jonbar hinge

English

Etymology

A reference to the 1938 novel The Legion of Time, in which the character John Barr having the choice of picking up of one of two objects (a magnet or a pebble) marks a major turning point in history: one will lead to the utopian empire of Jonbar (named after John Barr himself), while the other leads to the rise of the tyrannical state of Gyronchi. Further etymology at John, Barr.

Noun

jonbar hinge (plural jonbar hinges)

1. (science fiction) In time travel stories: a seemingly trivial event which ultimately marks the point of divergence between two radically different timelines.

   Synonym: jonbar point

References

• Jesse Sheidlower, editor (2001–2024), “Jonbar, adj.”, in Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction.

Further reading

• Jonbar hinge on Wikipedia.Wikipedia