20 worthwhile books about hit people to distract from reality

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

You will find out if you need a time machine to travel to the future, how to survive in the Crusade and what the world could have become if Hitler had not been born.

If a magical object that appears or a portal that opens takes the hero to another time or place, then the character can be safely considered a hit. He can be voluntary if he decides to leave his usual abode to help someone or because his world has always seemed alien to him. And sometimes the hero moves unexpectedly for himself, and then he has to look for a way out of the new reality.

Popadans find themselves in the past and often change the course of history, they are thrown into the future or into a completely new reality, where magic and magic in all its diversity often reign. Simply put, a hit is a traveler in time or space, and sometimes in both.

1. "11/22/63" by Stephen King

The king of horror writes not only about the clowns-monsters from the sewers and hotels, driving you crazy. In "11/22/63," he aimed at changing history and sent his hero half a century back. Finding himself in the past, history teacher Jacob Epping decides to change the course of time and prevent the assassination of US President John F. Kennedy. A noble deed should have led to positive changes, but the future did not turn out the way Jacob had hoped.

2. "How to Make History" by Stephen Fry

A similar idea was carried out by the British writer Stephen Fry. Only this time, the heroes want to rid the world of Adolf Hitler. History PhD student Michael and physicist Leo are driven by coincidence, but they quickly join forces in an attempt to prevent the worst catastrophe of the 20th century - World War II. By not allowing the birth of the Fuehrer, they found that they only made things worse and now they need to fix it.

3. "Time and Time Again" by Ben Elton

In his native UK, Ben Elton is known as a successful comedian who has worked fruitfully with Rowan Atkinson, including on the famous show "Mr. Bean". But Elton is also a serious writer. The hero of the book Time and Time Again, who lost his family, agrees to go back a century to prevent the assassination of the Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand. A bullet fired at that student Gavrila Princip, marked the beginning of the First World War and all the horrors that followed. But was it really only the assassination of the Archduke that caused the war, or is the story much more complicated?

4. "Ivan Vasilievich", Mikhail Bulgakov

Speaking of the hitmen, hardly anyone thinks about classical literature. But Bulgakov wrote about time travel at the beginning of the last century. The play "Ivan Vasilyevich" tells the story of a tsar who, in the course of an experiment, finds himself in a Moscow communal apartment of the 1930s, and in the 16th century, in the place of Ivan the Terrible, is a simple Soviet citizen.

It is impossible to imagine a person who has not seen the film or at least not heard about the painting by Leonid Gaidai "Ivan Vasilyevich changes his profession." And although the tape is quite close to the text, the original is still different from the movie.

5. Three Hearts and Three Lions by Paul Anderson

If King sends his character back to the middle of the 20th century, then in Paul Anderson's novel, 1953 is Holger's real protagonist. Therefore, the young man is thrown even further back. Only this alternative world - with gnomes, witches, sorcerers and a beautiful swan girl. Undaunted, Holger applies his modern scientific knowledge to survive in this difficult place. For example, the law of thermodynamics is good for defeating a fire-breathing dragon.

6. Between Two Times by Jack Finney

The value of this novel is not only in the plot, but also in its incredible authenticity. Jack Finney describes in small details New York at the end of the 19th century, where his hero Simon Morley falls. Some editions of the book even include old original photographs of the places where the novel takes place.

Another highlight is the way to go back in time. No machines or complex devices, only personal abilities and hypnosis. The author did so well that fans begged him to write a sequel.

7. "The Connecticut Yankees at the Court of King Arthur," Mark Twain

Another classic from whom you don't expect a hit story is Mark Twain. But the famous lover of stories about adventures and adventures surprised everyone and sent his hero Hank straight to the court of King Arthur. And the way to travel in time is quite in the spirit of Twain - hitting the head with something heavy.

When Hank wakes up, he discovers not a concussion, but a medieval courtyard filled with brave knights and beautiful maidens. A quick guest from the future pretty soon gets into the trust of the king, pretending to be a wizard. The Yankees are trying to change England in their usual manner. And, of course, he makes a lot of enemies for himself.

8. Jeans Crusade by Tea Beckman

The Middle Ages are not only knights in love, performing serenades under the windows of their languid ladies of the heart, embarrassedly straightening brocade skirts. Tea Beckman touches on one of the most terrible eras - the time of the Crusades. In the 13th century, not only trained military men, but also children were sent to them. Data vary, with some sources referring to a group of 25,000 teenagers who fled to Jerusalem. The boy Rudolph from the 20th century, due to an erroneous experiment, falls into one of these units and tries to survive by all available means.

9. "The Blue Man", Lazar Lagin

The writer is familiar, first of all, from the story "The Old Man Hottabych", which also fits well into the category of books about the victims. In The Blue Man, a simple student Yura, in a bad mood, finds himself in tsarist Russia at the end of the 19th century, just on the verge of political upheaval. He has an undeniable advantage: Yura knows what will happen next.

A special place in the novel is occupied by Moscow itself, which no longer exists. Lagin seems to be conducting a tour of the streets of the old city, describing it in detail.

10. "All Saints' Eve" by Ray Bradbury

The author is not limited to one era or country, but carries his visitors through the centuries. Eight friends are preparing to celebrate Halloween when they discover that their ninth friend is missing. To find Pifkin, the guys will have to go through Ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome, medieval Paris and Mexico. As is usually the case with Bradbury, the book is bright, lively, adventurous, and also informative.

11. "Letters to Ancient China", Herbert Rosendorfer

The German writer Rosendorfer offers to look at the modern world through the eyes of a person who came from the X century. The popadan is not only from the past, but also from a completely different culture - Ancient China. Much is incomprehensible to the hero, progress is frankly frightening, and the prevailing customs seem at least strange.

In order to somehow organize the new information in his head, Gao-Dai writes letters home, condemning the life of the "big-noses" and letting go of barbs about their way of life. But he finds in all this confusing situation and positive moments - beer, ski resorts and modern women. It seems that over time, something still does not change.

12. "Varyag", Alexander Mazin

The book opens with the "Varangian Cycle", consisting of 10 works. The first novel tells how a former paratrooper ends up in Kievan Rus in the 10th century. The time is not easy, there are enemies all around: the Pechenegs and Vikings are organizing raids. But it is here that Sergey Dukharev finds himself, the love of his life and recognition. Although first you have to prove to the harsh ancestors that he has a place among them.

13. "I am a dragon", Alexander Sapegin

Andrei from the very beginning of the book knows about his extraordinary. He has supernatural powers. Therefore, getting into a parallel world where magic reigns does not come as a surprise. But you still have to figure out what's there and what. The hero explores a new abode, stumbles upon conflicting characters and tries to find his place in all this variety of creatures. And inside of him another magical creature is ripening, because Andrey is a dragon.

14. "Labyrinths of Eho" (cycle), Max Fry

Max Fry writes about his literary alter ego Sir Max, who has incredible adventures. The hero himself is not a miss - cunning, dexterous and quick-witted. The cycle consists of eight books and begins with the novel "Stranger", in which the character tells how he got to the magical city of Echo and what he does there. There is a place here for detective thriller, fantasy and humor - in general, readings for every taste.

15. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

The heroine of Diana Gabaldon is thrown from the 40s of the XX century to Scotland in the middle of the XVIII century, several years before the Jacobite uprising. Not only is Claire not adapted to a harsh life without the delights of civilization, but also the time for the country is hectic. Against the background of the heroine's personal experiences, political intrigues are woven, cruel reprisals are committed against enemies and historical events take place. In this new time for her, Claire learns true love and craving for adventure.

The book opens with the cycle of the same name, so you can stay with your favorite characters for a long time.

16. "Population Academy", Maria Botalova, Ekaterina Flat

The overwhelmed session at the university for Angelica turned out to be not a catastrophe, but a door to a new educational institution - the Academy of Popes. All are newbies here, albeit from different worlds. The heroine settles in a new student dormitory, attends unusual lectures and forges connections. The smoking unicorn Boniface becomes her best friend, and Angelica falls in love, of course, with the Lord of Darkness himself.

17. "Timeless. The Ruby Book ", Kerstin Gere

Popadans usually travel through space and time using magic items or cunning scientific devices. But Gwendoline does not need any of this, because she inherited the ability to go back in time from her ancestors. The family assumed that the gift would go to another girl, and prepared her for unusual trials. But fate decreed that it was Gwendolyn who would have to move between the present and the past in order to solve a difficult riddle.

18. "Magonia", Maria Hadley

Aza is a sickly teenager, and she has very little time left to live. The doctors do not know what is wrong with the girl, so they cannot help. But this is in the ordinary world. Once in the mysterious land of Magonia, Aza changes. Her body remains on the ground, and the girl herself moves to a new place, where magic ships soar, bird-people live, and the incurable disease has disappeared. But still, the heroine is pulled back to the past world, because her family and best friend remained there.

19. "Chasodei" (cycle), Natalia Shcherba

Immersion in an unusual world created by the author begins with the book "The Clock Key". The heroine Vasilisa learns that she is not an ordinary schoolgirl, of which there are thousands, but the daughter of an influential magician. She finds herself in a magical world inhabited by fairies and sorcerers, and now she will have to figure out who is a friend and who is an enemy and whether you can trust your own father. She also needs to decide whether to become a watchmaker. And for a start, it would be nice to know the meaning of this mysterious title.

20. The Door to Summer by Robert Heinlein

Robert Heinlein in his work paid special attention to ingenious inventions, believing that it was with them that the future of the planet lay. "Door to Summer" tells the story of an engineer who created a machine capable of putting people into deep sleep for several decades, and then waking them up without consequences for the mind and body.

But the vile friend and the selfish bride deceive the engineer, take the shares of his company, and the hero himself is immersed in a dream. Waking up 30 years later, the character realizes that everything around has changed, and now he can only rely on himself and his faithful cat.