Oddly enough, both of them are by Murray Leinster. I was just curious to see how quick I could locate a copy of at least one of them and picked the semi-novelisation of the original Irwin Allen series. I found and had this copy in my hand in less than a week from America.

I have a say ‘semi-novelisation’ because after the introductory chapters that introduces Project Tic-Toc and Tony Newman bringing a Senator to the desert stronghold which mirrors the pilot episode, the three journeys in time aren’t. All the regular cast are there: apart from Newman, we have the other scientists, Doug Phillips and Ann MacGregor, and the military presence of General Kirk.

With the Senator threatening to cut off funds to the Project, Newman uses the Time Tunnel to visit the past. When he has difficulties getting back, Phillips joins him.

Together they realise that they have to fulfil the past events before the tunnel can whisk them off somewhere else. Shades of ‘Quantum Leap’ except this was written 30 years earlier and this particular condition wasn’t mentioned in the TV series. Leinster also allows them to carry earring aids and ‘picture tubes’ - we call them video cameras these days - so the home team can see what is happening and can advise them.

In a direct comparison to the series, which relied more on the Tunnel to watch events, this is more a demonstration of Leinster considering how things would probably be done than under a TV budget. With his status as a well-known SF writer at the time - not to mention writing a book two years previous also called ‘Time Tunnel’ - Leinster probably had enough leverage to write it the way he saw fit.

As the interest in reading this book was to see what had sparked their interest while planning the re-make, it looks like they might well stay with Leinster’s time fulfilment doing something that would otherwise remain unexplained before moving on or returning to the Project. As noted above, they can even quote the book without being a ‘Quantum Leap’ clone. It’s no wonder these producers believe they can do a fresh revival of Project Tic-Toc.

The book itself is part of ‘The Time Tunnel’ history. If you have an interest in the TV series then this book is worth locating before prices rise. I found my copy on ABEbooks.com for $4 plus postage. Prices vary here depending on condition and how much you want to pay but there’s probably enough for our readership.

You can probably use the same method to get this one, its sequel or Leinster’s early book. Even for the passage of time, 36 years, since it’s been written, Leinster is still a good storyteller.

He doesn’t baffle with science and explains sufficiently for the novice to understand what is going on. Time travel is still very much ‘out there’ as concepts go and it's only the technology names that look quaint. Queue music. Turn the egg timer. Watch out for the sprinkling of sand.

GF Willmetts