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Wednesday's Child
Dylan Brice is living his days out of order, but it hasn't always been that way. One Tuesday evening in July, he went to sleep expecting tomorrow to be Wednesday, but when he woke up the next morning it was Thursday instead. A frightening and confusing day ensued with Dylan trying to figure out whether he was losing his mind or the victim of some cosmic prank. If struggling to come to terms with his new reality on his surreal Thursday wasn't enough of an ordeal, late in the afternoon, just as his anxiety was finally beginning to subside, a voice from the past he'd hoped never to hear again added a terrifying new dimension to his situation. Dylan had once been a warrior in the battle against nuclear terrorism. A sleeper since the months following nine-eleven, he has suddenly been activated to help combat a new, deadly threat. His nerves in a shambles, he finally drops off to sleep hoping he'll wake up to find Thursday was a dream. When, after his harrowing Thursday, he awakens on the Wednesday morning he thought he'd missed, he doesn't know what to think. He cannot believe Thursday's events were coincidental. He must be living his days out of order for a reason -- some powerful, unknown entity has cast him in a role he never asked for, and everything he holds dear may be at stake. He knows with undeniable certainty that he will continue to live Thursdays before Wednesdays until he figures out how to use the unique perspective that gives him to avert a disaster that may be global in scope.
Paperback
First published December 27, 2010
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84 people want to read
About the author
Alan Zendell
12 books14 followersAlan Zendell spent more than forty years as a scientist, aerospace engineer, software consultant, database developer, and government analyst. He spent two years working on the first manned lunar mission, then moved on to a variety of near-Earth satellite projects, and Pentagon support for anti-ballistic missile systems. As the aerospace industry became more oriented toward the military, he applied his skill set to health care and social service systems, and ultimately branched out into software and database consulting.
No matter what he did to earn a living, he never lost his fascination with science fiction and speculating about the future. He always wrote a lot, but it was generally really boring stuff like proposals and technical papers, reports, business letters, and policy memoranda. But trapped inside him all that time were stories he wanted to tell and ideas he wanted to share, so with encouragement and cajoling from a loving baby sister he plunged into fiction.
He has written several short pieces in a variety of genres and completed five novel manuscripts, three of which have three of which have found their way into print and e-books. “Wednesday’s Child” is hard science fiction with a different twist on time travel; “The Portal” is a science-fiction love story set in a dystopian twenty-second century America; and “Critical Focus” is a contemporary political novel that addresses the major issues facing present-day America. But regardless of the story lines and subject matter, his writing is about more than aliens and technical marvels. He creates strong, three-dimensional characters a reader can care about, because it’s people and the way they live and feel that are important. It’s the things they believe in and how much they’re willing to invest to preserve them that make a story worth telling. It’s convincing interactions and well-researched credible plots that make a story worth reading.
Alan has six book currently listed on Goodreads, including sample chapters.
No matter what he did to earn a living, he never lost his fascination with science fiction and speculating about the future. He always wrote a lot, but it was generally really boring stuff like proposals and technical papers, reports, business letters, and policy memoranda. But trapped inside him all that time were stories he wanted to tell and ideas he wanted to share, so with encouragement and cajoling from a loving baby sister he plunged into fiction.
He has written several short pieces in a variety of genres and completed five novel manuscripts, three of which have three of which have found their way into print and e-books. “Wednesday’s Child” is hard science fiction with a different twist on time travel; “The Portal” is a science-fiction love story set in a dystopian twenty-second century America; and “Critical Focus” is a contemporary political novel that addresses the major issues facing present-day America. But regardless of the story lines and subject matter, his writing is about more than aliens and technical marvels. He creates strong, three-dimensional characters a reader can care about, because it’s people and the way they live and feel that are important. It’s the things they believe in and how much they’re willing to invest to preserve them that make a story worth telling. It’s convincing interactions and well-researched credible plots that make a story worth reading.
Alan has six book currently listed on Goodreads, including sample chapters.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
June 24, 2011
It's been another week already, and so it is time for the next Indie Review Friday :)
The novel:
Wednesday's Child. Wednesday's Child is a political thriller (my own tags, since there are none listed on Amazon) by independent author, Alan Zendell.
Goodreads Description:
Dylan Brice is living his days out of order, but it hasn't always been that way. One Tuesday evening in July, he went to sleep expecting tomorrow to be Wednesday, but when he woke up the next morning it was Thursday instead. A frightening and confusing day ensued with Dylan trying to figure out whether he was losing his mind or the victim of some cosmic prank.
If struggling to come to terms with his new reality on his surreal Thursday wasn't enough of an ordeal, late in the afternoon, just as his anxiety was finally beginning to subside, a voice from the past he'd hoped never to hear again added a terrifying new dimension to his situation. Dylan had once been a warrior in the battle against nuclear terrorism. A sleeper since the months following nine-eleven, he has suddenly been activated to help combat a new, deadly threat. His nerves in a shambles, he finally drops off to sleep hoping he'll wake up to find Thursday was a dream.
When, after his harrowing Thursday, he awakens on the Wednesday morning he thought he'd missed, he doesn't know what to believe. He cannot believe Thursday's events were coincidental. He must be living his days out of order for a reason -- some powerful, unknown entity has cast him in a role he never asked for, and everything he holds dear may be at stake. He "knows" he will continue to live Thursdays before Wednesdays until he figures out how to use the unique perspective that gives him to avert a disaster that may be global in scope.
This was definitely a good read, something that I would recommend to anyone interested in this genre. Mr. Zendell, the author, does a fantastic job of laying his protagonist out there early-on, and making you care about him. Dylan is an imperfect, relate-able character, more than able to carry this story on his shoulders.
The story, background and secondary characters are also well rounded and not forced. The plot is fast paced and kept me eager to read more, every time I turned the page.
Although there are very few grammatical errors to be found, the writing may sometimes be just stiff enough to slow the fast-paced story down (though, I never wanted to walk away). Also, there are some obvious, and at times heavy-handed, political and moral issues where the author clearly wants to take a stand, even at the expense of the story.
Something I haven't dealt with here yet is cover art. Obviously, when it comes to cover art, tastes will differ depending on the individual. In my opinion, though, the cover art for Wednesday's Child feels very dated and had me ready to read a story set in the 1970s, rather than today. No matter what your grade school teachers said, people do judge a book by its cover.
This was a great read, and I give Wednesday's Child 4 out of 5 stars
The novel:
Wednesday's Child. Wednesday's Child is a political thriller (my own tags, since there are none listed on Amazon) by independent author, Alan Zendell.
Goodreads Description:
Dylan Brice is living his days out of order, but it hasn't always been that way. One Tuesday evening in July, he went to sleep expecting tomorrow to be Wednesday, but when he woke up the next morning it was Thursday instead. A frightening and confusing day ensued with Dylan trying to figure out whether he was losing his mind or the victim of some cosmic prank.
If struggling to come to terms with his new reality on his surreal Thursday wasn't enough of an ordeal, late in the afternoon, just as his anxiety was finally beginning to subside, a voice from the past he'd hoped never to hear again added a terrifying new dimension to his situation. Dylan had once been a warrior in the battle against nuclear terrorism. A sleeper since the months following nine-eleven, he has suddenly been activated to help combat a new, deadly threat. His nerves in a shambles, he finally drops off to sleep hoping he'll wake up to find Thursday was a dream.
When, after his harrowing Thursday, he awakens on the Wednesday morning he thought he'd missed, he doesn't know what to believe. He cannot believe Thursday's events were coincidental. He must be living his days out of order for a reason -- some powerful, unknown entity has cast him in a role he never asked for, and everything he holds dear may be at stake. He "knows" he will continue to live Thursdays before Wednesdays until he figures out how to use the unique perspective that gives him to avert a disaster that may be global in scope.
This was definitely a good read, something that I would recommend to anyone interested in this genre. Mr. Zendell, the author, does a fantastic job of laying his protagonist out there early-on, and making you care about him. Dylan is an imperfect, relate-able character, more than able to carry this story on his shoulders.
The story, background and secondary characters are also well rounded and not forced. The plot is fast paced and kept me eager to read more, every time I turned the page.
Although there are very few grammatical errors to be found, the writing may sometimes be just stiff enough to slow the fast-paced story down (though, I never wanted to walk away). Also, there are some obvious, and at times heavy-handed, political and moral issues where the author clearly wants to take a stand, even at the expense of the story.
Something I haven't dealt with here yet is cover art. Obviously, when it comes to cover art, tastes will differ depending on the individual. In my opinion, though, the cover art for Wednesday's Child feels very dated and had me ready to read a story set in the 1970s, rather than today. No matter what your grade school teachers said, people do judge a book by its cover.
This was a great read, and I give Wednesday's Child 4 out of 5 stars
June 4, 2012
Wednesday's Child is about a gentleman who begins living Thursdays before Wednesdays. While this is initially very disconcerting, he has to learn to harness this new ability for the greater good.
Parts of this book are very good. The day switching elements are very good, and there are none of the normal holes that show up in books that involve time travel. The author did an excellent job of dotting all the I's and crossing all the T's. The story itself is also very intriguing and relevant.
There were a couple parts, however, that made it difficult to read. The majority of the conversation in this book is in the form of internal dialogue. It is always difficult to take the thoughts that float through our heads in a very fluid manner and put them on paper in the same manner. They normally feel somewhat clunky and unnatural. There are parts of this book where that is the case. There also isn't much depth to the characters. The author dives right into the story without much of a introduction which I am normally a fan of. With this story though, I was forced to change my mental image of the characters multiple times. Initially, the main character felt like someone in his early 30s with a young girlfriend. As the story develops, however, you realize that the girlfriend is actually his wife and they are both in their 50s with kids in college. While I love jumping right into the storytelling, this book could have benefited from a quick introductory paragraph where some of the history of the main characters are revealed and they are given more depth.
Overall, I enjoyed reading the book. The story is interesting, and it's refreshing to see someone deal with time travel elements without leaving holes all over the place.
I received this book in a Goodreads Firstreads Giveaway.
Parts of this book are very good. The day switching elements are very good, and there are none of the normal holes that show up in books that involve time travel. The author did an excellent job of dotting all the I's and crossing all the T's. The story itself is also very intriguing and relevant.
There were a couple parts, however, that made it difficult to read. The majority of the conversation in this book is in the form of internal dialogue. It is always difficult to take the thoughts that float through our heads in a very fluid manner and put them on paper in the same manner. They normally feel somewhat clunky and unnatural. There are parts of this book where that is the case. There also isn't much depth to the characters. The author dives right into the story without much of a introduction which I am normally a fan of. With this story though, I was forced to change my mental image of the characters multiple times. Initially, the main character felt like someone in his early 30s with a young girlfriend. As the story develops, however, you realize that the girlfriend is actually his wife and they are both in their 50s with kids in college. While I love jumping right into the storytelling, this book could have benefited from a quick introductory paragraph where some of the history of the main characters are revealed and they are given more depth.
Overall, I enjoyed reading the book. The story is interesting, and it's refreshing to see someone deal with time travel elements without leaving holes all over the place.
I received this book in a Goodreads Firstreads Giveaway.
January 16, 2016
To have 20/20 hindsight vision, if only for one day a week... What one could do.
Wednesday's Child by Alan Zendell is a fantastic skillfully executed novel that is built on the "what if" foundation of one who suddenly wakes up to learn that his Wednesdays are switched with his Thursdays.
The set up is like an early "Twilight Zone" episode, that then develops into a "post 911" novel about the fight against the relentless threat of terrorism.
Every sequential week, a new situation occurs. Dylan (the protagonist) must then right the wrongs he witnessed on "his" Thursday, during the next day (which is the previous Wednesday). Admittedly, I found this a little difficult to follow at first, but once I got into the rhythm of it, there was no problem keeping up.
I am somewhat uneasy with stories based around terrorism, C.S.I. and F.B.I. investigation and such, the problem being that they, as did the "red commie" stories of the 1950's and later with the cold war stories of the 1980's, tend to be awfully black-and-white and one-sided in perspective. Fortunately, this author has gone beyond that limited attitude, while still not going soft on the real severity of the current situation.
The weekly two-day-time-flip element paired with a national homeland security crime story makes this an atypical time travel story.
A good read.
By the way, this, and other Zendell novels are currently available on Amazon for Kindle, at no cost for a limited time.
Wednesday's Child by Alan Zendell is a fantastic skillfully executed novel that is built on the "what if" foundation of one who suddenly wakes up to learn that his Wednesdays are switched with his Thursdays.
The set up is like an early "Twilight Zone" episode, that then develops into a "post 911" novel about the fight against the relentless threat of terrorism.
Every sequential week, a new situation occurs. Dylan (the protagonist) must then right the wrongs he witnessed on "his" Thursday, during the next day (which is the previous Wednesday). Admittedly, I found this a little difficult to follow at first, but once I got into the rhythm of it, there was no problem keeping up.
I am somewhat uneasy with stories based around terrorism, C.S.I. and F.B.I. investigation and such, the problem being that they, as did the "red commie" stories of the 1950's and later with the cold war stories of the 1980's, tend to be awfully black-and-white and one-sided in perspective. Fortunately, this author has gone beyond that limited attitude, while still not going soft on the real severity of the current situation.
The weekly two-day-time-flip element paired with a national homeland security crime story makes this an atypical time travel story.
A good read.
By the way, this, and other Zendell novels are currently available on Amazon for Kindle, at no cost for a limited time.
October 7, 2014
To see my full review:
http://abookvacation.com/2014/10/07/r...
Imagine if Thursday came before Wednesday, followed by Friday. But only for you… giving you the ability to learn the future and change events. I would have so much fun with that. Of course, I’m certainly not as hardcore as Dylan Brice, so I would probably only use it for selfish gain. Luckily, Dylan is trained to deal with terrorism, able to call in the big dogs and assess violent and potentially deadly situations, which is a huge plus, especially since nuclear terror is on his doorstep.
This is a really cool time-travelish novel set in present day America. Though I admit that I wasn’t really sure what was happening in the beginning, and it took me a little while to warm up to the characters and the situations, I eventually found myself completely wrapped up in the story. It’s a thriller with a bit of mystery thrown in, taking readers on an awesome ride as it all unfolds. If you’re looking for something a bit different with a strong male lead, then this is definitely a novel for you.
http://abookvacation.com/2014/10/07/r...
Imagine if Thursday came before Wednesday, followed by Friday. But only for you… giving you the ability to learn the future and change events. I would have so much fun with that. Of course, I’m certainly not as hardcore as Dylan Brice, so I would probably only use it for selfish gain. Luckily, Dylan is trained to deal with terrorism, able to call in the big dogs and assess violent and potentially deadly situations, which is a huge plus, especially since nuclear terror is on his doorstep.
This is a really cool time-travelish novel set in present day America. Though I admit that I wasn’t really sure what was happening in the beginning, and it took me a little while to warm up to the characters and the situations, I eventually found myself completely wrapped up in the story. It’s a thriller with a bit of mystery thrown in, taking readers on an awesome ride as it all unfolds. If you’re looking for something a bit different with a strong male lead, then this is definitely a novel for you.
January 29, 2012
Wednesday's Child is a page-turner, opening with Dylan's first experience of living time out of sequence and maintaining suspense to the end. When he is called to assist with an anti-terror investigation, his new and unexpected power could make the difference between a happy ending and World War Three. Each week after he sees how Thursday would happen if he did nothing, Dylan uses his skills and contacts to determine what happened on Wednesday and how he could change it to ensure the day turns out differently... while trying to keep his time travel power a secret and determine its source.
Despite a few flaws the novel is a good read and from start to finish I wanted to see what would happen next.
See the in-depth review at Sift: http://www.siftreviews.com/2012/01/we...
Review by: Edward of Sift Book Reviews
Sift Book Reviews received a free copy for review from the author. This has, in no way, affected the reviewer's opinion.
Despite a few flaws the novel is a good read and from start to finish I wanted to see what would happen next.
See the in-depth review at Sift: http://www.siftreviews.com/2012/01/we...
Review by: Edward of Sift Book Reviews
Sift Book Reviews received a free copy for review from the author. This has, in no way, affected the reviewer's opinion.
July 13, 2012
On Amazon there are more than twenty novels entitled "Wednesday’s Child". And this is one of them.
"Wednesday’s Child" poses an interesting dilemma for Dylan Brice. He goes to sleep on Tuesday night, but wakes up on Thursday morning. He goes to sleep on Thursday night and wakes up on Wednesday morning. He goes to sleep on Wednesday night and wakes up on Friday morning.
Confused? Author Alan Zendell explains the process with allusions to the space-time continuum, a reference to Groundhog Day, and the mysterious Übermensch. [If you’re not familiar with the term Übermensch, refer to Friedrich Nietzsche’s 1883 philosophical masterwork, "Thus Spoke Zarathustra". The exact meaning in "Wednesday’s Child" is implied and not fully defined.] The problem is that it takes the first nine chapters to explain it. After that Zendell hits his stride delivering an interesting thriller that includes spies, terrorists, and the threat of radiological attack.
Unfortunately, the action climaxes in chapter forty-eight, with the final three chapters devoted to revealing Dylan’s real mission, trying to save the world from itself. Other authors have used science fiction to promote their political or social message, but in this story it’s less than compelling.
"Wednesday’s Child" is, as they say, a story with good bones. It has a solid premise, but I find fault with Dylan, who becomes ultra-aware of his situation too quickly. He immediately assumes that every bad thing―a co-worker falling, a surgeon killed, a hit-and-run―were all because of him. He quickly determines that if it happens on Thursday, he can fix it on Wednesday, so that everything is good on Friday. This plays out over and over again.
Suddenly faced with a situation that would push any other rational person to the brink of madness, Dylan is analytical, objective, and detached. He’s suddenly able not only to process it, but to share it with his wife, Ilene, who pretty quickly accepts it as reality. More than that, I didn’t get a real sense of deep internal conflict between him and his new situation. And his wife. And his co-workers. It seems like everyone just accepts his situation too easily. They’re too willing to help. The physics of what happens to Dylan is complex, but the reality of his relationships and his own internal struggles deserve to be shown as even more complex and investigated. Even though Dylan is secretly a “deep cover” CIA asset, that doesn’t make him an expert in quantum mechanics. And that inferred expertise shows up way too soon in his thinking process. Even James Bond had to have complex scientific theories explained to him.
And then there’s the physics. That would take an entire review by itself.
The problems with "Wednesday’s Child" start at the very beginning. The title is not unique. The cover art appears amateurish and doesn’t really relate to the story. The synopsis is wordy and just didn’t grab me. The final paragraph if the synopsis is even a little preachy― “It portrays marriage as a loving and mutually respectful partnership that strengthens both partners…”―and on and on. This is a story about shifting space-time, spies, and terrorism, not touchy-feely relationships. Or is it?
I had to resist the urge, while reading the synopsis, to close the file and not open it again. For the story itself, the writing, especially in the beginning, is often difficult to follow and poorly polished. Throughout the first nine chapters, I had to fight to stay interested long enough to get to the action. It felt like chapters ten through forty-eight were written first and chapters one through nine were written afterwards to explain the main story. I believe the physics of Dylan’s situation could have been better integrated into the main story.
The worst offense I find in this novel is the repeated “puppy” reference to a human being, as in “puppy-dog neediness”, “helpless puppy”, “frightened puppy dog look”, “helpless puppy look”. The English language is rife with wonderful descriptors for human emotion, puppy anything is not one of them.
"Wednesday’s Child" would have benefited greatly from a thorough editing and objective peer review. As I said before, the story has good bones, hence great potential, but in its present form it doesn’t realize that potential.
"Wednesday’s Child" poses an interesting dilemma for Dylan Brice. He goes to sleep on Tuesday night, but wakes up on Thursday morning. He goes to sleep on Thursday night and wakes up on Wednesday morning. He goes to sleep on Wednesday night and wakes up on Friday morning.
Confused? Author Alan Zendell explains the process with allusions to the space-time continuum, a reference to Groundhog Day, and the mysterious Übermensch. [If you’re not familiar with the term Übermensch, refer to Friedrich Nietzsche’s 1883 philosophical masterwork, "Thus Spoke Zarathustra". The exact meaning in "Wednesday’s Child" is implied and not fully defined.] The problem is that it takes the first nine chapters to explain it. After that Zendell hits his stride delivering an interesting thriller that includes spies, terrorists, and the threat of radiological attack.
Unfortunately, the action climaxes in chapter forty-eight, with the final three chapters devoted to revealing Dylan’s real mission, trying to save the world from itself. Other authors have used science fiction to promote their political or social message, but in this story it’s less than compelling.
"Wednesday’s Child" is, as they say, a story with good bones. It has a solid premise, but I find fault with Dylan, who becomes ultra-aware of his situation too quickly. He immediately assumes that every bad thing―a co-worker falling, a surgeon killed, a hit-and-run―were all because of him. He quickly determines that if it happens on Thursday, he can fix it on Wednesday, so that everything is good on Friday. This plays out over and over again.
Suddenly faced with a situation that would push any other rational person to the brink of madness, Dylan is analytical, objective, and detached. He’s suddenly able not only to process it, but to share it with his wife, Ilene, who pretty quickly accepts it as reality. More than that, I didn’t get a real sense of deep internal conflict between him and his new situation. And his wife. And his co-workers. It seems like everyone just accepts his situation too easily. They’re too willing to help. The physics of what happens to Dylan is complex, but the reality of his relationships and his own internal struggles deserve to be shown as even more complex and investigated. Even though Dylan is secretly a “deep cover” CIA asset, that doesn’t make him an expert in quantum mechanics. And that inferred expertise shows up way too soon in his thinking process. Even James Bond had to have complex scientific theories explained to him.
And then there’s the physics. That would take an entire review by itself.
The problems with "Wednesday’s Child" start at the very beginning. The title is not unique. The cover art appears amateurish and doesn’t really relate to the story. The synopsis is wordy and just didn’t grab me. The final paragraph if the synopsis is even a little preachy― “It portrays marriage as a loving and mutually respectful partnership that strengthens both partners…”―and on and on. This is a story about shifting space-time, spies, and terrorism, not touchy-feely relationships. Or is it?
I had to resist the urge, while reading the synopsis, to close the file and not open it again. For the story itself, the writing, especially in the beginning, is often difficult to follow and poorly polished. Throughout the first nine chapters, I had to fight to stay interested long enough to get to the action. It felt like chapters ten through forty-eight were written first and chapters one through nine were written afterwards to explain the main story. I believe the physics of Dylan’s situation could have been better integrated into the main story.
The worst offense I find in this novel is the repeated “puppy” reference to a human being, as in “puppy-dog neediness”, “helpless puppy”, “frightened puppy dog look”, “helpless puppy look”. The English language is rife with wonderful descriptors for human emotion, puppy anything is not one of them.
"Wednesday’s Child" would have benefited greatly from a thorough editing and objective peer review. As I said before, the story has good bones, hence great potential, but in its present form it doesn’t realize that potential.
April 21, 2012
This is a very well written, exciting, and thought provoking book. Zendell chose well in writing in the first person, so giving the reader a feeling of personal connection. Zendell has mastered this device with aplomb, whilst holding together a complex scenario, and rounding out other vital characters. We are drawn into the suddenly confused thoughts of Dylan Brice, and nudged gently along by Zendell until we start seeing, and seeing is believing, that it just might be possible to live days out of order.
There is some comfort in the book in the idea that we can be saved from ourselves by higher forces. This cosy thought may well start to unravel, but, I will say no more through fear of planting spoilers.
The plot is very strong, and is probably tied together without any flaws! One would have to spend hours de-constructing the complex of sequences to be sure. Even if one did such an exercise would be pointless, because the soul of the book is in its ideas and not in the mathematical build of a whodunit. The philosophical conduit is well thought out, and cleverly executed. However, as with any book it isn't just the execution of detail that makes for a satisfying read, it is the beauty of design. Once the reader has taken-on-board the premise, one that the character struggles with as much as we might, excitement builds to a satisfactory and adventurous climax.
At an early stage in the book I felt the complexity of detail was overdone, that there was an unnecessary amount of paint on the canvas. This feeling didn't persist for long as I began to realise that a lack of detail would have greatly reduced our ability to connect with Dylan.
At the end I found myself wondering if in a particular past a potentially apocalyptic event, such as the Cuban Missile Crisis, has once resulted in the end of civilisation. Well, it didn't, did it? This is truly first class speculative fiction, a book I deeply regret I didn't think to write.
There is some comfort in the book in the idea that we can be saved from ourselves by higher forces. This cosy thought may well start to unravel, but, I will say no more through fear of planting spoilers.
The plot is very strong, and is probably tied together without any flaws! One would have to spend hours de-constructing the complex of sequences to be sure. Even if one did such an exercise would be pointless, because the soul of the book is in its ideas and not in the mathematical build of a whodunit. The philosophical conduit is well thought out, and cleverly executed. However, as with any book it isn't just the execution of detail that makes for a satisfying read, it is the beauty of design. Once the reader has taken-on-board the premise, one that the character struggles with as much as we might, excitement builds to a satisfactory and adventurous climax.
At an early stage in the book I felt the complexity of detail was overdone, that there was an unnecessary amount of paint on the canvas. This feeling didn't persist for long as I began to realise that a lack of detail would have greatly reduced our ability to connect with Dylan.
At the end I found myself wondering if in a particular past a potentially apocalyptic event, such as the Cuban Missile Crisis, has once resulted in the end of civilisation. Well, it didn't, did it? This is truly first class speculative fiction, a book I deeply regret I didn't think to write.
Want to read
November 29, 2011"A 106,000 word contemporary science fiction novel with a different twist on time travel". WTF why would you start your book description like that? 106,000 words, huh? Exactly? Was it a homework assignment or something?
I half expect the description to continue, "The book is printed in 12pt Times New Roman on 20lb, mechanically pulped spruce, with 68lb cover stock, bound with hot melt thermoplastic resin."
Not that I'm not interested in reading it, I just found that description really weird...
I half expect the description to continue, "The book is printed in 12pt Times New Roman on 20lb, mechanically pulped spruce, with 68lb cover stock, bound with hot melt thermoplastic resin."
Not that I'm not interested in reading it, I just found that description really weird...
April 4, 2012
I love it, of course. I labored for months writing it and getting it right.
December 11, 2025
Meh. An interesting premise, but then at the end the author became blasphemous and spouted some narratives that are popular on the left. That took my enjoyment to ambivalence. Too bad, he ruined it that way. JMHO
December 8, 2016
I found this book hard to put down. The style and the story were both compelling and enjoyable.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews