Time and Time Again

H. Beam Piper's "Time and Time Again" is a gripping science fiction tale that asks a haunting question: what if you could live your life over, knowing everything you learned the first time? Captain Allan Hartley, a decorated soldier and accomplished writer, lies dying after a catastrophic atomic blast during wartime. As consciousness slips away through the fog of injury and sedation, something impossible happens. Hartley awakens with his memories intact—but finds himself transported back to his childhood, before the war, before the bomb, before everything changed. Now he possesses knowledge of future events that no one else knows: the timing of attacks, the strategies that fail, the decisions that cost thousands of lives. With a second chance at existence, Hartley faces an extraordinary dilemma. Can one man's foreknowledge alter the course of history? Should he try? This 1947 short story masterfully explores themes of fate, free will, and the burden of knowing what others cannot. Piper weaves philosophical inquiry with compelling narrative tension, creating a meditation on power, responsibility, and the price of changing destiny. Perfect for listeners who enjoy thought-provoking science fiction that lingers long after the final chapter, "Time and Time Again" remains a classic exploration of time's mysteries and humanity's yearning for redemption.