Tuesday, August 18, 2020

Swapping Times


At the heart of much speculative fiction (and fiction in general) is a question. What if? On Tuesdays I like to throw one out there and see what you make of it. Do with it as you please. If a for-instance is not specified, feel free to interpret that instance as you wish. And if you find this becomes a novel-length answer, I'd appreciate a thank you in the acknowledgements.
😉

Today's topic: time travel. 

What if you could go (and stay) in a different time (future or past), but you had to swap places with someone (who was willing to make the swap)? 

14 comments:

  1. Would I have to stay there or can I have the ability to go back? Would it depend on the person I swap with? I think I would want to stay where I am

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    1. From where I cribbed the question, no, you're stuck.

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  2. Unless I could twitch my nose like Samantha in Bewitched to pop in and out - no way lol.

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  3. I can't imagine anyone would be willing to come and live during this particular time period.

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  4. Wouldn't do it. Would miss my family and friends.

    Betty

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  5. As long as I come back intact, I'd be willing to give it a try. I'd love to see what Mama's world was like when she was a child before her father died.

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  6. Sort of like a vacation house swap and how do you know the other party told the truth about their time? And what if you couldn't return? But, on the other hand - going into the future would really get at my curiosity, as a science fiction fan. But....no, I'll just read the accounts of other curious travelers.

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    Replies
    1. But do we ever tell the full story about our "home"?

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  7. Honestly, I cannot think of an actual person, but Alana has an idea of house swap. So, I think I would choose Doris Day, just because I always enjoyed her performances. But how long would we have to stay?

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    1. By "stay", I meant stay. But I was a bit vague, wasn't I? (The TV episode from whence I cribbed the question had it as a permanent swap.)

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  8. I think it would be interesting and education. But I guess you would have to promise you would mess with possible future.

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    1. you wouldn't mess with possible future. and opps above

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  9. I am happy where and when I am, thanks! I wouldn't want to be stuck in a different time for good. Plus, wouldn't almost any other time be so easy and boring?

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    Replies
    1. Would it? I'd imagine one wouldn't want to go back to Europe during WWII if one was Jewish, for example. . .

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I appreciate your comments.

I respond to comments* via email, unless your profile email is not enabled. Then, I'll reply in the comment thread. Eventually. Probably.

*Exception: I do not respond to "what if?" comments, but I do read them all. Those questions are open to your interpretation, and I don't wish to limit your imagination by what I thought the question was supposed to be.