Predestination Paradox

[Scott R. Forshaw]

For anyone writing about, or incorporating time travel into any of their work; I thought that this may be of interest.

I stumbled across it, and thought that it sounded interesting.

A predestination paradox is a scenario in which a time traveler seeking to alter the past inadvertently plays a role in bringing about the same future, thus creating a loop of events that "predestines" him to travel back in time yet again.

Cheers folks, and happy writing.

 

[Doctor Crankenstein]

I Stumbled across a blog once which analyses the time travel used in movies and showed that all but a precious few made fatal flaws such as this one that you have mentioned.

but for the life of me I can't find it again!

 

[chrispenycate]

Probably the optimal version is Heinlein's "all you zombies" short story. Any paradox can be paradoctored.

 

[TheDustyZebra]

Hmm ... the entire premise of the Quantum Leap series!

 

[elfdragonlord]

what is interesting about the predestination paradox is that if the time traveller's memories changed accordingly with the events he/she alters then it would seem to him/her exactly like a predestination paradox even though it wasn't. Like so:

1. Alter past
2. Memories change with altered event
3. "Oh, it's always been like this - that's weird I seem to be part of a time loop"

 

[The Judge]

Thanks for that, Scott. It's not really a writing resource as such, though, so I'm moving the thread to the general part of Aspiring Writers, where it might get a little more attention.