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* In ''[[The Time Traveler's Wife]]'', Claire generally serves as Henry's Constant as he jumps around in time. |
* In ''[[The Time Traveler's Wife]]'', Claire generally serves as Henry's Constant as he jumps around in time. |
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* In [[H. Beam Piper]]'s ''Lord Kalvan of Otherwhen'', the absence of an expected constant - the stone quarries of an area of Pennsylvania that the protagonist knows quite well, and which could not have eroded while leaving the local geography intact - tips him off to the fact that he has ''not'' [[Time Travel|travelled into the far future]] as he previously thought, but is in an [[Alternate Universe]]. |
* In [[H. Beam Piper]]'s ''Lord Kalvan of Otherwhen'', the absence of an expected constant - the stone quarries of an area of Pennsylvania that the protagonist knows quite well, and which could not have eroded while leaving the local geography intact - tips him off to the fact that he has ''not'' [[Time Travel|travelled into the far future]] as he previously thought, but is in an [[Alternate Universe]]. |
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* Lampshaded in the [[Discworld]] novel ''[[ |
* Lampshaded in the [[Discworld]] novel ''[[Wyrd Sisters]]''. The biggest expense of [[Time Travel]] is finding a fashion store that will remain open for 50 years in the exact same place. |
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* In [[Idiocracy]] a "Fuddrucker's" restaurant serves as the constant. After 500 years of increasing stupidity the name has gradually changed to "Buttfucker's." Oddly, it retains its status as a family restaurant, while Starbucks, H&R Block, and several other businesses have become brothels. |
* In [[Idiocracy]] a "Fuddrucker's" restaurant serves as the constant. After 500 years of increasing stupidity the name has gradually changed to "Buttfucker's." Oddly, it retains its status as a family restaurant, while Starbucks, H&R Block, and several other businesses have become brothels. |
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* A ''[[Star Wars]]'' novel has someone who was nearly killed at the end of the Clone Wars and put into stasis for at least half a century, awaking long after the ''original'' movies. With almost everyone he knew long dead and the galaxy having gone through several wars and governments, he decides to search for a specific Constant, the YT-1300 freighter he was flying on the mission where he nearly died - the ship that has since come to be known as the ''Millenium Falcon''. |
* A ''[[Star Wars]]'' novel has someone who was nearly killed at the end of the Clone Wars and put into stasis for at least half a century, awaking long after the ''original'' movies. With almost everyone he knew long dead and the galaxy having gone through several wars and governments, he decides to search for a specific Constant, the YT-1300 freighter he was flying on the mission where he nearly died - the ship that has since come to be known as the ''Millenium Falcon''. |
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* The old Hermit in ''[[A Canticle for Leibowitz]]'', though his immortality is never explained. |
* The old Hermit in ''[[A Canticle for Leibowitz]]'', though his immortality is never explained. |
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** Most commentators agree that the final section of the book pretty much comes out and says that he's the Wandering Jew. |
** Most commentators agree that the final section of the book pretty much comes out and says that he's the Wandering Jew. |
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* [[Inverted Trope|Inverted]] in the [[Discworld]] book ''[[ |
* [[Inverted Trope|Inverted]] in the [[Discworld]] book ''[[Night Watch (Discworld)|Night Watch]]''. Sam Vimes ends up in the past after a [[Magical Accident]], and has to keep things on-track while a criminal who went with him is messing everything up. Right when he's most despairing of ever getting back to where he belongs, {{spoiler|a History Monk brings him his silver cigar case, a gift from the wife he doesn't have yet and a reminder that his 'future' is real and has already happened.}} |
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** On the other hand, many of the important cast members' past selves feature in the story: Fred Colon, M(r)s. Palm, Young Vimes, |
** On the other hand, many of the important cast members' past selves feature in the story: Fred Colon, M(r)s. Palm, Young Vimes, {{spoiler|Vetinari}}... |
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* From ''[[In the Keep of Time]]'', Smailholm Tower. In an unusual variation, it is ''also'' the "time machine", as it were. The interesting implication of this is that the key can only take time travelers to a time period where the tower exists, not before its construction or after it collapses. |
* From ''[[In the Keep of Time]]'', Smailholm Tower. In an unusual variation, it is ''also'' the "time machine", as it were. The interesting implication of this is that the key can only take time travelers to a time period where the tower exists, not before its construction or after it collapses. |
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* In [[Neal Stevensons]] [[Cryptonomicon]] we are treated to three seperate stories. Two during World War II, and one in the modern day. Many of the characters from the modern day are descendants of the characters from World War II. But apart from the younger Waterhouse's stories of his grandfather, there's only one man who appears in both timelines. Enoch Root. Who hasn't aged a day. |
* In [[Neal Stevensons]] [[Cryptonomicon]] we are treated to three seperate stories. Two during World War II, and one in the modern day. Many of the characters from the modern day are descendants of the characters from World War II. But apart from the younger Waterhouse's stories of his grandfather, there's only one man who appears in both timelines. Enoch Root. Who hasn't aged a day. |
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* In [[The Redemption of Althalus]], when the title character first goes to the House At the End of the World, he passes a particular dead tree, when he leaves the House, 2500 years later, the same dead tree is still there, The Goddess Dweia says the gods keep the tree around as a landmark. |
* In [[The Redemption of Althalus]], when the title character first goes to the House At the End of the World, he passes a particular dead tree, when he leaves the House, 2500 years later, the same dead tree is still there, The Goddess Dweia says the gods keep the tree around as a landmark. |
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== [[Live |
== [[Live-Action TV]] == |
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* The [[Trope Namer]] is an episode of ''[[Lost]]'' ("The Constant") in which Desmond is undergoing rapid [[Mental Time Travel]] between two times in his life and must find a Constant in the two times in order to avoid insanity and death. It's {{spoiler|his girlfriend Penelope}}. |
* The [[Trope Namer]] is an episode of ''[[Lost]]'' ("The Constant") in which Desmond is undergoing rapid [[Mental Time Travel]] between two times in his life and must find a Constant in the two times in order to avoid insanity and death. It's {{spoiler|his girlfriend Penelope}}. |
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** On the same show, Daniel Faraday uses {{spoiler|Desmond}} as his Constant. |
** On the same show, Daniel Faraday uses {{spoiler|Desmond}} as his Constant. |
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{{reflist}} |
{{reflist}} |
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[[Category:Time Travel Tropes]] |
[[Category:Time Travel Tropes]] |
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Constant, The}} |
{{DEFAULTSORT:Constant, The}} |
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