TimeLiners

by Emily Blaisdell

From H.G. Wells to “Outlander,” no one has traveled in time like this.


TimeLiners is not science fiction. In lieu of the usual time travel clichés, debut author Emily Blaisdell asks what would happen if some “Timemaster,” some Elon Musk-ish Bad Boy genius, turned time travel into tourism. So it’s 2027. Your Time Jockeys liner is boarding. Where in the recent past are you headed? To a legendary concert? To kill Hitler (get in line.) To watch that first kiss with. . .

Running with this premise, Blaisdell spins a sardonic spoof of modern travel. For three amazing years, a worldwide fleet of TimeLiners provides the ultimate escape from our own wacked out time. TimeLiners also plays with our hi-tech obsessions. Movies on Meh-flix. Shopping on Stuffipile.com. Social media on Spewbox and Blather. It’s all in good fun until “small dlsruptions” begin to wreak havoc.

But mostly it was miracle and wonder, with little bags of pretzels for snacks.. .
-- “The best — and wittiest — novel ever written about time travel.” — USA Yesterday

-- "Although I've been dead since 1946, I bloody well loved TimeLiners. Brilliant!" -- H.G. Wells, author of The Time Machine

— A time-hopping dramedy that’s often fun and insightful. OUR VERDICT — GET IT! — Kirkus Reviews

— “One of my favorite summer reads.” — Writer’s Digest

-- "Ms. Blaisdell and her readers should know that in all my life I never mooned anybody." -- Steve Jobs

365 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 16, 2025

About the author

Devoured Harry P. Dreamed of being a writer. Now I am. Live in Brooklyn with my books, cats, and Time. I’ve always been fascinated by time, how it changes us. How it slips away. How it’s GONE! Or is it?

Then one day, at 37,000 feet, I wondered. What if, instead of flying me home to Brooklyn, this flight was taking me to 1981? What if I could change planes there for 1969 — go see Woodstock?! Or 1955 — watch Ginsberg read “Howl!” Or 1927? And what if some Elon Musk-ish bad boy genius digitized time to jumpstart an entire industry of TimeLiners? You get the dream. Where and when would you go?

Reviews

[Steve Kanji · Rating 5 out of 5]

Imagine a bustling tourism industry whisking you not to exotic locales, but to enticing years in the past -- in "Timeliners," Emily Blaisdell grabs this fascinating premise and sprints with it, in a romping, risk-taking, triumphantly accomplished novel that sparkles with creative verve, speculative daring, sly humor, tenderness, and brilliantly crafted writing. Always faithful to its own audacious internal logic, always eager to explore its ramifications, always surprising, "Timeliners" is terrifically smart -- beneath the playful surface lie profundities -- and has a lot of heart. Wondrous!

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Time travel without worrying about science, which is fine. A little confusing at first when it seemed we were getting a series of barely related short stories but came together well. Mostly read for escapist pleasure but it did have me thinking about what people would do with the options the characters in this story had.

[Nikki Fellouris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Medium time travel tale

Although the concept was intriguing, the way that time travel played out in this story was just too preposterous and unbelievable. Thousands of extra people at myriad past events, no control over numbers, and no effect on possible futures. But not funny enough to be convincing satire. Actually more of a 3.5 star, if halves were allowed.

[Joann Palmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review

I enjoyed reading this book, but I didn't have the luxuary of reading it in a couple of days...loved reading about the time of my childhood....very well written...