3 Books That Blend Sci-Fi and Historical Fiction

Melissa Pace is the author of The Once and Future Me, out this week from Holt Paperback. Below, she recommends three sci-fi historical fiction books. My psychological thriller, The Once and Future Me, tells the story of a woman teetering between two realities, two possible selves: one a delusional schizophrenic housewife in 1954 and the other a time-traveling soldier from 2035. Her desperate quest for truth against the backdrop of 1950s America, with its smothering social conformity and constrictive gender roles, lets me explore how memory shapes identity and the consequences of one’s choices when love, history, and destiny collide. Here are three books that powerfully combine historical fiction and science fiction: Time and Again by Jack Finney (1970)This cult classic was my first time travel novel and, nearly fifty years later, inspired me to attempt one myself. A blend of sci-fi, historical fiction, romance, and mystery, it tells the story of Simon, sent back to 1882 New York City in a government experiment, who soon falls in love and must make some hard choices. Finney’s book has had a huge influence on other writers like Stephen King, who, in the afterword of his novel, 11/22/...