Episode 23: Predestination

Finally we’ve come to the adaptation of a tragic 1950s Robert Heinlein short story about really cruel timeloops that is “Predestination.”

Yup, it’s been a long time. We’re pretty sure some old man stole our car and messed around with the radio presets and other buttons, and long story short, it’s 2018 and our Creedence tapes are missing. …I may be mixing my movie jokes here.

Anyway, it’s “Predestination,” the 2014 Sarah Snook and Ethan Hawke vehicle that adapts what might have felt like an eminently unadaptable but classic 1959 Robert Heinlein short story, “All You Zombies.” As we say in the episode, if you haven’t read “All You Zombies” or watched “Predestination,” we suggest watching the movie first — the twists (of which there are a ton) hit a lot harder if you don’t have experience with the short.

We definitely suggest checking out “All You Zombies” if you haven’t (although it’s very similar to what’s in the movie) because it’s one of those time travel stories that has inspired a lot of others. As we don’t advocate piracy, here’s an Amazon link where you can snag a Kindle version.

Heinlein wrote a couple of these intense timeloop stories, and “All You Zombies” followed another crack at the idea: “By His Bootstraps,” which Heinlein wrote 18 years earlier, and “The Door into Summer,” published in 1957. “By His Bootstraps” is another short story whose influences can definitely be felt resounding through time travel stories, and both works are worth checking out.

Another book we mentioned in this episode: “The Man Who Folded Himself,” by David Gerrold. Written in 1973, it also digs into the idea of time travel and meeting yourself, and the weird identity entanglements that can result thereof.

Catch us on Twitter: @philhornshaw and @hewizard!