ambition, the consequences of human actions, and the search for meaning in a world devoid of societal structures. Ultimately, the story culminates in a dramatic twist when Adams successfully repairs the time unit and returns to the present, only to find that decades have passed. The world he left behind has changed dramatically, and he must navigate the complexities of a new reality while grappling with the choices he made in the past. The tale concludes with a sense of hope and the possibility of a new beginning, as Adams and his companions strive to reconcile their past with their future in a world that is both familiar and foreign.
By Clifford D. Simak · First published 1955 · Genre: Science Fiction, Adventure, Fantasy · 14 chapters