Can Time Travel Reveal Who You Are?
A book analysis of “The Man Who Folded Himself”
“Life is full of little surprises.
Time travel is full of big ones.”
― David Gerrold, The Man Who Folded Himself
My experience with “Queer fiction” has been, well, a blank slate up until now. It’s not a surprise then that my first brush at it is quite captivating. Thanks to David Gerrold’s seminal work of science-fiction — “The Man Who Folded Himself”.
I had no idea what this book comprised when I picked it up. At first glance, I thought it must be some weird, body-horror, sci-fi galore (which is my kinda read). I mean the title itself says, a man FOLDING himself! Then I got to know from my fellow readers at a Book Club that it’s a time-travel book.
Well, that was enough for me to get hooked so I began reading. Little did I know, what a mind-boggling journey I was in for.
A Mind-Bending Premise
Published in 1973, “The Man Who Folded Himself” is a classic science fiction novel. It’s about a young college student named Daniel Eakins, who finds himself in possession of a time-traveling belt. He then embarks on a journey that he can control with the click of a button, traveling forward and backward in time as many times as he wants. And thus begins a perplexing unfoldment of events that even he couldn’t have imagined.
Keeping the science-fictional aspects aside, I want to focus on the themes of sexuality, identity, and loneliness in this book.
David Gerrold, who also happens to’ve written a few Star Trek episodes is a gay American writer. This book is his expression on identity, sexuality, and the nature of existence through the lens of time travel.
Midway through the book, I had speculated that this might be an attempt to highlight LGBTQ affairs. And it does that, of course. Yet it does so with grace, and not in a “shove it down your throat” kind of way.
He uses the stretch of SF to tell a good story. One that is deeply human, deals with the struggles of growing up, and most importantly finding yourself in the process. Moreover, it portrays homosexuality and its implications in a raw, unfiltered experience rather than making a big commentary on it.
This is what S.L. HUANG has talked about, in HER review of the book. I’d highly recommend you check it out for an in-depth analysis.
She wrote in 2019 that,
“The book folds in on itself like a fabulous origami of paradoxes that somehow make sense…. It is one of the best time-travel stories I have ever seen…. It is also very queer.”
Furthermore, the book delves into the personal and philosophical implications of time travel, particularly focusing on the protagonist’s interactions with different versions of himself/herself.
Exploration of Identity and Self-Discovery
Gerrold used time travel as a metaphor to examine self-identity and the diversity of the self. The protagonist, Dan, encounters various versions of himself (male, female, young, and old) at different points in time. It depicts a vivid exploration of how different choices and experiences shape our identity.
Themes of Sexuality
“The Man Who Folded Himself” is noteworthy for its candid and progressive portrayal of sexuality, including same-sex relationships. By interacting with different versions of himself, Dan explores his sexuality under strange & unfiltered, yet unique circumstances. Much of it reflects Gerrold’s own experiences and perspectives as a gay man living in a Western civilization.
Philosophical and Existential Questions
Gerrold wanted to address profound questions about existence, free will, and the nature of reality. “The Man Who Folded Himself” challenges readers to think about the consequences of time travel, not just on a practical level but also on a deeply personal and existential level.
I liked the way that loneliness is depicted in this book. With the power to be anywhere in the world at any time and change the course of history, you may assume one to be omnipotent. Yet playing GOD often entails consequences notably in the form of loneliness and existentialism.
Innovative Science Fiction
Sci-fi at its core, is about taking a wild scenario and then throwing all the possibilities toward the reader. All good SF does that. Be it the far-distant future world of DUNE or the misadventures of Arthur Den in The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy.
As a science fiction writer, Gerrold sought to push the boundaries of the genre by introducing new and thought-provoking ideas. Back in the 70s, the concept of interacting with multiple versions of oneself was a fresh and intriguing take on time travel, offering readers a novel and intellectually stimulating experience.
Gerrold took a unique idea and explored almost all the possible scenarios without holding back any punches. And that’s what makes this book an engaging and provocative read.
Instead of merely creating a strange world, he delves into every aspect of time travel. Time jumps, multiple identities, grandfather paradoxes, alternate realities, you name it!
It is also noteworthy that this book captures a wide spectrum of notions in a remarkably short premise.
“The Man Who Folded Himself” combines elements of a coming-of-age story with a deep reflection on the human condition, exemplifying how science fiction, when executed masterfully, can achieve the depth and insight of literary fiction. — from another review at speculiction.blogspot.com
Personal Expression
Writing “The Man Who Folded Himself” allowed Gerrold to express his thoughts and feelings on various issues, including identity and sexuality, in a creative and impactful way. The novel served as a medium for him to explore and communicate these themes to a broader audience. However, he mentioned in an interview that writing the book wasn’t a smooth road for him.
In his own words, “The Man Who Folded Himself is really an imagination-stretcher because the two things I hear from people is that the book saved their life because they thought they were alone until they saw that the hero was gay; and that the book blew their mind with all the different possibilities postulated because the hero goes to the beginning of time, the end of time, and play around with a lot of time. He has all of these opportunities in front of him and all of these choices and really — for most of the book- he’s just a naive little dweeb! But the end of the book is him accepting responsibility. It’s a story about growth.”
My Reading Experience
I had a lot of fun reading this book. It is unique and weird in many ways. Reading about somebody using a time machine to travel back and forth in time is always a delight. But when shit hits the fan, as with every time-travel story, you’re craving for some good resolution.
Imagining a person having a relationship with themselves, or another version of themselves from a different timeline is strange yet intriguing. I believe it can teach you a lot about yourself, that you generally wouldn’t notice.
I’d been meaning to start reading books by LGBTQ authors for a while, and I’m glad that this happened to be my first read in that genre. It broadened my perspective on time travel and self-identity.
As for the science bits, there are plenty of conundrums and paradoxes to stimulate one's mind. So much so that if you’re new to such kinds of stories, you might have a hard time comprehending everything that ensues in this book.
All in all, “The Man Who Folded Himself” is a one-of-a-kind book. I wish, or at least I hope that more readers get to know about this underrated classic. It’s hard to get your hands on a physical copy of the book (especially in the Indian subcontinent) but you can go with the Kindle version.
