The Ultroom Error

"The Ultroom Error" by Jerry Sohl is a science fiction novel written in the early 1950s. The book delves into themes of time travel and the complexities that arise from manipulating human lives across different eras. The narrative revolves around characters who navigate the consequences of their actions when attempting to alter historical events. The story follows a man named Arvid 6 and his companion, Tendal 13, who work within a futuristic agency responsible for time travel. They are tasked with retrieving the life essence of an important figure, Kanad, by making errant jumps through history. However, their attempts lead to chaos when they inadvertently cause the deaths of innocent people in the present time, including the child of a woman named Nancy Laughton. As the narrative unfolds, it explores the haunting implications of time travel on human lives, leading to moral dilemmas and unintended consequences, ultimately weaving a tale of humor, tragedy, and reflection on the value of life. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Gerald Allan Sohl Sr. was an American television scriptwriter and science fiction author who wrote for The Twilight Zone, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Outer Limits, Star Trek: The Original Series, and other shows. He wrote more than twenty novels as well as feature film scripts. He also wrote the nonfiction works Underhanded Chess and Underhanded Bridge in 1973.