Me, Myself and I

"Me, Myself and I" by Kenneth Putnam is a science fiction short story published in the early 20th century, specifically in the winter of 1947. The narrative follows the humorous and chaotic adventures of Galahad (Gooseneck) McCarthy, a vagabond who becomes involved in an experimental time-traveling journey that ultimately leads to a series of unforeseen complications. The central theme revolves around the potential consequences of time travel and the butterfly effect, where a simple action in the past can drastically alter the present. The story begins with Professor Ruddle enlisting McCarthy, a stubborn tramp, to operate a time machine. McCarthy reluctantly agrees in exchange for a monetary incentive and jumps back 110 million years to the Cretaceous Period. After moving a rock—a task he was warned could have significant implications—he returns to find adverse changes to the present, including the professor's altered identity and a hastened marriage. The need to rectify these unintended consequences leads to multiple trips through time, wherein McCarthy encounters doppelgängers of himself—each with their own agenda regarding the rock's displacement. The narrative comically examines identity, choice, and the paradoxes inherent in manipulating time, concluding with the characters ultimately becoming stranded in their own absurd cycle.