The man who mastered time

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

76503

Title

The man who mastered time

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

Ray Cummings' science fiction classic explores the revolutionary concept of time as a dimension of space. Through a group of scientists, the narrative follows a young inventor who discovers a method to travel through time, witnessing the rise and fall of a futuristic civilization before returning to his own era to share his findings.

Summary up to 500 words

In Ray Cummings' *The Man Who Mastered Time*, a group of New York intellectuals gathers to hear Loto, a young scientist, reveal a groundbreaking discovery made with his father, Fahn. Through an accidental experiment involving electrons and a Crookes tube, they inadvertently activate a device that transports them through time and space. Initially observing a snowy, primitive landscape, they realize they are viewing New York thousands of years in the future. They witness a civilization called the Arans living in a tropical paradise, ruled by a decadent king named Toroh and his barbarian subjects, the Noths. The Arans practice strict birth control, banishing women who bear too many children, while the Noths serve the king with brutal loyalty. The travelers, led by Fahn, decide to intervene in this future timeline. Fahn utilizes a thunderbolt projector to destroy the cavern housing the Noths and their leader. This act triggers a catastrophic volcanic eruption that sinks the entire island, obliterating the Aran civilization and its suffering populace. The scientists return to their own time, finding New York in a state of advanced decay, having missed the peak of their era's prosperity. The story concludes with Loto and his fiancée, Azeela, reflecting on the tragic fate of the future they witnessed. They grapple with the moral weight of their discovery and the devastating consequences of altering history, realizing that their attempt to stop a perceived tyranny resulted in the total annihilation of a future society. The narrative explores themes of scientific hubris, the inevitability of historical cycles, and the heavy burden of knowledge that allows one to master time.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

Download URL

https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/76503.epub.noimages

Local file path

data/epubs/pg76503.epub

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Categories

• Science Fiction
• Time Travel