29 Comments

Entertainment is entertainment, right?

Expand full comment

One way or another, we need our entertainment, for sure.

Expand full comment

I knew movies didn’t make people violent!

Expand full comment

Right? Movies are a good place to be.

Expand full comment

I never expected gladiator! What a twist!!

Expand full comment

Thank you, Christina. I'm delighted I could surprise you.

Expand full comment

As you say, "It’s not easy being a human being.” What an imagination you have, Bill.

Expand full comment

Thank you very much, Sharron. (It is not easy being us.)

Expand full comment

There was no way this could end well! I love this lie: He worried about the far-away tomorrow of five years from now. He worried about the tomorrow of five days from today. Wonderful.

Expand full comment

Thank you for your kind words, Martine. I'm very happy you enjoyed The Movie Star and the Professor.

Expand full comment

Don’t mess with time travel!

Expand full comment

Time travel is always risky.

Expand full comment

When you described John--the part in italics--I thought, man he just described me. . . especially the part about the tummy preceding the rest of me into the room. The masses definitely have to be entertained to be kept happy. Otherwise , there would be revolution and rebellion. I'm glad our tv replaced the gladiator form of entertainment.

Expand full comment

I'd rather watch TV than be forced to fight on a show. I wouldn't look good in gladiator clothes.

Expand full comment

“You land in the same geographical coordinates from which you left. When you journey from Los Angeles in 2025, you travel back to Los Angeles in 2006. There’s no way to change the spatial coordinates.” This always makes me nervous when it comes to time travel or teleporting. I am convinced that I’d find myself in a wall or fused to a person who happens to be walking by.

Expand full comment

I used to worry about that, too. But in all my times traveling to and from the past, I've been okay. Sure, I've had some near misses, but it's worth the risk.

Expand full comment

What a trip you took me on, Bill. Tina sabotages the invention of the motion picture, and we end up with

modern-day gladiators instead of movies. Whew! And you make it all seem so normal: Some guy pulls a time machine out of his pocket while eating lunch. That's what I like about your style.

Expand full comment

Thank you, K.C. Time travel stories are my favorite to write and I'm glad you enjoyed Tina and the Professor.

Expand full comment

I have continued to think about Tina and how her solution to her problem was to change something outside of herself, a common human error. The solution to our problems is found within ourselves. We need to change, not the world.

Expand full comment

I knew you'd throw some twist at us, but didn't expect gladiators! Well done!

Expand full comment

Thank you, Dascha. I wasn't sure how this story would end until I got there. I'm glad you liked it.

Expand full comment

I'm tutoring this morning, so I've only finished the first half of your story and I'm completely hooked. You've got a great set up and characters, and the surprise of a sci-fi twist. I can't wait to read the rest.

Expand full comment

Thank you, Sandy. When I run out of time travel fiction to read, I end up writing these stories. I hope you enjoy the rest of The Movie Star and the Professor.

Expand full comment

Never mess with the parameters of time. Back to the future taught me that.

Expand full comment

I've been tempted to use the time travel machine I bought years ago, but it's still in my closet.

Expand full comment

As long as your “Flux Capacitor” is not broke

Expand full comment

Wine, Pepsi, Steak and potatoes, Gyro and fries, marriage and fidelity, romance and time machine, Hollywood, Paris and explosion...

You certainly have my attention by the way you have weaved this tale! Kudos!!

Expand full comment

Thank you, Sunil. Time travel stories take me a long time to write because there are so many moving parts, and I'm delighted you enjoyed The Movie Star and the Professor.

Expand full comment

You have created one of the most irrational, and illogical characters I have ever encountered in literature. Congrats! Btw, you have mentioned using Grammarly. Considering that they now use AI, that sorta makes your story AI generated. Hmm...

Expand full comment