Now & Again

by E.A. Fournier

When a day begins with burying your wife in an Ohio graveyard, most people would agree that it can’t get much worse, but for Kendall McCaslin and his son, Josh, it can. On their way back from the cemetery they’re caught in a chain-reaction traffic crash on the freeway and both killed. Surprisingly, they don’t stay dead.

The fatal crash propels father and son into a series of alternate timeline crashes that prove equally lethal until they fashion an escape route. Confused but intact, they struggle to understand what just happened. They know they survived but they can’t comprehend where they are now or why their own memories are in such conflict. It’s not that it’s all bad: in the new timeline, Kendall’s wife turns up alive again; but Josh’s longtime girlfriend has vanished. Oh, and along the way, they suddenly learn that they aren’t the only ones jumping timelines – and those others are not at all pleased. And that’s just for starters.

283 pages, Paperback

First published January 16, 2013

About the author

Originally from South Minneapolis, Gene Fournier earned a BA in Philosophy & Literature from St. Louis University followed by a Masters in Film from USC. Gene is a member of the Writers Guild of America west (WGA) and worked as a screenwriter and editor in Hollywood, but sadly, he never got that big break.

Seeking a return to his roots after twelve years in California, he accepted a Director of Media position with a multinational company headquartered in the Midwest. For thirty years he wrote, directed, edited and distributed corporate video programs around the world, managed live presentations, and orchestrated the creative elements for national and international sales meetings.

Retired now, with his seven children grown, and a dozen grandchildren to distract him, Gene is finally able to write down the stories he’s been carrying in his head all these years.

Reviews

[Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was listening to the radio yesterday and a woman was talking about authors from different countries. She said something that I found interesting and true. When most authors write a book, it is a book. If it gets made into a movie later then that's great, but first and foremost it was written to be a book. In America, when an author writes a book, a lot of times it is written to be both a book and a movie. This seems to be the case in Now & Again. Of course I looked up the author and sure enough I discovered he was a screenwriter. There are several places in the story where it is clearly over-written for a book, but not for a movie. The first truly obvious instance of this is in chapter five. Three pages are dedicated to an owl hunting a mouse. It really has no relevance to the story but it's a piece that would set a tone in a movie.

Now, let me tell you what I loved about it. It is total science-fiction. Not just any science but quantum physics delving into the theories of multiple parallel universes. For a Discovery Channel science junkie like myself, I found it incredibly interesting. I'm also unknowledgeable enough to not know where legitimate theories ended and total make-believe began. It was like watching Fringe in that respect.

The first chapter in this book was one of the best first chapters I have ever read. It totally hooked me and this is the part I basically knew about from the synopsis. There is lots of action, an evil corporation, a quantum AI computer, and lots to keep a mind busy. Some parts were confusing until you read later chapters and then understood what had happened. All in all, I found it to be an enjoyable read. Can't wait to see the movie.

[Bill Ward · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this adventure, which is based around the concept of multiple parallel universes and a father and son who find themselves jumping between the different universes.
I have little understanding of physics but enjoy science fiction adventures and found the technical explanations in the book believable enough, although for all I know they may be completely preposterous! I never really understood why the two main characters were the only people able to jump between timelines but I just went with the flow and enjoyed the story.
It was only when I finished the book I discovered the scientist within the story is a real life character from the past who first proposed the concept of multiple universes. I shall have to go find out more about him.
The start of the story is very unusual and exciting. It immediately gripped me and I was propelled to quickly read the remainder, to find out how it would all end.
You have to concentrate in the middle of the book to stay clear about the different universes and events but the fast paced ending is exciting and exactly how I wanted it to end.
The characters are all interesting when we first meet them but then the author pulls a clever twist of having them behaving differently in the different timelines. This additional layer of complexity is well handled by the author and keeps the reader on his toes.
You can tell that the book has been written by a professional writer and the fact the author has written film scripts comes as no surprise, as this is a high quality debut novel.
I recommend the book to anyone who enjoys a good adventure not just science fiction fans.
I think it would make a great movie.

[Anna Rodney · Rating 4 out of 5]

First Impressions

There's something about the cover art that strikes me as unprofessional, but I don't know what it is, and the impression dies away the more I look at it. Maybe it's just very much like something I might make myself.

I'm British, trained in a culture that discourages the blowing of ones own trumpet. So the final paragraph of the blurb, which tells me that this is a piece of serious literature with well drawn characters and a claim to scientific legitimacy, actually only makes me think “if it was all that, you wouldn't have to say it, you'd be confident enough to allow the work to speak for itself.”

Good News

Surprisingly enough, it turns out that the blurb is accurate. When I agreed to review this book, I told the author I was thinking of giving up reviewing indies because I hadn't yet found one I could say anything good about, and I didn't want this blog to become 'blast the indies all the time.' He said 'just try it,' and I'm very glad I did, because this is the first indie book I've read yet where I would be happy to pay full price for it, and would not have been surprised if it had been published by a big publisher.

The truth is, I'm hard pressed to find anything bad to say about it. The premise is interesting and handled well. The writing is assured and confident. The blend of dialogue, introspection, setting, description and action is perfect. The characters are likeable and believable, and it's nice to see some people of colour in there.

The multiple-universe theory is not quite so unknown or groundbreaking a thought as the author seems to believe, but the ramifications of the possibilities of communication between them are quite believable. You can bet someone would use the knowledge to make money, and if successful in doing so might end with a superpowered corporation like the villain in this book.

I liked the pace of the story – concepts that needed a bit of getting your head around are explained clearly but without slowing the story up. I can't say I was terribly emotionally invested in the characters, given that the premise of the story kind of requires that in at least one universe they get it right, and it's hard to see why I should care about this particular iteration of them more than any of the other iterations who get randomly wiped out at every moment.

I enjoyed the evil corporation. Partly I enjoyed the fact that it wasn't particularly evil – that there were different reasons for its employees to be working there, and the level of blame spread well from black to white.

I enjoyed the unexpected emergence of an action-girl hero, just when I'd started thinking 'but there aren't any interesting female characters, are there?'

Basically, I enjoyed the whole thing.

Bad News

There is very little bad news. In the beginning of the introduction to our antagonist corporation, the language was a little passive and corporate too. There were a lot of characters introduced all at once, many of whom I found it hard to tell apart. And there was a fair amount of head-hopping of the 'omniscient POV' rather than the 'jumping between universes' sort.

But this was only a slight niggle, and ironed itself out later. So the only really bad thing I have to say is about the blurb.

The whole 'let other people say the good things about your work because you look like a tit if you say it yourself' thing may be a British cultural imperative that doesn't transfer to the US. But as a long term SF reader I know I'm not alone at bristling at the implication that SF readers don't like fully drawn characters or 'realistic situations'. The idea that It’s a science fiction novel for people who don’t think they like science fiction is a bit offputting for all readers, I'd have thought. I'm a science fiction reader who does like science fiction, and if I came across this blurb, it would convince me (wrongly) that this was not a novel for me. Whereas a reader who doesn't like SF is hardly likely to pick up an SF story just because the author says 'well, it's not like that other, bad science fiction, you'll like this one, honest.'

In summary, this is a really good book possibly being held back by a bad blurb. I think the author should probably concentrate on selling it to people who would like it, rather than trying to convince people who don't like SF that this is an exception. The blurb comes across as defensive, apologetic and arrogant all at once, and I'm sure a writer who can write such a good book can write a better blurb too.

[Brian O'Hare · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review is from: Now & Again (Kindle Edition)
Now and Again by E.A. Fournier

There is much within the broad spectrum of writing that constitutes Science Fiction that leaves me cold. I confess, however, to a frisson of anticipation when I come across movies or books that deal with time travel or parallel universes. When I learned that E.A. Fournier's new novel was about multi-verses, I had to download it, fighting a nagging fear that the author could well waste this opportunity.

I need not have worried. Fournier has done some serious research and is possessed of a deep understanding of the science and implications of quantum physics that give a tantalising glimpse into the real-life possibilities of parallel universes and, more importantly, he can write about them in a way that allows the reader to race on, confident that he has understood what he has read without loosing contact with the story. This is a gift indeed!

Given these skills, I was amazed to read in the author's end-note that this is his first novel. The writing is mature, effortless, confident, fast-paced and extremely competent with none of the hesitancies or flaws one would normally associate with a first-timer. Of course, Fournier also has a background in screenplay writing for TV and cinema so his skilled handling of the writing should not come as any great surprise. His future as a writer is assured.

I loved this book's basic concept. Inevitably it involves a huge complex area, dealing with hundreds of machines and screens that follow dozens of time-lines and multiverses, filled with multitudinous high tech images. Yet Fournier is able not only to visualise in detail what he imagines but is highly skilled in sharing those images with the reader. Most impressive! There is more than enough science and pseudo-science here to satisfy the most ardent of sci-fi fans.

But it takes more than that to make a good story. Also required is an exciting plot, thrilling suspense, good characterisation and that indefinable magic that keeps the reader glued to the pages. Fournier provides this in spades. It was clever of him to posit that specific individuals would have very different characteristics in different time line. That was a nice touch. But for me, some of the best characters are the villains and I particularly detested the arrogant Vandermark whose masquerade of clinical detachment is nothing more than a pathological lack of empathy.

Now and Again is great story that drags the reader from page to page without let-up. As the story approached its climax, the action intensifies and the chapters head at breakneck speed into the denouement. In fact, I was reading so fast at this point that I began to feel some concern that the inners workings of my Kindle reader would not be able to cope with the speed with which I was turning the pages.

I loved this book and I can thoroughly recommend it. It deserves every one of the 5 stars I awarded it.

[Douglas Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a gripping novel. The science fiction aspect was very well thought out and many of the literary elements served to coax the mind in to the immersion of the concepts presented with great mastery.

The climax coaxed some tears from my sentimental eyes, mission accomplished.

[Pearson Moore · Rating 3 out of 5]

Title: Now and Again
Author: E. A. Fournier
Genre: Science Fiction
Length: 282 pages
Reviewer: Pearson Moore
Rating: 3 stars

Summary
A father and son with rare abilities are forced to take sides in a battle for the continuity of worlds.

Review
I enjoyed this novel for the many connections it made to the Multiple Worlds Hypothesis of Dr. Hugh Everett. I was less enthralled with the implausible mechanisms Fournier used to transport his characters to those worlds and control events in them.

The concept of multiple parallel universes is common in science fiction but few of these novels have so fearlessly examined the consequences of interference with the 'multiverse'. As it turns out, I had just completed Robert J. Sawyer's "Hominids" only a few days before beginning "Now and Again," and I found myself comparing the way the two authors approached the problem. The idea of quantum-based parallel worlds was more or less the theoretical excuse Sawyer used to launch into his examination of social structures. Fournier, on the other hand, was far more interested in the nuts and bolts of multiverse topography itself.

Sci-fi narratives that adhere closely to plausible extrapolations from science have been turned into some of the greatest classics of the genre. Michael Crichton is a master of this kind of storytelling, but tales of this kind require enormous amounts of research in cutting-edge science. I found the theoretical underpinnings of "Now and Again" lacking. I was impressed by the author's deep understanding of both the historical Hugh Everett III and his fascinating hypothesis. It's in the development of transport devices and instruments to control sentient entities in other universes where I believe Fournier came up short.

The storytelling seemed uneven, with the first few chapters interesting and the last few chapters downright exciting, but the very long middle section I found almost unbearable in its emotionless recitation of events in one universe and then another. At a few points I considered giving up on the novel. I ended up staying with it only because I had promised to write a review. If the ending had been as poorly constructed as the long middle section I would have awarded this novel one or two stars.


Story Quality
The plot was well designed at beginning and end but relied too heavily on bare-bones mechanics in the long middle section. I would like to have seen better character development. The various fictional Hugh Everetts were probably the best-drawn characters in the novel.


Overall
This novel may be of interest to fans of general science fiction and especially to those readers able to suspend disbelief of the many implausibilities. Fournier examined some interesting consequences of the Multiple Worlds Hypothesis and this alone may be worth the investment of readers' time.


Rating: 3 stars

[Brendan · Rating 4 out of 5]

E.A. Fournier's novel begins with the story of a bereaved father and son who have just lost the mother in their family, but quickly becomes a science-fiction action-adventure story involving quantum computers, multiverse theory, and nanotechnology. I hesitate to offer more in the way of plot description because I'd hate to spoil the inventive story. A few thoughts:

- Fournier's work brims with descriptions that provide solid, strong visuals without getting too verbose. The action is clear and well-described, and the novel's pace is quick.
- The science-fiction concepts emerge with just the right amount of science hand-waving to allow the story to continue, but without spending so much time on the fiddly bits that we get bored or suspicious. Like a good SF action film, we believe the tech because Fournier doesn't lean too hard on it. At the same time, this means the threat that emerges in the second half of the novel isn't really explained very well. It's a big bad, but we don't know where it came from or why it's there.
- Josh and Kendall are admirable characters, with clear motivations and strong personalities. Many of the other characters don't get the room to breathe that they should -- the novel's biggest flaw is that its action doesn't allow the room to flesh out the minor characters thoroughly enough.
- This also means that the villains seethe with a melodramatic villainy like a Clive Cussler novel. The most complicated minor character is the lead scientist Everett. Fournier makes clever use of the multiverse idea to develop different aspects of the character in different timelines. It's a clever solution to the limited space he's able to give the character.
- One of my favorite ideas (Minor spoiler ahead) is the notion that if we figured out a way to look at other multiverse threads, we would make the most of it by copying all their technological inventions. Our technology would move forward at the fastest rate.

Overall, Now & Again is an enjoyable read, a solid action adventure story with a low-key SF angle. Worth your time, particularly for fans of techno thrillers. Now & Again is available from Amazon as a Kindle book or a paperback POD book. At present it looks like the book is unavailable in other eBook forms, so if you value buying the book in a non-DRM form, you may have to order the paper copy.

*Full disclosure: I received this book for free as a review copy, and I am friends with one of the author's sons.

[Scott Spotson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very multi-layered, complex physics-based story that is superbly told.

You know what? I kept trying to understand how the two heroes (and their pursuers) could move through multiple timelines, and trying to figure out what were the dangers of messing up various timelines. Sometimes, in certain chapters, I wasn't sure which timeline it was supposed to be. I just about gave up trying to understand it. And, by the end, it didn't matter, because this story is so good.

The author sometimes overloads this story with unnecessarily complex theories, and has way too many characters to keep track of, but it's like speed-walking through the Louvre. There's a feast, huge abundance of imagination right before the eyes, and you can't comprehend it all. But, boy what fun it is! You're always glad that you toured the Louvre! In that sense, it's like a Dan Brown adventure - quick, hard to know what's happening, and even more complicated, but a lot of fun and pure guilty pleasure.

How cool is it to have a long-dead brilliant physicist, Hugh Everett III, and use his name as an unwitting hero, and give him a big role in the story? It's like a new movie starring the ramifications of the theory of relativity through science fiction chaos as experienced by two ordinary characters, and making Albert Einstein an important advisory, yet participating character in the story! We've had Abraham Lincoln star in a couple of recent Hollywood movies, why not Albert Einstein next?

Plus, that smooth-talking and self-aware computer.... shades of HAL 9000 in 2001: A Space Odyssey! But this time, it's a female - and it's complicated.

This could easily be a movie. Forget Inception, Leonardo DiCaprio, there's a story that's even more exciting! Makes sense that the author is a script writer for movies and television. It clearly shows!

Again, it seems the plot is so complicated, but the vast imagination just laid bare, with new permutations added chapter by chapter, makes this a smorgasbord. I think I'll have to read the book again two or three more times!

I liked the way the author chopped up certain chapters with very quick scenes, shifting from one to another in rapid succession. Very similar to clips in a fast-paced television show or action movie.

Bravo Mr. Fournier! Can you do another book?

[Samuel King · Rating 4 out of 5]

Father and son Kendall and Josh McCaslin are having a really bad day. The day starts with a funeral for their wife/mother, and it only gets worse as E.A. Fournier's "Now & Again" quickly becomes a thought provoking page turner. Kendall and Josh, it seems, have a special ability that puts them at odds with a sinister mega corporation.

Fournier's novel is based on the work of Hugh Everett, one of the first theoretical physicists to propose that the strange world of quantum physics suggests the existence of not one but many parallel universes or, a "multiverse". As an interesting twist, Everett actually plays a major part as the story unfolds, and the author does a marvelous job of showing many facets of a man who, in fact, only lived to be 51 and never did anything more with his "many-worlds theory" after receiving his doctorate in 1957.

If it's obvious that I liked this book (a lot), one might ask why only three and a half stars? Alas, I found one aspect of Mr. Fournier's writing, i.e. his frequent use of odd verbs, detracted from what otherwise should have easily been a four-star rating. This may be a personal quirk of mine, but at times I found myself distracted from the storyline, trying to determine exactly what the author was trying to say.

That being said, Mr. Fournier has never-the-less given us a first-rate science fiction yarn at the cutting edge of modern physics—a yarn that doesn't require an in depth knowledge or even interest in quantum physics. I highly recommend "Now & Again" for an exciting ride that will leave you thinking.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

An exciting book about traveling through parallel universes. Kendall McCaslin just buried his wife. On the highway after the funeral, there is a multi-vehicle crash, and just as Kendall and his son, Josh, are about to be killed, they are back in the truck again, right before the accident. As they finally, after many attempts try to make it out of the accident alive, they question what just happened? Why when they were just about to die, did they end up back on the road again? When Kendall and Josh return home again, Kendall's wife is there to greet them. How is she still alive and why do things seem different? The book then follows the father son duo through many different situations as they try to figure out why they are still alive and what is going on.

This is a great debut novel by E.A. Fournier. I enjoyed following the jumps that Kendall and Josh experienced. I also like the weird connections and seeing where people ended up in other timelines. The author does a great job at making the reader feel as through they are right there along side of the father and son duo. You can almost see there being different parallel timelines. I also loved the idea of "Echo" the computer that can evolve and make decisions for itself. I really enjoyed this book!

I received a copy of this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.

[Alwaysabs · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a pleasant surprise! The ways in which this author weaves the story, made me a believer in the possibility of the many worlds theory. I'm not one to enjoy suspending my imagination very far in literature, unless it is backed up by research (or it is a Tolkien/C.S.Lewis story); but this author really did his homework. He effortlessly interlaces a world we all know -one grounded in neighborhoods, interstates and bridges that feel instantly familiar - with countless additional timelines and a highly advanced Bioscientific Corporation.

Although the story feels intense throughout; the level of intensity (and the pace at which I read it!) really picked up in the last third of the book.

In sum: This book really held my interest, kept me curious, and left me satisfied.

[J.D. Tew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now & Again is complex in a wonderful way. I loved indulging in the intense engagements, confusion, and discovery. There were moments were the author tip-toed a timeline that nearly lost me, but I was far too enthralled to let go.

The premise in this novel is solid and fulfilling, the characters relationships are intense and real, because their development was delivered and secure. I'm a huge fan of complexity and intensity. My one true mission when searching for new titles, is to find the unique and absurdly wonderful. I would recommend this book to anyone in search of action, suspense, diversity and colorful — developed characters. This is a perfect novel for a father/son read. I will be passing it to my son in college for sure.

[Crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kendall and Josh (father and son duo) are leaving their wife/mother's funeral when the unexpected happens. They are involved in a nasty car accident that appears to take their lives. Great power seems to be at work because they do not die. Instead, they find themselves back in their car, driving along the same stretch of road like nothing ever happened. Again and again they experience the same car wreck, each time allowing them the opportunity to get it right. When they do it is not without great consequence.

This book is a great read. It is action packed, thought provoking and creative. The author has a great imagination and has written a book that would transfer well on the big screen.

[Sean Randall · Rating 5 out of 5]

"A new world every time a squirrel loses a nut?"

I utterly enjoyed this book, and will be eagerly awaiting any further work by Fournier. It put parallelism into an easy-to-read and fun context, and although it doesn't linger on the science, the action is really quite fun and the pace and style very good.

I particularly liked the incongruence of Everett vis-a-vis Kendall and Josh. The way they play against each other is very neat, and opens the more technical aspects of the story out to everybody. It's a true joy ride of a thriller, with just the level of technical stuff added to keep it interesting.

[Armando · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining. I did not care that much for the characters, but the premise was interesting enough to get me through the book. Good start, drags in the middle and picks up again at the end.