Temporal Paradox: Difference between revisions

* [[David Weber]]'s ''[[The Apocalypse Troll]]'' has the characters discussing the theories about time travel -- one (it's not possible) has been disproved by the fact that one character just did, to arrive in the time of the discussion; the other two, that the future will be altered by what she did or that her presence has caused an alternate world to split off, can't be proved or disproved by anything they can do now. They end up assuming the alternate world and thereafter ignore the question.

* The ''Time Scout'' novels avoid Temporal Paradox by the timeline including built-in safeguards; safeguards which are dangerous to time travelers. The most prominent are first, that you can't change ''anything'' that's important to the timeline--some improbable accident will occur to prevent it, no matter what you try--which is dangerous, as although some people, objects and events are obviously important to the timeline, there are [[For Want of a Nail|even more that aren't obviously important, but just as crucial]]; and second, that if a time traveler ever arrives at a time where they already exist, the most recent version dies instantly to prevent them from doing anything to their past selves that would undermine their current presence.

* The ''[[Care Taker]]'' Trilogy has an interesting take on this: there are no alternate universes, and while changing the future/past is possible, doing anything that would create a paradox is impossible simply ''because'' it would create a paradox. It's said that there is some natural "force" that prevents paradoxes from occuring. Exactly how that works is not explained, because the protagonist apparently doesn't have the necessary education to understand the specifics.

* Time travel is forbidden in [[The Dresden Files]] because it might end up destroying the fabric of reality. Characters capable of seeing the future can't be specific about their visions for the same reason.