TimescapeTimescape
Score Classic
What it's about
In 1998, the Earth is dying from a spreading ecological disaster. Physicists in Cambridge, England, try a desperate experiment: sending a warning back in time using particles that travel faster than light. In 1962, in California, a young physicist named Gordon Bernstein notices strange interference in his lab experiment, and begins to realize it's a message.
Why it's worth reading
It won the Nebula Award. Benford, a working physicist, makes the lives of real scientists as gripping as the time-travel puzzle.
You'll love it if you liked
The Calculating Stars
Spin
The Forge of GodGood to know
It's slow and full of scientific detail and lab politics.
By the numbers
- Readers4 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics54 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller10 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #269 of the 313 science fiction books we rank
- #724 of the 762 classics we rank
- #2560 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Thought-provoking, Dark, Adventurous
If you like this, read next
The Lord of the Rings
Foundation
Ficciones
Rendezvous with Rama
The Left Hand of Darkness
The Gods ThemselvesExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is Timescape worth reading?
Yes. It won the Nebula Award. It ranks #2,560 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 57.8 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Timescape about?
In 1998, the Earth is dying from a spreading ecological disaster. Physicists in Cambridge, England, try a desperate experiment: sending a warning back in time using particles that travel faster than light. In 1962, in California, a young physicist named Gordon Bernstein notices strange interference in his lab experiment, and begins to realize it's a message.
How long does it take to read Timescape?
About 13 hours (513 pages), or about 4 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has Timescape won?
Nebula Award winner (1980).
What should I read after Timescape?
If you liked it, try The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal, Spin by Robert Charles Wilson or The Forge of God by Greg Bear.