Writer Jennifer Moorman on the Allure of Time Travel

Writer Jennifer Moorman shares her thoughts on the allure of time travel as a fictional device. Moorman’s latest novel is The Vanishing of Josephine Reynolds. Set initially in the present, it finds our hero Josephine taking over her ancestral family home. When she discovers the house’s original door and has it restored, stepping through the door takes Josephine back in time to the 1920s...and face to face with her great grandmother. It’s enthralling and exciting, but when she returns to the present, history has been altered and her life begins to unravel.

Here Moorman explains why time travel is such a powerful device and how different authors have employed it over the years. 

This essay is by Jennifer Moorman, courtesy of Harper Muse. Copyright 2025; all rights reserved.

The Vanishing Of Josephine Reynolds by Jennifer Moorman ($18.99; Harper Muse) Buy now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble

Rewriting History: The Power of Time Travel in Fiction

By Jennifer Moorman

Time travel has long fascinated readers, offering a gateway into different eras, alternate realities and unknown futures. It allows us to rewrite history, correct past mistakes or even witness worlds we could only dream of. But more than that, time travel as a narrative device lets us explore human nature, societal challenges, and historical periods in ways that traditional storytelling cannot.

In fiction, time travel can serve many purposes—whether it’s to alter the past, shine a light on forgotten or misunderstood times or simply transport readers to a different world. Many authors have used time travel to create compelling stories and show the versatility and power of time travel in fiction.

The Time Machine by H.G. Wells ($12; Penguin Classics) Buy now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble

Kindred by Octavia E. Butler ($17; Beacon Press) Buy now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble

The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger ($18.99; Scribner) Buy now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble

11/22/63 by Stephen King ($23.99; Scribner) Buy now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble  

H.G. Wells’ The Time Machine (1895) is a foundational time travel novel that not only explores the future but offers a critique of the present. In this classic, the protagonist travels to the distant future, where he witnesses the evolution of humanity into two distinct species—the Eloi and the Morlocks. This stark division is Wells’ reflection on the social inequalities of his time, a theme that resonates even today.

Time travel in The Time Machine is used as a lens through which Wells can question humanity’s direction. The traveler sees how the choices made in his present day ultimately shape the future in unexpected and grim ways. What makes this book compelling is the way it uses time travel to speculate about the long-term effects of societal and political trends, giving readers a thought-provoking glimpse into a possible future. Time travel allows readers to step outside the present and view it from a distance, often highlighting concerns or flaws in society that might otherwise be overlooked.

Octavia E. Butler’s Kindred (1979) masterfully intertwines time travel with personal and historical exploration. In this novel, Dana, an African American woman in 1976, is inexplicably transported back in time to the antebellum South. There, she must navigate the dangers of being a modern Black woman in a time of slavery.

Time travel in Kindred isn’t used to fix history, but to bring the past into direct, painful focus. Dana’s repeated trips to the past are tied to her family’s lineage, and each journey immerses her in the brutal realities of slavery, making it impossible for her—and the reader—to ignore the deep scars of history. The novel uses time travel not just as an adventure but as a powerful tool for confronting the legacies of racism and slavery. Time travel in Kindred forces the protagonist—and by extension, the reader—to confront difficult historical truths, making the personal stakes of time travel feel immediate and raw. 

The Time Traveler’s Wife (2003) by Audrey Niffenegger presents time travel as an emotional and romantic challenge. Henry, the novel’s time-traveling protagonist, uncontrollably jumps back and forth through time, often landing at critical moments in his own life or that of Clare’s, his wife. This unpredictable time travel complicates their relationship, adding layers of longing and tension.

Here, time travel is used not to explore history or societal issues but to show how love can endure despite the disruptions of time. The novel’s emotional core is in the way time travel forces the characters to reckon with the inevitability of loss, change, and the difficulty of holding on to one another. Niffenegger explores how time can be both a barrier and a bridge, drawing out the bittersweetness of love that defies chronology. The unpredictability of time travel makes the characters’ relationship feel fragile and precious, heightening the emotional stakes.

Stephen King’s 11/22/63 (2011) explores the ever-tempting “what if” of time travel: the ability to change history. In this novel, Jake Epping is transported back to the 1960s with a mission to stop the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. But as Jake navigates the complexities of the past, he discovers that altering history is not as simple—or as harmless—as it seems.

King uses time travel to explore both the allure and the danger of trying to rewrite history. The suspense builds as Jake confronts the ripple effects of his interference in the past, showing that even small changes can lead to catastrophic consequences. The novel demonstrates the moral and ethical dilemmas of time travel, especially when one person is given the power to reshape the world. By giving Jake the ability to alter one of the most pivotal moments in American history, King forces readers to grapple with the unpredictable consequences of tampering with the past.

In my new novel The Vanishing of Josephine Reynolds (2025), time travel takes the protagonist, Josephine, back to the Jazz Age, specifically 1927, where she meets her great-grandmother, Alma, who runs a speakeasy. The novel captures the fun and excitement of the roaring 1920s, immersing Josephine—and readers—into a world of jazz, illegal parties and the bold personalities of the era.

But beyond the glitz and glamour, the novel also explores the social challenges of the time. Through Josephine’s experiences, we see how women, like Alma, had to navigate a male-dominated society to claim independence and power. The novel also subtly addresses the racial dynamics of the Jazz Age, highlighting the contributions of Black musicians, artists, and women who shaped the culture of the time but often faced discrimination.

Time travel in The Vanishing of Josephine Reynolds is used not only as an entertaining, immersive device to explore a vibrant historical period but also as a way to highlight the specific struggles and triumphs of underappreciated figures and eras. By transporting Josephine to the Jazz Age, the novel emphasizes how time travel can be used to celebrate lesser-known aspects of history while also shedding light on the courageous and compassionate people of the past.

Time travel continues to captivate readers because it shares a unique blend of adventure, reflection, and possibility. Whether it’s used to explore alternate histories, confront personal struggles or highlight underappreciated eras, time travel offers writers a flexible and powerful narrative tool. As we’ve seen in these classic and modern novels, time travel’s allure lies not just in revisiting the past or glimpsing the future but in the emotional and philosophical questions it allows us to explore.

Through time travel, we can rewrite history—or at least imagine what might have been. And in that imagining, we find new ways to understand ourselves, our pasts and the world we inhabit. 

This essay is by Jennifer Moorman, courtesy of Harper Muse. Copyright 2025; all rights reserved. 

Author Jennifer Moorman writes novels inspired by the everyday magic and whimsy in the world around her. She is the bestselling author of the magical realism Mystic Water Series, The Baker’s Man and The Magic All Around. 

Born and raised in southern Georgia, Jennifer has a deep love for nature, a fondness for honeysuckle, and can always be won over with chocolate, unicorns, or rainbows. She lives in a magic house in Nashville, Tennessee. 

The Vanishing Of Josephine Reynolds by Jennifer Moorman ($18.99; Harper Muse) Buy now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble