Time Travel Institute

DoCS Taxonomies

The DoCS Taxonomy Database is your gateway to understanding how we categorize and organize the vast array of speculative media. It provides a comprehensive look at the key themes and ideas that run through movies, books, games, and TV shows—such as time loops, parallel universes, and reality manipulation. Each taxonomy serves as a guidepost, helping you explore works that delve into specific concepts or philosophical questions. Whether you're interested in exploring time travel, simulation theory, or alternate realities, this section helps you navigate the depths of speculative fiction by linking you to the media that explores these big ideas.

Concepts

Time Travel (31)

The ability to move through time, whether to the past, future, or alternate timelines.

Temporal Paradox (25)

A contradiction in the timeline, where actions taken in the past or future conflict with established events, leading to logical inconsistencies.

Fate vs. Free Will (20)

The tension between predetermination and the ability to choose one's own path, often exploring whether events are inevitable or changeable.

Existentialism (17)

Characters grapple with the meaning of existence, free will, and the nature of their reality, often in a universe that seems indifferent or absurd.

Alternate Timeline (13)

Different branches of history exist simultaneously due to a point of divergence, allowing multiple potential realities.

Identity Crisis (8)

Characters struggle with understanding who they are, often due to changing circumstances, memory loss, or alternate realities.

AI Sentience (8)

The emergence of self-awareness and consciousness in artificial intelligence, leading to questions about autonomy, morality, and the nature of life.

Time Loop (7)

Characters are trapped in a repetitive cycle of events, often reliving the same day or scenario multiple times with variations.

Reality Warping (6)

The ability to reshape or alter the fundamental nature of reality, bending the rules of physics or existence.

Moral Paradox (6)

Characters face ethical dilemmas where every choice involves some moral compromise, often creating conflicting outcomes.

Perception Manipulation (5)

Characters' perceptions of reality are altered, often creating confusion between what is real and what is imagined or constructed.

Spatial Distortion (5)

Physical space itself is warped or altered, leading to impossible geometry, unending corridors, or locations that defy normal laws of physics.

Thematic Settings

Time Periods