Footprints in the Sands of Time?
I'm searching for a sci-fi short story. Back in about 1978, I read a story I'd swear was called "Footprints in the Sands of Time." I'm pretty sure it was written earlier, since it was in a class on classic science fiction. I think it was in a collection of short stories too. I've googled this and similar titles, but no luck.
The plot involves someone going back in time and leaving a capsule of radium behind to prove they made the trip. Time was described as a "coiled spring," where the successive turns were separated by 60 million years (I think).
story-identification short-stories
edited 19 hours ago
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I'm searching for a sci-fi short story. Back in about 1978, I read a story I'd swear was called "Footprints in the Sands of Time." I'm pretty sure it was written earlier, since it was in a class on classic science fiction. I think it was in a collection of short stories too. I've googled this and similar titles, but no luck.
The plot involves someone going back in time and leaving a capsule of radium behind to prove they made the trip. Time was described as a "coiled spring," where the successive turns were separated by 60 million years (I think).
story-identification short-stories
edited 19 hours ago
user14111
99.9k6388499
asked 20 hours ago
JAMJAM
613
New contributor
JAM is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
Reminds me of a quote by Jo Ryan: "You can't leave footprints in the sands of time if you're sitting on your butt. And who wants to leave buttprints in the sands of time?"
– zzzzBov
8 hours ago
add a comment |
I'm searching for a sci-fi short story. Back in about 1978, I read a story I'd swear was called "Footprints in the Sands of Time." I'm pretty sure it was written earlier, since it was in a class on classic science fiction. I think it was in a collection of short stories too. I've googled this and similar titles, but no luck.
The plot involves someone going back in time and leaving a capsule of radium behind to prove they made the trip. Time was described as a "coiled spring," where the successive turns were separated by 60 million years (I think).
story-identification short-stories
edited 19 hours ago
user14111
99.9k6388499
asked 20 hours ago
JAMJAM
613
New contributor
JAM is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
I'm searching for a sci-fi short story. Back in about 1978, I read a story I'd swear was called "Footprints in the Sands of Time." I'm pretty sure it was written earlier, since it was in a class on classic science fiction. I think it was in a collection of short stories too. I've googled this and similar titles, but no luck.
The plot involves someone going back in time and leaving a capsule of radium behind to prove they made the trip. Time was described as a "coiled spring," where the successive turns were separated by 60 million years (I think).
story-identification short-stories
story-identification short-stories
edited 19 hours ago
user14111
99.9k6388499
asked 20 hours ago
JAMJAM
613
New contributor
JAM is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
edited 19 hours ago
user14111
99.9k6388499
asked 20 hours ago
JAMJAM
613
New contributor
JAM is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
edited 19 hours ago
user14111
99.9k6388499
edited 19 hours ago
user14111
99.9k6388499
edited 19 hours ago
user14111
99.9k6388499
99.9k6388499
asked 20 hours ago
JAMJAM
613
New contributor
JAM is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked 20 hours ago
JAMJAM
613
asked 20 hours ago
JAMJAM
613
613
New contributor
JAM is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
New contributor
JAM is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
JAM is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
Reminds me of a quote by Jo Ryan: "You can't leave footprints in the sands of time if you're sitting on your butt. And who wants to leave buttprints in the sands of time?"
– zzzzBov
8 hours ago
add a comment |
Reminds me of a quote by Jo Ryan: "You can't leave footprints in the sands of time if you're sitting on your butt. And who wants to leave buttprints in the sands of time?"
– zzzzBov
8 hours ago
Reminds me of a quote by Jo Ryan: "You can't leave footprints in the sands of time if you're sitting on your butt. And who wants to leave buttprints in the sands of time?"
– zzzzBov
8 hours ago
Reminds me of a quote by Jo Ryan: "You can't leave footprints in the sands of time if you're sitting on your butt. And who wants to leave buttprints in the sands of time?"
– zzzzBov
8 hours ago
add a comment |
1 Answer
1
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This is P. Schuyler Miller's "The Sands of Time", published in Astounding Stories, 1937
This link, provides information that matches one of your clues:
A young man travels back to dinosaur era, & brings back souvenirs to prove it. He even buries a lead box containing radium in that period so someone can dig it out today as ultimate proof of his visit!
If this is the right answer, it's a duplicate of this question. If you read the answer there, you'll see that the story does indeed refer to time as "coiled".
According to its ISFDB page, it's been published in a few anthologies over the years, any of which could be where you read it.
answered 19 hours ago
MoriartyMoriarty
3,7381633
2
Sixty million years also matches: “That’s all there is to it. Time is coiled like a spring. Some other age in earth’s history lies next to ours, separated only by an intangible boundary, a focus of forces that keeps us from seeing into it and falling into it. Past time — present time — future time, side by side. Only it’s not two years, or three, or a hundred. It’s sixty million years from now to then, the long way around!"
– user14111
14 hours ago
2
I don't think the other counts as a duplicate as the details remembered are significantly different. Two questions can have the same answer and not be duplicate questions
– Kevin
6 hours ago
@Kevin Our policy on story-id dupe-closing is to close as duplicates (with the more complete Q/A as the target) when both have accepted (through checkmark or comment) the same work.
– Jenayah
6 hours ago
JAM, if this is the right answer, you can accept it by clicking the checkmark on the left. Please do; it will show everyone the mystery was solved and reward both Moriarty and you with some reputation :)
– Jenayah
6 hours ago
@Jenayah I think that's kind of silly, but if that's the policy then I guess this is a duplicate
– Kevin
6 hours ago
|
show 2 more comments
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1 Answer
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This is P. Schuyler Miller's "The Sands of Time", published in Astounding Stories, 1937
This link, provides information that matches one of your clues:
A young man travels back to dinosaur era, & brings back souvenirs to prove it. He even buries a lead box containing radium in that period so someone can dig it out today as ultimate proof of his visit!
If this is the right answer, it's a duplicate of this question. If you read the answer there, you'll see that the story does indeed refer to time as "coiled".
According to its ISFDB page, it's been published in a few anthologies over the years, any of which could be where you read it.
answered 19 hours ago
MoriartyMoriarty
3,7381633
2
Sixty million years also matches: “That’s all there is to it. Time is coiled like a spring. Some other age in earth’s history lies next to ours, separated only by an intangible boundary, a focus of forces that keeps us from seeing into it and falling into it. Past time — present time — future time, side by side. Only it’s not two years, or three, or a hundred. It’s sixty million years from now to then, the long way around!"
– user14111
14 hours ago
2
I don't think the other counts as a duplicate as the details remembered are significantly different. Two questions can have the same answer and not be duplicate questions
– Kevin
6 hours ago
@Kevin Our policy on story-id dupe-closing is to close as duplicates (with the more complete Q/A as the target) when both have accepted (through checkmark or comment) the same work.
– Jenayah
6 hours ago
JAM, if this is the right answer, you can accept it by clicking the checkmark on the left. Please do; it will show everyone the mystery was solved and reward both Moriarty and you with some reputation :)
– Jenayah
6 hours ago
@Jenayah I think that's kind of silly, but if that's the policy then I guess this is a duplicate
– Kevin
6 hours ago
|
show 2 more comments
This is P. Schuyler Miller's "The Sands of Time", published in Astounding Stories, 1937
This link, provides information that matches one of your clues:
A young man travels back to dinosaur era, & brings back souvenirs to prove it. He even buries a lead box containing radium in that period so someone can dig it out today as ultimate proof of his visit!
If this is the right answer, it's a duplicate of this question. If you read the answer there, you'll see that the story does indeed refer to time as "coiled".
According to its ISFDB page, it's been published in a few anthologies over the years, any of which could be where you read it.
answered 19 hours ago
MoriartyMoriarty
3,7381633
2
Sixty million years also matches: “That’s all there is to it. Time is coiled like a spring. Some other age in earth’s history lies next to ours, separated only by an intangible boundary, a focus of forces that keeps us from seeing into it and falling into it. Past time — present time — future time, side by side. Only it’s not two years, or three, or a hundred. It’s sixty million years from now to then, the long way around!"
– user14111
14 hours ago
2
I don't think the other counts as a duplicate as the details remembered are significantly different. Two questions can have the same answer and not be duplicate questions
– Kevin
6 hours ago
@Kevin Our policy on story-id dupe-closing is to close as duplicates (with the more complete Q/A as the target) when both have accepted (through checkmark or comment) the same work.
– Jenayah
6 hours ago
JAM, if this is the right answer, you can accept it by clicking the checkmark on the left. Please do; it will show everyone the mystery was solved and reward both Moriarty and you with some reputation :)
– Jenayah
6 hours ago
@Jenayah I think that's kind of silly, but if that's the policy then I guess this is a duplicate
– Kevin
6 hours ago
|
show 2 more comments
This is P. Schuyler Miller's "The Sands of Time", published in Astounding Stories, 1937
This link, provides information that matches one of your clues:
A young man travels back to dinosaur era, & brings back souvenirs to prove it. He even buries a lead box containing radium in that period so someone can dig it out today as ultimate proof of his visit!
If this is the right answer, it's a duplicate of this question. If you read the answer there, you'll see that the story does indeed refer to time as "coiled".
According to its ISFDB page, it's been published in a few anthologies over the years, any of which could be where you read it.
answered 19 hours ago
MoriartyMoriarty
3,7381633
This is P. Schuyler Miller's "The Sands of Time", published in Astounding Stories, 1937
This link, provides information that matches one of your clues:
A young man travels back to dinosaur era, & brings back souvenirs to prove it. He even buries a lead box containing radium in that period so someone can dig it out today as ultimate proof of his visit!
If this is the right answer, it's a duplicate of this question. If you read the answer there, you'll see that the story does indeed refer to time as "coiled".
According to its ISFDB page, it's been published in a few anthologies over the years, any of which could be where you read it.
answered 19 hours ago
MoriartyMoriarty
3,7381633
edited 19 hours ago
answered 19 hours ago
MoriartyMoriarty
3,7381633
answered 19 hours ago
MoriartyMoriarty
3,7381633
answered 19 hours ago
MoriartyMoriarty
3,7381633
3,7381633
2
Sixty million years also matches: “That’s all there is to it. Time is coiled like a spring. Some other age in earth’s history lies next to ours, separated only by an intangible boundary, a focus of forces that keeps us from seeing into it and falling into it. Past time — present time — future time, side by side. Only it’s not two years, or three, or a hundred. It’s sixty million years from now to then, the long way around!"
– user14111
14 hours ago
2
I don't think the other counts as a duplicate as the details remembered are significantly different. Two questions can have the same answer and not be duplicate questions
– Kevin
6 hours ago
@Kevin Our policy on story-id dupe-closing is to close as duplicates (with the more complete Q/A as the target) when both have accepted (through checkmark or comment) the same work.
– Jenayah
6 hours ago
JAM, if this is the right answer, you can accept it by clicking the checkmark on the left. Please do; it will show everyone the mystery was solved and reward both Moriarty and you with some reputation :)
– Jenayah
6 hours ago
@Jenayah I think that's kind of silly, but if that's the policy then I guess this is a duplicate
– Kevin
6 hours ago
|
show 2 more comments
2
Sixty million years also matches: “That’s all there is to it. Time is coiled like a spring. Some other age in earth’s history lies next to ours, separated only by an intangible boundary, a focus of forces that keeps us from seeing into it and falling into it. Past time — present time — future time, side by side. Only it’s not two years, or three, or a hundred. It’s sixty million years from now to then, the long way around!"
– user14111
14 hours ago
2
I don't think the other counts as a duplicate as the details remembered are significantly different. Two questions can have the same answer and not be duplicate questions
– Kevin
6 hours ago
@Kevin Our policy on story-id dupe-closing is to close as duplicates (with the more complete Q/A as the target) when both have accepted (through checkmark or comment) the same work.
– Jenayah
6 hours ago
JAM, if this is the right answer, you can accept it by clicking the checkmark on the left. Please do; it will show everyone the mystery was solved and reward both Moriarty and you with some reputation :)
– Jenayah
6 hours ago
@Jenayah I think that's kind of silly, but if that's the policy then I guess this is a duplicate
– Kevin
6 hours ago
2
2
Sixty million years also matches: “That’s all there is to it. Time is coiled like a spring. Some other age in earth’s history lies next to ours, separated only by an intangible boundary, a focus of forces that keeps us from seeing into it and falling into it. Past time — present time — future time, side by side. Only it’s not two years, or three, or a hundred. It’s sixty million years from now to then, the long way around!"
– user14111
14 hours ago
Sixty million years also matches: “That’s all there is to it. Time is coiled like a spring. Some other age in earth’s history lies next to ours, separated only by an intangible boundary, a focus of forces that keeps us from seeing into it and falling into it. Past time — present time — future time, side by side. Only it’s not two years, or three, or a hundred. It’s sixty million years from now to then, the long way around!"
– user14111
14 hours ago
2
2
I don't think the other counts as a duplicate as the details remembered are significantly different. Two questions can have the same answer and not be duplicate questions
– Kevin
6 hours ago
I don't think the other counts as a duplicate as the details remembered are significantly different. Two questions can have the same answer and not be duplicate questions
– Kevin
6 hours ago
@Kevin Our policy on story-id dupe-closing is to close as duplicates (with the more complete Q/A as the target) when both have accepted (through checkmark or comment) the same work.
– Jenayah
6 hours ago
@Kevin Our policy on story-id dupe-closing is to close as duplicates (with the more complete Q/A as the target) when both have accepted (through checkmark or comment) the same work.
– Jenayah
6 hours ago
JAM, if this is the right answer, you can accept it by clicking the checkmark on the left. Please do; it will show everyone the mystery was solved and reward both Moriarty and you with some reputation :)
– Jenayah
6 hours ago
JAM, if this is the right answer, you can accept it by clicking the checkmark on the left. Please do; it will show everyone the mystery was solved and reward both Moriarty and you with some reputation :)
– Jenayah
6 hours ago
@Jenayah I think that's kind of silly, but if that's the policy then I guess this is a duplicate
– Kevin
6 hours ago
@Jenayah I think that's kind of silly, but if that's the policy then I guess this is a duplicate
– Kevin
6 hours ago
|
show 2 more comments
JAM is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
JAM is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
JAM is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
JAM is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
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Reminds me of a quote by Jo Ryan: "You can't leave footprints in the sands of time if you're sitting on your butt. And who wants to leave buttprints in the sands of time?"
– zzzzBov
8 hours ago