Wells, Anderson And Niffeneger

Poul Anderson's Time Patrolmen are like HG Wells' Time Traveler in that they sit on their time machines. Audrey Niffeneger's Henry DeTamble is like Anderson's Jack Havig in that he time travels without a time machine. However, Detamble travels involuntarily to psychologically significant times and places - thus, the novel is neither historical nor futuristic but contemporary - and, logically, does not take his clothes with him. Arriving naked at unexpected destinations is a whole new problem for a time traveler.

DeTamble, like the Time Patrollers, space-time jumps instantaneously (from his own perspective) whereas Havig, like the Time Traveler, sees his environment fast forward or rewind. Niffeneger presents an intricate circular causality romantic novel. Thus, like several other writers, she develops one aspect of time travel where Anderson develops every aspect and can be compared favorably to authors as diverse as Wells, Asimov and Niffeneger.