ON THE NET: TIME TRAVEL
by James Patrick Kelly
September 2004 - Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine



Comments

I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Andy's Anachronisms had received some critical praise in print this fall. I came across the link to author James Patrick Kelly's September column for ON THE NET which focused on Time Travel. The column appears regularly in Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine and as the name implies Kelly looks at a variety of interent sites and resources related to a particular theme. Although I am not currently a subscriber, I do pick up Asimov's quite frequently and I always look forward to reading Kelly's insight into all things Science Fiction.

After discovering the online article I frantically searched for a copy on the newstands before the October issue supplanted my coveted issue. As luck would have it I was able to unearth a copy.

I emailed James Partick Kelly (why do Authors always use their full names?) to thank him for his kind words and he grasciously gave me permission to repost the entire article here. However since the full article is still online at Asimov's (See link below), I opted to just quote the passage where James discusses Andy's Anachronisms.

If you want to see just how much Wells has influenced our culture, stop by Andy's Anachronisms . I love both the ambition and simplicity of this personal site. There are no fancy graphics or streaming media here; Andy just writes - and writes perceptively. "This site has evolved out of my life long fascination with all things related to time and time travel. I hope that in sharing my collection of references and reviews that other like-minded souls will benefit from this site and that in turn you, the visitor may provide me with new references and insight."

Although clearly a work in progress, this site is already the most complete listing of time travel fiction, film, television, and music on the web. He mentions about a hundred movies, thirty-odd TV series, maybe eighty short stories, and a clutch of novels. For all the fiction on his lists, he offers summaries and astute evaluations. Although he hasn't reviewed all the media on his lists (a mercy, actually), he is usually spot on when he does comment.

This site is full of wonderful factoids like this: "Produced as a filler segment for Jay Ward's Rocky and Bullwinkle series beginning in 1959, Peabody's Improbable History, to the best of my knowledge, qualifies as the first time travel series produced for television." I must say, however, that I'm not at all sure I agree with his exegesis of the Talking Heads [http://www.talking-heads.net] classic tune "Once in a Lifetime" [http://www.rollingstone.com/videos/playvideo.asp?sid=6722&cf=89].

Apparently he read the one song interpretration that I haven't posted my disclaimer on. Disclaimer: In case I accidentaly offend any fans let me say that this is only an interpretation of the song and not necessarily what the artist or anyone else, besides myself thinks the song means. Even then I rarely believe my own song interpretations.

I did really appreciate Kelly's kind words about my writing and the site in general. As an aspiring SF writer, getting between the covers of Asimov's under any circumstances is a thrill.

 
Related Links:

James Patrick Kelly - Official Site
Kelly's personal site with links to free words, sounds and pix as he puts it. Very spartan and easy to navigate just the way I like it. Kelly also has links to a number of his earlier On the Net columns for Asimov's.

http://www.jimkelly.net/


On The Net: Time Travel
The full article from James Patrick Kelly in September 2004 issue of Asimov's Science Fiction.
http://www.asimovs.com/_issue_0407/onthenet2.shtml

Posted: 2004-11-01


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