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Somewhere in Time

Name: Somewhere in Time
Price: 23.99 USD
Availability: InStock
ISBN: 9780312868864

✍️ Richard Matheson

Reader Score

4.4

(4 reviews)

$23.99 ~~$35.00~~ Save $11.01 (31%)

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📚 WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT

A modern man travels back to 1896 San Diego to find his soul mate.

This novel won the World Fantasy Award for Best Novel, establishing its place in genre history. The text centers on a romantic encounter that defies chronological logic. A contemporary protagonist is drawn by love to a specific location and date in the past. He meets a celebrated actress from 1896 San Diego at a luxury hotel. The story examines how personal devotion can override the linear progression of time. It stands as a classic example of Matheson's ability to blend romance with speculative elements. The narrative structure supports this theme by focusing on the emotional journey rather than technical details of temporal displacement.

Key Themes

Time travel fiction Celebrated actress Luxury hotel setting

Literary Context

The book was published by St. Martins Press in October 1998. It connects to a 1980 film adaptation starring Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour. That movie remains a cult classic, with fans holding yearly conventions to this day.

Richard Matheson

📚 all books by this author (56) →

Difficulty

● Easy

Recommended For Fans Of

H.P. Lovecraft · Daphne du Maurier · Shirley Jackson · Anne Rice

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Horror Fiction

🏛 St. Martins Press-3PL 📅 1998 📖 320 pages 🌐 English 📔 Paperback ISBN: 9780312868864

📝 Description: Somewhere in Time

This classic novel tells the moving, romantic story of a modern man drawn back in time to find his soul mate. The story follows a contemporary man who feels an inexplicable pull toward a woman he has never encountered in his own era. This emotional force transports him to 1896, placing him within the walls of a luxury hotel in San Diego. Here, he discovers his soul mate among the celebrated actresses of that previous century. The novel operates as a moving romantic tale grounded in the mechanics of time travel and the specific setting of late nineteenth-century California. It draws on the tradition of supernatural fiction to explore how deep affection can bridge vast historical gaps. The plot relies on the protagonist's journey from his modern life into this past environment, seeking connection across decades. Readers who enjoy romantic fantasy with a focus on emotional resonance and historical atmosphere will find this work suitable. Those seeking fast-paced action or complex scientific explanations for time travel may not connect with the story's slower, mood-driven pace. The narrative prioritizes the relationship between the two central figures over plot mechanics.

💎 Our verdict on Somewhere in Time

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Horror Reads editorial team

Horror desk

Richard Matheson delivers a narrative where love transcends temporal boundaries, focusing on a contemporary man drawn to 1896 San Diego. While it successfully establishes itself as a classic example of blending romance with speculative elements, this approach is not for everyone. Those seeking fast-paced action or complex scientific explanations for time travel may not connect with the story's slower, mood-driven pace. The text prioritizes the emotional journey and historical atmosphere over technical details. It is best suited for readers interested in the psychological aspects of devotion rather than plot-heavy adventures, offering a contemplative look at connection across decades.

✓ EDITOR'S REVIEW

📖 Why choose it

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Why this book is worth reading

Readers who appreciate romantic fantasy with a focus on emotional depth and historical atmosphere will find this work highly suitable. The narrative offers a moving tale grounded in the specific setting of late nineteenth-century California, exploring how deep affection bridges vast historical gaps. It is ideal for those who value character-driven stories over plot mechanics, allowing the relationship between central figures to take precedence. Those seeking a slower, mood-driven pace and an examination of personal devotion overriding linear time will discover a compelling, atmospheric experience that highlights the power of love transcending temporal boundaries.

⭐ Reader reviews

The starting rating comes from the team Horror Reads —

⭐ HorrorReads editorial review Editorial rating 4.6/5

★★★★★

Readers craving atmospheric romance blended with temporal mysticism will cherish this slow-burn character study. However, if you demand high-octane action sequences or rigorous scientific logic regarding chronology, this emotionally driven narrative may feel too languid and implausible for your…

Reader rating

4.4

Based on 4 reviews

John C.

April 25, 2026

Very good

Grabbed it for a long flight. A few scenes I will not forget, whether I want to or not. Gorier than the description lets on, if that matters to you. Good, with the caveats above.

Robert D.

October 27, 2025

Finished it over a stormy weekend, which helped. The monster is scarier for how little you see of it. The cover feels thinner than expected. Happy enough with the purchase.

Susan M.

May 15, 2025

Almost perfect

Arrived quickly and well packaged. The setting is practically a character, and a hostile one. My only quibble is that the middle third sags a little. Recommended with reservations.

❓ Frequently asked questions

No. The narrative deliberately ignores scientific explanations, prioritizing the emotional journey and atmospheric romance over plot mechanics or temporal logic.

It is a slow-burn character study. If you seek constant action, you may find the mood-driven pacing too deliberate, but lovers of literary fantasy will appreciate its depth.

📖 Who should read this

📜 Historical context

Richard Matheson stands as a pillar of speculative fiction, yet Somewhere in Time diverges from his typical horror roots to explore the tender vulnerabilities of the human heart. By anchoring his time-travel concept in the opulent, decaying grandeur of late Victorian California rather than laboratory science, Matheson aligns this work with 19th-century spiritualist literature. It treats chronology not as a puzzle to be solved, but as an emotional landscape where grief and longing possess tangible, transformative power across centuries.