[Writer Blog][Book Review] Time Travel
One of the news pieces running around the internet amid stories and recaps of the Royal Wedding – but before the reports of Osama bin Laden’s end – was the announcement of China banning time travel from television and movie themes (and I presume that would extend to books as well). In their opinion, storylines which rewrite history is disrespectful of their heritage. I understand their logic in a rational Bones-like way, but I don’t agree with it.
Time Travel is one of those ways of truly exploring “what if” – which is the basis of all good Science Fiction and Fantasy (and I would hope, all fiction). Two of the books I’ve enjoyed over the years are Thrice Upon a Lifetime by James P. Hogan and Dinosaur Park by Hayford Pierce. Both deal with time travel as a plot device. But on a personal scale. Changing things in their own lifetimes and histories – though even on that scale, the consequences can be far reaching.
However, the time travel book I’ve fallen in love with is Jack McDevitt’s [asa]0441017630[/asa]Time Travelers Never Die. I bought it at ConDFW this year so I could have a McDevitt book my husband didn’t already own. I just got around to reading it. LOVED IT, Jack. LOVED. IT.
The technical parts of the time travel aren’t explained. The plot is secondary to the characters. It’s not an action book. But it is SO VERY COOL. Most of it is told in Flashback, beginning with what seems to be the end, going back to the beginning, and having the two lines meet and converge. Adrian “Shel” Shelborne discovers a time travel device after his father, Michael Shelborne, disappears from a locked house. He shares the knowledge with his best friend, David Dryden. Together they start searching history for Michael.
What I adore about this book isn’t that they participate in history – they actually do very little. They don’t mess with major events. They don’t tell Aristotle that his theories about the universe are wrong. They march in Selma – or, at least, Dave does – they make friends with Aristarchus, the head librarian of Alexandria. With Aristarchus’s help, they save many of the manuscripts lost with the library. They give Michaelangelo one of his first commissions. They go to the opening performance of Hamlet – they get to do all the things all us writers have ever wanted to do. And more – they also go ahead in time to see how things work out.
They deal with “real life” issues and consequences to their travels, like avoiding paradoxes which result in fatal or near fatal results. They come to find their “normal” lives dull and pointless. Dave comes to hate teaching Greek and Latin now that he’s been there. They itch to tell other people, but can’t — or can they? That’s the burning question. What would happen if they told anyone what they could do? They keep quiet, even though they leak the manuscripts from Alexandria. They’re touted as fakes, but to reveal themselves would cause more problems.
For all that time travel is so out of the realm of possibility, this is one of the most “real” books I’ve read with time travel as a theme. I think that’s why I like it so much. This is what *I* would do if I could time travel. I would stage door stalk William Shakespeare. I would be tempted to find out if the future is better than the present. I would be very tempted to find out what happened to me. All questions Jack McDevitt posed to Dave and Shel. And that’s what makes it work for me, and inspires me. I need to go write something. 😎
Oh, for those playing the home game: 1 new story finished and sent out for submission this week. ROTA revisions completed with 3 hours to spare on deadline day. I am FINISHING STUFF 2011.