What Was the First Story to Employ the "Set in the Past, but Actually in the Present" Twist?
The Blind Eternities forum
Posted on July 14, 2024, 7:11 p.m. by DemonDragonJ
Some stories appear to be set in the past, but then feature a twist in which they actually are set in the present day, or even the future, such as
By the very nature of this trope, every example is a spoiler Show
But what was the first story known to have employed this trope? I attempted to search online for that, but this is a very ungainly query to enter into a search engine, so does anyone here have any knowledge on this subject? What was the first story to employ this trope?
DeinoStinkus says... #3
I was thinking Michael Crichton wrote some, but his earliest book was published six years after Planet of the Apes.
I did find a cool piece of trivia that the first twist of "it was all in their head the whole time", as well as the first ever twist ending in a movie, AS WELL AS BEING CONSIDERED THE FIRST EVER TRUE HORROR FILM, was The Cabinent of Dr. Caligari, released in 1920!!!
July 14, 2024 10:35 p.m.
That is a really difficult search for sure. It requires some time period relativity thinking: are there any roaring 20's stories where you're lead to believe your characters are still in the industrializing West for e.g.' ??
I know this comes up in some dystopian, or "start anew" themes, where they just don't blatantly inform you that the theme is "start anew".
I know the Shannara Chronicles & Adventure Time had this going on... There must be predecessors, but I can't think of any
July 14, 2024 11:38 p.m.
DemonDragonJ says... #5
TheOfficialCreator, yes, I have seen The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, and it likely is the first movie ever to have a twist ending.
Icbrgr says... #2
Planet of the apes? (Kinda sorta is like that).... even so I'm not sure if it's the oldest.
July 14, 2024 9:04 p.m.