It's not surprising that a book called The Once and Future King is concerned with time. Just the fact that something could be "once" (in the past) and at the same time "future" (so existing in the past and in the future at the same time) is a bit mind-boggling.
Anachronisms are all over the place in this tome. So, you'll see references to World War II, modern technology, and contemporary sports alongside the typical medieval stuff. Merlyn lives backwards through time, so knows things before they happen (since he's coming at events from the future), but sometimes messes up because it's confusing to live like this. Time is also important in the sense of being stuck in the past (which leads to un-fun things like family feuds), as well as related to fate, fortune, and destiny.
Questions About Time
- How is time related to fate and destiny in the novels?
- What are some of the most memorable anachronisms White uses, and what do you think they mean?
- Why is Merlyn so quick to hook up with Nimue, even though he knows it's going to spell his doom?
- What is the difference between Merlyn's "backsight" and his "insight"?
Chew on This
The use of anachronism suggests that many of the themes that seem specific to the medieval setting are instead universal. They still hold relevance in contemporary times.
Most of the conflict in the books comes from dwelling too much on the past.