20 works of upbeat science fiction to brighten your day

13. A Wrinkle in Time

Yes, it’s true that A Wrinkle in Time has some definite horror elements. There’s a character known as “The Man with Red Eyes,” which is practically enough to make you lay awake on its own. Then, you read on and discover that The Men with Red Eyes also worked with IT, essentially a sadistic brain with a body. It controls an entire planet, no biggie. Of course, we won’t dare talk about The Black Thing.

But despite the terror and despair engendered by the characters above, A Wrinkle in Time is really about the way that bravery and love can transcend even ultimate evil within the universe. If that’s not upbeat, I don’t know what is.

It all begins with Meg Murry and her family. Meg is irritable and stubborn, perhaps because her scientist father has gone missing. However, her mother (also a well-regarded scientist) and other people in her life know that Meg is capable of great things. That’s especially true of her five-year-old brother, Charles Wallace Murry. It’s not just that Charles Wallace is a child genius; he can also read Meg’s mind on occasion.

This science fiction elements come into play when Meg, Charles Wallace, and her schoolmate Calvin O’Keefe cross paths with three strange beings. These are Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who and Mrs. Which. Mrs. Whatsit and Mrs. Who first appear to be regular human women, but soon reveal they are immortal beings who can stretch time and space.

Mrs. Which is similarly immortal, but has a hard time retaining a human form. She’s the leader of the group, however, and has the most knowledge of the tesseract phenomenon that allows people to travel across the cosmos.

The trio travel throughout creation, eventually making it to the planet Camazotz, under control of IT and The Man with Red Eyes. Mr. Murry is trapped there and, in turn, so is young Charles Wallace. It’s only through her own love and inner strength that Meg is able to rescue them both and bring everyone back home.