'Three Dialogues' Summary

Barry Pain's Three Dialogues is a collection of three short stories that explore the possibilities of time travel. The first story, "The Time Machine," tells the tale of a man who travels to the future and meets his own son. The second story, "The Way Back," tells the tale of a woman who travels back in time and meets her own mother. The third story, "The Interlopers," tells the tale of two men who travel to different points in the past and try to change the course of history.

Pain's stories are thought-provoking and engaging, and they offer a unique perspective on the nature of time and the self. They are also a lot of fun, and they will leave you wondering what might have been.

In "The Time Machine," the protagonist, Mr. Wrayburn, is a scientist who has invented a machine that can travel through time. He uses the machine to travel to the year 2000, where he meets his own son, who is a successful businessman. Mr. Wrayburn is shocked to see how different the world has become in the future, and he begins to question the meaning of his own life.

In "The Way Back," the protagonist, Mrs. Penrose, is a woman who has lost her husband in World War I. She is so grief-stricken that she decides to travel back in time and prevent her husband from going to war. Mrs. Penrose succeeds in her mission, but she soon realizes that she has made a terrible mistake. The world she returns to is a much darker and more dangerous place, and she is forced to come to terms with the fact that she can never change the past.

In "The Interlopers," the protagonists, Mr. Villiers and Mr. Mannering, are two men who are enemies in the present day. However, they travel back in time to the year 1642, where they become friends and allies. Mr. Villiers and Mr. Mannering eventually realize that they have more in common than they thought, and they are able to put their differences aside and work together to achieve a common goal.

Pain's Three Dialogues is a fascinating and thought-provoking exploration of the possibilities of time travel. The stories are well-written and engaging, and they offer a unique perspective on the nature of time and the self. If you are interested in time travel, or if you just enjoy a good story, then I highly recommend Three Dialogues.