Time After Time (1979 novel)
Encyclopedia
Time After Time is a 1979 science fiction novel by Karl Alexander
. Its plot speculates what might have happened if H. G. Wells
had built a real time machine
to travel to the 1970s in search of Jack the Ripper
.
The novel was adapted to film the same year, under the same title
, by Alexander's friend Nicholas Meyer
who had optioned the story after reading the early pages. Meyer wrote his screenplay as Alexander finished the novel and the two freely shared ideas for their respective iterations. The film stars Malcolm McDowell
as H. G. Wells
, David Warner
as Jack the Ripper
, and Mary Steenburgen
as Amy Robbins - a 20th century bank teller with whom Wells becomes involved and whom the Ripper eventually targets as a victim.
A musical version of the novel has Book & Lyrics by Stephen Cole and Music by Jeffrey Saver. In Nov. 2007 it had its first reading as part of the American Musical Theatre Project at Northwestern University in Illinois. There is also a CD with several of the songs for sale.
Karl Alexander (writer)
Karl Alexander is an American writer. He is the author of Time After Time, which was adapted into a successful film of the same title in 1979, and several other novels. Jaclyn the Ripper, the sequel to Time After Time, was published in March 2011.-External links:*...
. Its plot speculates what might have happened if H. G. Wells
H. G. Wells
Herbert George Wells was an English author, now best known for his work in the science fiction genre. He was also a prolific writer in many other genres, including contemporary novels, history, politics and social commentary, even writing text books and rules for war games...
had built a real time machine
Time travel
Time travel is the concept of moving between different points in time in a manner analogous to moving between different points in space. Time travel could hypothetically involve moving backward in time to a moment earlier than the starting point, or forward to the future of that point without the...
to travel to the 1970s in search of Jack the Ripper
Jack the Ripper
"Jack the Ripper" is the best-known name given to an unidentified serial killer who was active in the largely impoverished areas in and around the Whitechapel district of London in 1888. The name originated in a letter, written by someone claiming to be the murderer, that was disseminated in the...
.
The novel was adapted to film the same year, under the same title
Time After Time (1979 film)
Time After Time is a 1979 American fantasy film written and directed by Nicholas Meyer. His screenplay is based largely on a novel by Karl Alexander and a story by Steve Hayes. It concerns British author H. G...
, by Alexander's friend Nicholas Meyer
Nicholas Meyer
Nicholas Meyer is an American screenwriter, producer, director and novelist, known best for his best-selling novel The Seven-Per-Cent Solution, and for directing the films Time After Time, two of the Star Trek feature film series, and the 1983 television movie The Day After.Meyer graduated from...
who had optioned the story after reading the early pages. Meyer wrote his screenplay as Alexander finished the novel and the two freely shared ideas for their respective iterations. The film stars Malcolm McDowell
Malcolm McDowell
Malcolm McDowell is an English actor with a career spanning over forty years.McDowell is principally known for his roles in the controversial films If...., O Lucky Man!, A Clockwork Orange and Caligula...
as H. G. Wells
H. G. Wells
Herbert George Wells was an English author, now best known for his work in the science fiction genre. He was also a prolific writer in many other genres, including contemporary novels, history, politics and social commentary, even writing text books and rules for war games...
, David Warner
David Warner (actor)
David Warner is an English actor who is known for playing both romantic leads and sinister or villainous characters, both in film and animation...
as Jack the Ripper
Jack the Ripper
"Jack the Ripper" is the best-known name given to an unidentified serial killer who was active in the largely impoverished areas in and around the Whitechapel district of London in 1888. The name originated in a letter, written by someone claiming to be the murderer, that was disseminated in the...
, and Mary Steenburgen
Mary Steenburgen
Mary Nell Steenburgen is an American actress. She is best known for playing the role of Lynda Dummar in Jonathan Demme's Melvin and Howard, which earned her an Academy Award and a Golden Globe.-Early life:...
as Amy Robbins - a 20th century bank teller with whom Wells becomes involved and whom the Ripper eventually targets as a victim.
Editions
- Delacorte Press, April 1979, ISBN 0-440-08900-X
- Dell, September 1979, ISBN 0-440-18804-0 (paperback)
A musical version of the novel has Book & Lyrics by Stephen Cole and Music by Jeffrey Saver. In Nov. 2007 it had its first reading as part of the American Musical Theatre Project at Northwestern University in Illinois. There is also a CD with several of the songs for sale.