The Time Patrol Series by Poul Anderson
The Time Patrol Series is a collection of short stories and novellas that revolves around time travel and the preservation of history. First published as "Guardians of Time" in 1960, the series primarily features the character Manse Everard, who is recruited into the Time Patrol, an organization created by an advanced future race called the Danellians. The Patrol's mission is to ensure that history remains intact and unaltered by rogue time travelers who might wish to manipulate events for personal gain.
The stories explore various historical settings, showcasing Everard's adventures as he confronts time anomalies and engages with significant historical figures. For instance, in "Brave to Be a King," he navigates ancient Iran, while "Gibraltar Falls" depicts a dramatic rescue during the formation of the Mediterranean Sea. The series delves into themes such as the moral implications of changing the past and the tension between duty and personal desire.
Each narrative contributes to a broader exploration of historical fidelity and the consequences of time travel, with various characters and plots intertwining across the collection. Through its inventive storytelling, The Time Patrol Series invites readers to consider the complexities of time and history while engaging with richly imagined scenarios.
On this Page
The Time Patrol Series
First published:The Guardians of Time (1980; includes Guardians of Time, 1960, and two stories), Time Patrolman (1983), The Shield of Time (1990), and The Time Patrol (1991; contains The Year of the Ransom, 1988; “Star of the Sea,” a new novella; and other new material)
Type of work: Collected works
Type of plot: Science fiction—time travel
Time of work: The near future to prehistory
Locale: Various locations on Earth
The Plot
The Time Patrol series is a loosely unified though thematically consistent collection comprising short stories and novellas. Guardians of Time was first published as a collection in 1960. Many of the stories had appeared in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction throughout the 1950’s. “Time Patrol,” the opening story, introduces the underlying premise of the series and occupies a central role. Manse Everard is the main protagonist, and he is recruited under mysterious circumstances to the Time Patrol. The story follows his induction and his training in the academy as well as outlining the form and function of the Patrol itself.
The Time Patrol is the invention of the Danellians, a superior race who live millions of years in the future and who wish to retain their supremacy by ensuring that history unfolds as it should. The invention of time travel has allowed certain rogue elements to alter the course of time and history for their own ends. It is the role of the Time Patrol to police history and investigate anomalies or strange occurrences.
While investigating a seemingly harmless oddity, Everard finds himself in ancient Britain tracking down a time rogue who is attempting to alter the course of history. The story is intricate and relies on the parallel plot line of a colleague who is trying to travel back and visit his dead wife. In this story, Poul Anderson outlines the prime directive of the Patrol, namely, that the past can be changed as long as changes are not of a significant nature.
The second story, “Brave to Be a King,” is set in ancient Iran and concerns Everard’s search for a lost agent. The agent, Keith Denison, is trapped by local politicians and is crowned Cyrus the Great. Everard rescues Denison and brings him back to the present. The irony is that the agent enjoyed his role and realizes that his present life is tedious and dull.
“Gibraltar Falls” was added to the 1980 edition and focuses on the loss of an agent during the creation of the Mediterranean Sea. Everard saves the situation by traveling back in time to the moment of the accident and rescuing the Patrolman. “The Only Game in Town” is about Khan’s Mongol warriors exploring the North American continent. The Patrol fears that this will upset the course of history. Everard heads off the expedition by scaring away its members with technical wizardry.
“Delenda Est,” one of the more interesting stories, pitches Everard and Piet Van Sarawak into an alternate history. While attempting to get to Manhattan in 1960, they discover a parallel time dominated by a pagan Celtic state. After a brief romance between Sarawak and a philosopher, Dierdre, all escape to their correct time. This story is followed by a critical afterword by Sandra Miesel.
Time Patrolman is a loose sequel of untitled stories set in ancient Phoenicia and Dark Age Europe, many of which reappear or are reworked in The Time Patrol. The first five stories are taken from The Guardians of Time. “Ivory, and Apes, and Peacocks,” set in ancient Tyre, concerns the attempts by a future renegade group to start a reign of terror and thereby to change history. Everard defeats the Exaltationists with help from King Hiram.
“The Sorrow of Odin the Goth” focuses on the origins of a Dark Age folk poem produced during tribal clashes following the collapse of the Roman Empire. Everard’s interventions turn out to be the distorted origin of the poem. “The Star of the Sea,” a novella, covers the same historical period. The disintegration of Rome is juxtaposed with the spread of Christianity, and Everard succeeds in maintaining the necessary balance between the two. The Year of the Ransom is a long story centered on Wanda Tamberly and her discovery of an Exaltationist plot to steal Atahualpa’s ransom, thereby slowing the Spanish conquest of Mexico. Tamberly helps Everard defeat the group and joins the Patrol.
The romance between Everard and Tamberly is developed in The Shield of Time, which again reworks earlier material. The first section concerns an upset in ancient Scythia in which Everard defeats an Exaltationist plot. The second is set in prehistoric Beringia and follows the clash between cultured and primitive tribes, with Tamberly befriending the underdog. The final section is set in Sicily during the time of the Holy Roman Empire and centers on Everard’s correction of a time slip in which a Catholic theocracy dominates the world.