What follows is an excerpt from Van Dardo's 20th Century: A Guide for Time Travellers, printed in 2560. Those desiring further time-travel information should contact Trans-World Timelines -- we give you history with a smile.

EARLY 1990s:

An extremely volatile period. Not at all recommended for families, in particular those with small children.

The years indicated represent an unpleasant but remarkable era. Historians have dubbed it "The Age of 'I Got Mine' " because of its rampant greed and social irresponsibility.

What follows is a breakdown of what a modern tourist can expect in these exciting years. Remember, Van Dardo's does not suggest this period to the faint-hearted or impressionable.

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THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: This nation, a favorite of military history buffs, offers all sorts of adventures for the daring visitor to the 1990s. Among its many points of interest:

-- Poverty -- The United States in the early 1990s boasted a stunning array of poor and deprived people. Anyone with even a passing interest in poverty will get more than their fill.

In the large urban areas, a visitor can observe squalor unparalleled in the 20th Century Western world. Indeed, the living conditions in some sections of these cities are so stunningly awful that most time tourists cannot handle more than a few hours of it.

If urban blight isn't your thing, there are scores of small towns across the nation filled with rural poor. These provide a real sense of the country's desperation, its dependence on outdated macho dogma and its inability to cope with international changes in the balance of power.

-- Violence -- At this point in time, the United States was undoubtedly the most violent country in the world.

The casual observer can get some idea of American violence simply by scanning television programming, available in most temporary lodgings. More explicit images are available in the cinema, which at the time specialized in scenes of people's heads exploding, bodies being ripped apart, etc.

Of course, to really appreciate the American love of violence, a trip to a large city is required. If you are not fortunate enough to witness a murder or violent assault first-hand, any daily news publication will give you a flavor of the local atmosphere.

Deadly weapons are widely available and make fine souvenirs. A true weapons hobbyist should arrive before 1991, when some restrictions were placed on the sale of rapid-fire assault rifles.

-- Greed -- The respected 24th Century Venezuelan historian Karoo Scartina once characterized late 20th Century Americans as, "Greedy. Unrepentantly greedy. Really unbelievably greedy. The bastards."

The essential starting point for any greed tour is the New York Stock Exchange, found on Wall Street. The opening bell on any day sparks a riot of frenzied gluttony that has to be seen to be believed. If you're really lucky, you might chance on a stockbroker's suicide.

Of course, 1990s greed is not limited to investors and brokers. Any large library will have a stockpile of mail-order catalogs, which provide some idea of the extent to which the need to constantly consume dominated the society. Large shopping centers, called "malls," show essentially the same thing.

The irony of this crazed consumerism can be seen when studying the country's poverty and violence (see above.) The almost bestial drive to buy and possess more goods was disseminated through television even to those with no means of consumption. The result was an amazing trend toward assault or even murder for the sole purpose of securing such items as running shoes, miniature radios, etc. For this reason, travellers are cautioned to dress plainly.

-- Apathy -- Despite their professed love of country (see below), late 20th Century Americans were remarkably indifferent to their political environment.

A visit to any polling place on an election day (usually in early November by the ancient calendar) will provide a fascinating picture of democracy inaction. Be sure to stick around for the day following elections, usually characterized by widespread grumbling among those who didn't vote.

-- Patriotism -- The now quaint notion of national superiority was in full bloom in America at this time. What many historians and psychologists find so intriguing is the American ability to adhere to a completely false vision of the country while ignoring everyday reality.

With careful planning, a visitor can arrive just in time for the Persian Gulf "War," a pathetic but amusing spectacle of national pomp and pride. Although the conflict itself is not very interesting -- it was a brutal, one-sided massacre -- the American perception of it is compelling. Many travellers have found the childlike pride these Americans exhibit rather endearing in its simplicity.

A drive through any town or city of the time will demonstrate the American love of flags (second only to that seen in late 1930s Germany) and capacity for self-congratulation. The historical irony of a people cheering their imagined superiority as their nation crumbles around them is not unprecedented -- see the Roman Empire or early 20th Century Britain for comparison -- but it is possible that no one was ever as zealous about their own downfall as Americans were at this time.

Karoo Scartina again: "Never before were so many people so proud with so little justification."

End of excerpt.