I have an idea for a science fiction novel I’d like to write. It’s based on the idea that scientists developed a time machine, but because the scientists’ understanding of time was flawed, the time machine didn’t work as intended. Instead of going to a different time, the time machine stayed in the same place and dragged the present back with it into the past, effectively “folding” time. I plugged my story notes into Claude AI and had it come up with a hypothetical book description:
“In this mind-bending science fiction thriller, humanity’s first successful time machine doesn’t just pierce through time—it folds it. When Dr. Sarah Chen and her team attempt to bridge the gap between 2025 and 1825, they unknowingly create a catastrophic temporal collapse that begins slowly but accelerates with terrifying consequences. As the layers of time collapse upon each other like a crumpled sheet, historical figures begin materializing in the present day while seemingly insignificant modern people vanish without a trace, their existence overwhelmed by the weight of history.
As nineteenth-century industrialists walk modern streets and entire neighborhoods flicker between past and present, Dr. Chen realizes their fundamental mistake: time isn’t a river to be traversed, but a fabric that can be torn and folded. With their damaged time machine as the only hope of restoration, Chen and her dwindling team race against the temporal tide to gather the rare materials needed for one final journey. But in a world where the past is literally overwriting the present, even the smallest actions could unravel what remains of the timeline—and humanity’s future may lie buried under the crushing weight of its own history.“
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