A Wrinkle in Time

I can’t find a more deeply philosophical book, among all adult literature, to compare with the works of Madeleine L’Engle.

The protagonists of these stories may be children, but they live in a world of scientific supernature that blurs the lines between measurable, observable reality and mystic philosophy. Even before researching Madeleine L’Engle’s life, I could tell that she was a serious thinker.

Few books have had such a profound impact on the way I approach living in the “real” world of adults. Einstein would have loved this book.

I love books that can take me to places I have never been and where good can overcome evil. This story follows several mythical creatures who call upon Meg to face her lack of self-confidence and venture into a quest to save her father (a scientist experimenting with time travel).

They tell her he is caught in a realm of unbelievable beauty and ambiguity on a distant planet. However, there is a real risk of never returning home, as the evil entities that are holding her father captive also jeopardize the entire universe with the threat of total obliteration.

Another… show more.

I must have re-read this wonderful book half a dozen times in my youth. I first read it when I was in middle school. Though I had discovered science fiction and fantasy books a few years earlier, most of them had been heavy on action and light on ideas.

This was one of the first books I read that really made me think about how strange and wonderful the universe might really be and see how that might provide a context for telling profoundly moving human stories. It filled my young mind with awe and wonder, as well as a… show more.

Most people read young adult fantasy when they’re in their teens. That wasn’t true for me.

In fact, ironically for someone who would end up writing fantasy, I didn’t read much of it until I was well beyond my teens. That’s when I discovered YA authors like Madeleine L’Engle, Michael Ende, and Ursula K. Le Guin. L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time, however, was the first.

At the time, I was refocusing my life—away from the logical and intellectual and toward the spiritual and numinous, not unlike Wrinkle’s main characters, whose journey became a powerful metaphor for my own creative… show more.

I’ll admit, this book isn’t necessarily queer.

But I think it is still relevant, because love is the most important scientific quantity in A Wrinkle in Time, which follows Meg, her crush Calvin, and her misunderstood (but probably a genius) little brother, Charles Wallace, as they seek out the truth of what happened to their missing physicist father, who has seemingly uncovered the secret to traveling across the universe in an instant. In the end, love is the only thing that can guide them all back home.

Fun fact: astronaut Janice Voss took her copy of A Wrinkle in Time… show more.

When we first meet Meg Murry, she’s restlessly awake late at night in the attic of her house—her bedroom—watching a violent storm rage outside. It’s a perfect example of how good writers use the exterior to reflect the interior.

She’s feisty, a fighter, vivacious, and verbose. Ultimately, her quest takes her across the entire universe to save her lost father, learn about her magical and enigmatic younger brother, Charles Wallace, and save the world from an entity not unlike what we’re dealing with now: AI, and how it will strip us of our souls.

Published in 1962, it’s a resonant,… show more.

A Wrinkle in Time might be viewed more as sci-fi than fantasy, but to me, the two genres are inextricably linked. Wrinkle in Time is soft sci-fi, but there are definitely fantasy elements to it.

Again, the idea of parallel universes sucked me in and wouldn’t let go. I really enjoyed Meg and Calvin’s relationship, and especially liked that the popular athlete fell for the nerdy girl, completely going against stereotypes. I’m not much of one for relationship tropes; I like when things go against the grain, or pleasantly surprise you because you didn’t see it coming.

I would love to be friends with Meg because she's smart and passionate. And wow, could she ever use some friends who believe in her! I also think we'd get along because we're both nerdy: she's into math and science, and I'm nerdy because I'm into theatre and music. I didn't wear braces like she does, but I did wear glasses and always felt awkward, because I was tiny and quiet. I wouldn't be able to relate to her father having vanished off the face of the earth, but I could certainly listen and support her. And I would love… show more.

I don’t think you can have a list of time books without including this classic. I read the book years ago but bits of it still pop into my head sometimes. It’s a beautiful story that combines adventure, actual science facts, brilliantly imagined other worlds, and at its heart, a tale of family love. This was one of the first science fiction novels I ever read and one of the reasons that for a long time, all I wanted to read were books about other worlds and alternate realities. 

This is the book I read every ten years. With every passing decade, I gain new perspectives on L’Engle’s compassionate, ever-relevant story of three children who travel across the universe to save their father. (Yes, I know, Calvin isn’t really the son of Mr. Murray, but the young lad becomes part of the family during the course of this book). Although I gain something new with each reading, one theme is always there for me: Love creates a better place, a better life.