Michael J. Fox Reveals His Favorite Time Travel Novel

Michael J. Fox doesn’t only go Back to the Future on the big screen — he also enjoys time travel in his downtime. During an interview with the New York Times, the beloved actor revealed that he is still an avid reader. While he dabbles in everything from historical nonfiction to noir, one of his favorite time-travel-themed books is Time and Again by Jack Finney. The story follows an artist named Simon Morley who gets tangled up in a secret government project that allows him to jump from 1970s New York all the way back to 1882.

“The low-tech Dakota-building-as-time-machine device is particularly genius,” he added.

Unfortunately, due to his ongoing battle with Parkinson’s disease, the Family Ties star, 64, said that it’s been anywhere from “difficult” to “downright impossible” to continue to hold physical books in his hands, so he’s transitioned to primarily listening to audiobooks over the years.

“Other than that, my reading habits are pretty much the same: I always have two books cued up on Audible at once — one nonfiction (anything from political commentary to history to natural history); and the other fiction (historical, classic literature, crime fiction, mysteries and satire). I tend to ‘read’ nonfiction at night, if only because it’s easier to find my place. When I think of fiction I think of beach, days off, travel and [finding] time during any point of the day.”

As for what draws him to Finney’s books, as well as countless others, Fox shared that he looks for the difference between an author trying to connect with his brain and one who tries to strike a chord with his emotions.

“I can always tell,” he explained. “If he or she is reaching for my mind, I confess they can overshoot and leave me frustrated for lack of comprehension. An author who reaches for my heart can often end up in the ballpark. Emotional work sneaks up on you and leaves you feeling something you might not otherwise.”

‘Back to the Future’s Message Is Still Important in 2025

Universal Pictures

Back to the Future was first released in 1985 and quickly became a Hollywood classic. Over the next few years, it not only expanded into a three-movie franchise, but at the height of its popularity, it inspired comics, an animated series, video games, and even a ride at Universal Studios Hollywood. The attraction operated from the early ’90s until around 2007, when it was finally replaced by The Simpsons Ride.

Despite the franchise recently turning 40 years old, Fox told Empire magazine that the themes of the original film were still relevant in 2025.

“We live in a bully culture right now. We have bullies everywhere — you don’t need me to point the finger at who, but there are all these bullies. In this movie, Biff is a bully. Time is a bully. For me personally, Parkinson’s is a bully. And it’s all about how you stand up to them and the resolve that you take into the fight with them. It’s about your resilience and your courage. I think there’s a lot to that right now. I think a lot of people are responding to the movie because it strikes chords they wouldn’t otherwise recognize.”