No Time Like the Past story

tz1959e4x10 · 1963-03-07

A scientist uses his time machine to go back in time to try and change history. Directed by: Jus Addiss. Story by: Rod Serling.

20 total · 3 choice · 3 major · 14 minor

ThemeLevelMotivation
it's the future that matters not the past choice It seems the point of the story was that it's futile to remonstrate about the past, and that we should seek to improve on the future instead.
time travel choice Paul had invented a way to travel back in time but found that he could change nothing.
time traveler meddling in history choice Harvey cautioned Paul about the potential of accidental meddling in history to result in temporal chain reactions, but Paul ignored his warning and tried to meddle in history anyway, although his efforts to do so ultimately failed.
time machine major Paul make use of a machine akin to a teleportation pad to travel back in time.
time traveler's dilemma major The wisdom of meddling in history was discussed between Paul and Harvey though not with respect to the usual (kill Hitler). Paul deliberated about saving President Garfield.
what if I told the truth and nobody would believe me major A Japanese officer and the captain of the Lusitania both refused to believe Paul's wildly unsubstantiated claims.
American Civil War minor Abigail mentioned having lost family in this conflict.
dystopia minor Paul objected to a variety of objections to the bleak world he inhabited.
fascism minor We saw Hitler preaching to a crowd of enthusiastic Germans.
genocide minor Mr. Hanford would have had the American Indians exterminated if he'd had things his way.