Hawksbill Station
A penal colony in the Cambrian Period for political exiles.
Hawksbill Station is a science fiction novel by American author Robert Silverberg. It expands upon a short story first published in the August 1967 issue of *Galaxy Science Fiction*, and the novel itself came out in 1968. In the United Kingdom, it was published under the title *The Anvil of Time*.
The story is set in a penal colony located in the Cambrian Period, established by an authoritarian U.S. government. Using time travel, the government exiled political dissidents and rebels into the past as a supposedly "humane" alternative to execution. Only male prisoners are sent, and the time machine works in one direction only, stranding them permanently. The colony occupies a barren coastal area. The narrative centers on the colony's de facto leader and his government nemesis, Jacob “Jack” Bernstein, both former leading dissidents. It also examines the petty ideological conflicts among the prisoners and the confusing events that led to the authoritarian regime's rise.
The prisoners, all middle-aged or elderly, are startled when a much younger man arrives. Claiming to be an economist, the newcomer is questioned about economic theory and political ideology, but his answers reveal a fundamental ignorance of both. His youth and lack of knowledge lead the prisoners to suspect he might be a common criminal exiled for a serious crime rather than a political prisoner. When he arrives a second time via the time machine, it is revealed that he is a police officer from a new government that overthrew the old authoritarian regime—though this new government has no connection to the exiles' dissident movements. This new government discovered Hawksbill Station and developed a way to travel from the past to the future, making it possible to retrieve prisoners. The newcomer has been sent to evaluate the prisoners and recommend which ones, if any, should be brought back.
With the possibility of return now open, the exile leader realizes he is a time traveler of a different kind. The struggle against the authoritarian government—his life's work—is finished. His closest friends in the movement, as well as his bitterest enemies, are dead. He is tempted to visit the newcomer's future, but Hawksbill Station has become the only existence he knows.
Algis Budrys called *Hawksbill Station* Silverberg's best story. Game developer Jeff Vogel credited the novel with influencing the des
- author
- Robert Silverberg
- published
- 1968
- original_short_story
- August 1967 in Galaxy Science Fiction
- UK_title
- The Anvil of Time
- genre
- Science fiction novel
Lore & Background
The novel is set in a penal colony located in the Cambrian Period, created by an authoritarian United States government. The colony uses time travel to exile rebels and political dissidents into the past as a 'humane' alternative to execution. Only male exiles are sent, and the time machine works only one way, leaving prisoners marooned. The prison is in a barren coastal area. The story focuses on the de facto leader of the colony and his nemesis in the government, Jacob 'Jack' Bernstein, both leading dissidents. It also explores petty ideological differences among the prisoners and the confused circumstances leading to the authoritarian government.
Reader's Guide
Hawksbill Station is significant as a work that explores themes of exile, political dissent, and the passage of time. The novel was credited by game developer Jeff Vogel as having influenced the design of his game Exile: Escape from the Pit. Critic Algis Budrys said that Hawksbill Station was Silverberg's best story. The novel's premise—a one-way time travel penal colony—offers a unique lens on authoritarianism and the psychological impact of being marooned in deep time. The story's resolution, where the leader realizes his life's struggle is over and that Hawksbill Station is now the only existence he knows, underscores the novel's meditation on change and loss. Its legacy includes its influence on later science fiction and game design.
Did You Know?
- The novel was released in the United Kingdom under the title The Anvil of Time.
- The penal colony is set in the Cambrian Period and houses only male exiles.
- The time machine only works one way, leaving prisoners marooned in the past.
- Game developer Jeff Vogel credited Hawksbill Station as influencing his game Exile: Escape from the Pit.
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