anachrs

Anachrs is a fictional concept used in speculative fiction to describe a class of time-spanning artifacts or entities that maintain temporal integrity across eras. The term is an abbreviation derived from "anachronistic relics," used primarily in discussions of time travel narratives to categorize objects capable of existing or influencing multiple time periods without straightforward alignment to a single era.

In stories, anachrs typically exhibit properties such as cross-temporal persistence, selective recall of events from different periods, and the potential to trigger or modulate causal loops. They often serve as plot devices to explore themes of memory, history, and the ethics of intervention in past events. The portrayal of anachrs varies by author or medium, but common conventions include ambiguous origin, durability against decay, and limited interaction with inhabitants of the present.

Scholarly and fan discussions regard anachrs as a narrative tool rather than a real phenomenon, using them to examine how history is constructed and how artifacts can influence perceptions of time. See also: anachronism, time travel, temporal paradox. Note: The term has appeared in online glossaries and has been used in indie games and short fiction to describe similar time-spanning artifacts.