Time travel is fraught with problems, starting with the very practical one that, while wormholes should make it possible, the physicists tell us, we have no idea how to make or control wormholes. In science fiction, though, we get to assume a solution to the practical obstacles, and look at the really knotty problems.

Such as what happens if you visit the past and change something--big or little--that has important consequences.

In this novella, two time travelers from the 24th century visit the last voyage of the Hindenberg, to study that voyage and her spectacular end. They're horrified and disoriented when the Hindenberg is not destroyed on schedule.

The two time travelers on the Hindenberg and their retrieval team have a huge problem on their hands. Have they created a paradox, or merely an anomaly, despite which the timeline will continue largely unchanged? If they've changed history in some important way, why do they still exist? Can they get home?

Meanwhile, in 1998, Dr. Zach Murphy of the US Office of Paranormal Sciences, is investigating a UFO crash.

This is an entertaining story, and well worth the time it takes to read. It was later expanded into a novel, [b:Chronospace|383884|Chronospace|Allen Steele|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1309212308s/383884.jpg|373643], which I have not read yet but probably will.

Recommended.

I borrowed this book from a friend.[b:Chronospace|383884|Chronospace|Allen Steele|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1309212308s/383884.jpg|373643] ( )

The premise that two time travelers fly on the Hindenberg; then, have a huge problem--have they created a paradox, or merely an anomaly? An interesting story that I thought could have been developed more. It's likely that the author was merely dabbling in time travel, he has potential there. Fun, quick read that's deeper than it seems. ( )

3.5 stars Originally posted at FanLit.

Allen Steele promised himself he’d never write a time-travel story, but nevertheless, here it is. In his introduction to this audio version, he explains that he didn’t want to write about something he thought was impossible, but one of his friends challenged him to write a story that could overcome his own doubts. And thus we have …Where Angels Fear to Tread.

There are two timelines going on in …Where Angels Fear to Tread. In one, time travelers from the future go back to study the cause of the Hindenburg explosion. In the other timeline, Dr. Murphy, a modern day scientist who is embarrassed to work for the government’s Office for Paranormal Sciences, investigates UFO sightings. The two stories converge when the Hindenburg doesn’t explode on schedule and a paradox is created.

This story was exciting and fun once we left the tiresome bar scene at the beginning. I loved the idea that UFOs are time travelers — it explains UFO sightings and also explains why we (think we) don’t see time travelers. I also loved the ending of this story which celebrates the influence of science fiction on scientific progress. That’s a beautiful thought. (But, sorry Mr. Steele, you still haven’t convinced me that time travel is possible, and I don’t think you’ve convinced yourself, either.)

…Where Angels Fear to Tread was originally published in the 1997 issue of Asimov’s Science Fiction. It won, among others, the Hugo and Locus Awards, and was nominated for the Nebula and Theodore Sturgeon Awards. Allen Steel later expanded …Where Angels Fear to Tread into the novel Chronospace. I listened to Audible Frontier’s 3-hour long version read by the magnificent Marc Vietor. ( )

I usually don't read much SF, but I enjoyed listening to this book which handles the "time-travel paradox" very nicely. The paradox simply states that if you travel back in time you risk slightly altering events which could then lead to you not being born which means you could not have traveled back through time.

Two time travelers are on the Hindenburg as passengers. They are seen by Erik Spehl, the rigger frequently charged with being a saboteur who placed a bomb causing the Hindenburg to explode as it arrived at Lakehurst. The Hindenburg had been delayed so the bomb exploded while it was mooring, rather than after all the passengers were off, as Spehl had intended. Spehl sees the time traveler, a woman, and decides he doesn't want to be responsible for her death so he changes the time when the bomb is to explode. He then survives the crash, unlike what happened in 1937. That results in an alternate world timeline and the time travelers, their machine suffering mechanical? difficulties, has to set down in 1998.

An interesting story that I thought lost a lot of steam at the end. The premise was really interesting, the paradox had possibilities, but the way Steel handled the ending was just lame. Perhaps I would have enjoyed the complete novel ([b:Chronospace|7615099|Chronospace|Allen Steele|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1328023357s/7615099.jpg|373643]) expanded from this novella. The reader was very good. ( )