The genre of science fiction and all its themes have
become subjects of scholarly criticism in recent
decades. As for Time, one of the genre's major
topics, it has been so since the first scientific
approaches attempting to understand the notion of
Time. In this concise study, I intend to outline the
history of science fiction, highlighting - due to
formal limitations - only major trends and events as
well as general topics of the genre. This historical
and thematic background is followed by the analyses
of time travel and time machines in some exemplary
works of significant science fiction authors: H. G.
Wells, Isaac Asimov, Robert Heinlein and Ray
Bradbury. The book can be useful for those, who are
well-acquainted with the works and authors mentioned,
and equally for those, who are not yet familiar with
the genre itself, its history or major topics and are
looking for an introductory work presenting the topic
of time travel through influential works of science
fiction.