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The Device
Gloria is a borderline-agoraphobe with a time machine she calls "The Device." She won't leave the confines of "The Device" unless she absolutely has to. And one day, she has absolutely has to.
129 pages, Paperback
First published December 19, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
July 3, 2016
I love this premise. A person with acute introversion and social anxiety is such an original choice for a protagonist, especially for a character in possession of a working time machine.
Gloria doesn't want to change history or be a part of it; she just wants to see it happen, and she's as responsible as she knows how to be about it. She even invents a way of closing off each timeline that she has visited into an alternate reality, so that no matter what happens, it cannot affect her timeline, which she thinks of as the "real" timeline. She also never visits the same alternate timeline twice -- until she meets someone she decides she wants to see again, and realises upon her return that in spite of the care she has taken, something has gone very wrong.
I really appreciated this for being a sci-fi based time travel novel with a female protagonist as the creator and owner of a time machine. Most sci-fi time travel stories I have encountered feature a man in charge of the time travel mechanism, often with a young woman looking up to him in a supporting role. Not only was Gloria unquestionably in charge of her own invention, but Boaz, an adult man from the Victorian era who comes to travel with Gloria, never once tries to take over, or acts as if he should be the one in charge. He is unfailingly helpful and supportive, as well as showing great respect and admiration for Gloria, in spite of her social awkwardness, which he finds charming.
All in all, this was a great premise for an exciting first novel by Mathison, who has also impressed me with her musical ability and her entrepreneurial spirit. I look forward to reading her other works and seeing her grow as a writer.
Gloria doesn't want to change history or be a part of it; she just wants to see it happen, and she's as responsible as she knows how to be about it. She even invents a way of closing off each timeline that she has visited into an alternate reality, so that no matter what happens, it cannot affect her timeline, which she thinks of as the "real" timeline. She also never visits the same alternate timeline twice -- until she meets someone she decides she wants to see again, and realises upon her return that in spite of the care she has taken, something has gone very wrong.
I really appreciated this for being a sci-fi based time travel novel with a female protagonist as the creator and owner of a time machine. Most sci-fi time travel stories I have encountered feature a man in charge of the time travel mechanism, often with a young woman looking up to him in a supporting role. Not only was Gloria unquestionably in charge of her own invention, but Boaz, an adult man from the Victorian era who comes to travel with Gloria, never once tries to take over, or acts as if he should be the one in charge. He is unfailingly helpful and supportive, as well as showing great respect and admiration for Gloria, in spite of her social awkwardness, which he finds charming.
All in all, this was a great premise for an exciting first novel by Mathison, who has also impressed me with her musical ability and her entrepreneurial spirit. I look forward to reading her other works and seeing her grow as a writer.
July 26, 2013
It's hardly fair considering I wrote it, but I am surprised & overjoyed at the small success I've seen already. I find that teenagers tend to be enthusiastic fans, but I've heard glowing reviews from adults as well. Perhaps I don't sound humble enough, but I am quite proud of my work. This book has a sequel called "Yet Another Devicd" and I am planning a third. All of my books are available at Amazon and Lulu.com
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews