A plain-spoken, uneducated scientist with an innate gift for practical physics constructs a makeshift time machine using “horse-logic” and common sense rather than formal training. Together with his friend and reluctant accomplice and his headstrong fiancée, he embarks on an experiment to test the possibility of altering historical events and exploring alternative versions of America. His machine does not travel simply forward or backward but slides sideways into parallel presents—realities that branched off when minor differences in past choices led to dramatically altered futures. During the journey the group encounters duplicate versions of themselves and witnesses history diverge at key moments. They observe various alternative outcomes such as a United States with altered national characteristics—different official languages, foreign colonial rule, unusual technological achievements, even scenarios where notable historical figures made different decisions. The narrative demonstrates that even a single vote or mishap could trigger an entirely new course of events. As they hop from one possible world to the next, the characters confront bizarre paradoxes: identical copies of themselves appear, their actions create merging identities, and the conservation of personal identity becomes uncertain. The inventor explains that time is another dimension—a fabric in which every event spawns billions of possible outcomes. Each reality is as valid as the one the travelers come from, yet their journey disturbs the natural order by creating overlapping existences. As the machine misfires, the group swings wildly between eras and alternate American histories, experiencing moments of historical wonder and absurdity. They witness scenes ranging from ancient European colonization efforts and Greek-influenced America to a future with advanced aerial crafts and alternate political developments. Gradually, the consequences of their meddling with time become evident. The travelers confront instances where slight changes in past decisions lead to catastrophic present outcomes, raising the stakes of their excursion. The interplay of determinism and free will becomes central; while some argue that history is fixed by the accumulation of inevitable outcomes, the traveler insists that minute differences—sometimes as trivial as a tailor’s delayed payment—can radically alter the future. Paradoxically, the machine’s erratic jumps sometimes force them into incarnations of themselves whose memories and identities conflict, leaving one to question which version is “real.” The increasing hazards of uncontrolled time travel, compounded by duplications and the inability to retrieve their original timeline safely, lead the inventor to regret his reckless innovation. A resolution eventually forms: The machine, with all its unpredictable consequences and existential dilemmas, must be dismantled. In choosing to end further experimentation, he finally accepts that while the lure of rewriting history is tempting, the risks of creating irreparable personal and historical paradoxes outweigh any potential gains. The work blends humor, scientific musing, and sharply drawn dialogue to explore themes such as the impact of seemingly insignificant events on history, the nature of time as a mutable dimension, and the pitfall of conflating scientific curiosity with unverified common sense. Ultimately, the narrative is a wild journey across parallel worlds that questions the balance between destiny and human agency, highlighting that sometimes the safest course is to remain in the present rather than gamble with the infinite “might-have-beens” of history.
By Nelson S. Bond · First published 1963 · Genre: Science Fiction, Time Travel, Alternate History · 5 chapters