What do you think?
Rate this book
Obelisk
After the Cataclysm of 2479 destroys most of civilization, archaeologist John Howard decides that humanity?s salvation lies in its past. Exploiting alien technology, he leads a band of followers through the gates of time. His goal: return to ancient cultures to collect the priceless artifacts before they are destroyed in the coming cataclysm.Howard?s time raids set off the inevitable ripple effects throughout history. When artifacts begin to disappear from 20th century museums, Egyptologist Virginia Alexander investigates and is soon caught up in a world of chronological paradoxes and collapsing time matrices. It?s up to her to restore the gates of time and save the past, present, and future from destruction!About the Author
Judith Jones is computer game producer and the author of Obelisk, the game. She lives in Fremont, California.
Judith Jones is computer game producer and the author of Obelisk, the game. She lives in Fremont, California.
400 pages, Paperback
First published August 27, 1996
2 people are currently reading
6 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
February 4, 2021
I’ve enjoyed a long relationship with this story. It started when I got the PC game Beyond Time way back when. I think I was around 12-13 or so. I played the ever loving heck out of that game for hours, countless times through. The story idea captured me from the start. As a lifelong Star Trek fan this has always felt like a close cousin so naturally as a dorky tween, I glommed on hard. I learned the game was based on this novel and looked for it but it was hard to find back in those days...until I found it quite by accidental luck in a Goodwill an hour from my home about 4 years after the game. That was the only time in my life I’ve shrieked in a store.
Since that find in the early aughts, I’ve read it at least five times through. Yes, I know the story front and back. Yes, I know how it’s going to end. Yes, I’m aware it’s not quite the height of amazing sci fi. Yes, there are a few editing errors. Yes, the characters could have been described and fleshed out a bit more.
But you know what? This novel has played a major role in my life in terms of books, and I adore it. I’ll probably read it again a few more times over my life. I’ve jokingly told my husband that if we ever have a house fire I’ll be grabbing it on the way outside. I’ve always wished this book could have had a better game or even a movie. But alas.
Although for the life of me I have no clue why the book was entitled Obelisk. An obelisk plays no part at all in the book. The title of the game was far better all around.
Since that find in the early aughts, I’ve read it at least five times through. Yes, I know the story front and back. Yes, I know how it’s going to end. Yes, I’m aware it’s not quite the height of amazing sci fi. Yes, there are a few editing errors. Yes, the characters could have been described and fleshed out a bit more.
But you know what? This novel has played a major role in my life in terms of books, and I adore it. I’ll probably read it again a few more times over my life. I’ve jokingly told my husband that if we ever have a house fire I’ll be grabbing it on the way outside. I’ve always wished this book could have had a better game or even a movie. But alas.
Although for the life of me I have no clue why the book was entitled Obelisk. An obelisk plays no part at all in the book. The title of the game was far better all around.
June 6, 2019
Got a sixth of the way through the book, and just couldn't pick it back up. Not engaging.
September 18, 2013
An interesting interpretation of the effects of interfering with time and the consequences on the multiverse.
Pro: Approximately half-way through the book the author has one of the characters reading the journal entries of the other main characters, so you get to see what each person was thinking about the events of the main story, and I found this multiple viewpoint to be fun. Overall, the character development was pretty good. There is also a twist at the end in terms of what happens to some of the characters that is intriguing.
Con: I found the idea of "The Collection" getting everyone on various planets so excited a little hard to believe. Sure, some historians, and even many people who have other occupations, might find this extremely important, but all of humankind? The archaeologist John Howard states, "Nothing is more important than the mission! It is the cornerstone of the new era, it will exalt the entire human family—" Yeah, right. Anyway, I also did not care for the concept of the crystals, which were able to do anything and everything simply because they were some type of alien technology. I did not find the ending completely satisfactory, and if John Howard showed up one more time I was going to scream.
Overall rating, 6 out of 10.
Pro: Approximately half-way through the book the author has one of the characters reading the journal entries of the other main characters, so you get to see what each person was thinking about the events of the main story, and I found this multiple viewpoint to be fun. Overall, the character development was pretty good. There is also a twist at the end in terms of what happens to some of the characters that is intriguing.
Con: I found the idea of "The Collection" getting everyone on various planets so excited a little hard to believe. Sure, some historians, and even many people who have other occupations, might find this extremely important, but all of humankind? The archaeologist John Howard states, "Nothing is more important than the mission! It is the cornerstone of the new era, it will exalt the entire human family—" Yeah, right. Anyway, I also did not care for the concept of the crystals, which were able to do anything and everything simply because they were some type of alien technology. I did not find the ending completely satisfactory, and if John Howard showed up one more time I was going to scream.
Overall rating, 6 out of 10.
January 21, 2013
The story has some interesting concepts and quite a bit of action. The characters are shallow and not very interesting.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews