3 Days, 9 Months, 27 Years

The Time Traveler's Passport

De: John Scalzi

Narrado por: Malcolm Hillgartner

A time travel technician must step away from the controls and take action in a twisty short story where timing is everything, by New York Times bestselling author John Scalzi.

Time travel is real—and used for high-end tourism. Every moment of the past is open to visitors, and no matter what they do then, everything now waits for them, thanks to the sure hand of an experienced time travel technician. Come spend a day behind the controls of the time machine, and discover why, this day of all days, it’s time for this technician to make a change. Because sometimes, time travel is more than just an adventure. Sometimes, it’s a moral imperative.

John Scalzi’s 3 Days, 9 Months, 27 Years is part of The Time Traveler’s Passport, an unforgettable collection of stories about memory, identity, and choice curated by New York Times bestselling anthologist John Joseph Adams. Watch time fly as you read or listen to each short story in a single sitting.

©2025 by John Scalzi. (P)2025 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

wish it was a full sized novel!

3 Days, 9 Months, 27 Years
by John Scalzi
This was a short little thing about time travel and how it works in this one office where this person worked. The length of time to be on this adventure was 3 days, 9 months, or 27 years. So, if they missed the 3-day mark to come back, they had to wait 9 months. If they missed this time, they had to make the 27-year or they were forever in the past. It was very interesting as he gave so many examples of the customers and how long they traveled. Especially how they appeared when they returned. Fascinating short read! I wish it were a full-sized novel!

Time Travel Science

This story was written for a collection on time travel. It is a short exploration of the science of time travel within an infinitely dimensional universe. It is more of a treatise on the science set with characters, than anactual adventure. There are sevarel events within the story that could be the seeds for an entire novel. I wonder if we'll get that?

Reasons for time travel tourism and examples

Greatly enjoyed the exploration of various type of time travel purposes with the end explaining the protagonists thoughts in the matter and attempt- a perfect way to spend an hour, great explanation of the concept in a fun way.

Unique Time Travel

Perfect narration and a brilliant setup for whatever comes next. If you at all enjoy Scalzi, this is an easy 5 stars for this far too short story. I’m very much looking forward to what comes next.

Time travel from the technician’s POV

It started with an interesting, if transactional, take on time travel, then added a small twist that couldn’t quite make the jump from interesting concept to engaging story.

An unexpected gem!

I've discovered that I enjoy John Scalzi books and while I love Wil Wheaton as a narrator, I was quite impressed with Malcom Hillgartner.
The story is short (about an hour of listening time), but captivating and I found the story concept intriguing.

Astonishingly Boring

The most interesting thing about this story is how boring it is. The narrator was part of the problem. he read as
the entire story were a textbook. There was a bright spot when the focus shifted towards the end of the book, but the spark was extinguished. There are probably people out there that will enjoy this story. however when I finally finished, I really wished I had not spent my time on it. I hope to save you from the same experience.