Short Fiction · Chapter
The Man from Time explained
Daring Moonson, a time traveler from the year 3689, grapples with an overwhelming 'Time Fear' that threatens to consume him.
What happens
Daring Moonson, a time traveler from the year 3689, grapples with an overwhelming 'Time Fear' that threatens to consume him. Despite his proud name and his role as a scholar traveling through history in the Time Observatory, he finds himself paralyzed by a dread of the past and the machine itself. He recalls how for twenty-seven days he felt safe behind the protective shields, observing historical events like a spectator, but a horrible incident awakened buried childhood fears. Now, even the sight of his beloved wife Rutella cannot fully ease his torment. In a desperate bid for freedom, he secretly prepares to escape into the past, manipulating the controls to open the machine's iris just enough for one man. He leaps from the Time Observatory into the unknown, hoping to conquer his fear by confronting the past directly.
Themes in this chapter
Fear of the Unknown
Moonson's 'Time Fear' is a profound dread of the unknown, manifesting as a terror of the past and the uncontrollable nature of time travel.
Madness and Psychological Trauma
Moonson's mental state deteriorates as childhood fears resurface, and he struggles to maintain sanity while secretly planning his escape, describing his fear as 'an old pain returning.'
Science and the Supernatural
The Time Observatory represents advanced science that allows travel through time, yet it also becomes a source of psychological torment, blurring the line between technological mastery and supernatural dread.
Characters to notice
- The Man from Time
Daring Moonson, the protagonist, is a time traveler suffering from an intense 'Time Fear' that drives him to secretly escape into the past.
- Rutella
Moonson's wife, who watches him with shy concern and whose love briefly lessens his fear before it returns stronger.
Key passages
“simply the first man on Earth to develop a new and completely different kind of fear—Time Fear.”
Moonson is the first human to experience a unique fear specifically tied to time travel.
Introduces the central concept of 'Time Fear' as a novel psychological affliction.
“I’ve lived too long with fear, he thought. I’ve lived like a man imprisoned, shut away from the sunlight. Now, when freedom beckons, I must act quickly or I shall be powerless to act at all.”
Moonson feels trapped by his fear and decides he must escape into the past before his courage fails.
Captures his desperation and the urgency of his decision to leave the Time Observatory.
“He left the Time machine in a flying leap, one arm held before his face. He tried to keep his eyes covered as the ground seemed to rise to meet him.”
Moonson jumps out of the Time Observatory into the past, shielding his eyes from the unknown.
Describes the climax of his escape, emphasizing his blind leap into the past.