The Time Traveler's Passport Collection

The Time Traveler's Passport #1-6

by John Scalzi, R. F. Kuang, Peng Shepherd

Leave your preconceived notions at home as you embark on a mind-bending journey with six of today’s most visionary authors. Brimming with humor and heartache, this collection of short stories maps the roads we took to get here and the paths that lie ahead. The present may be a gift, but the future and the past both come with a price.

Genres: Science Fiction, Audiobook, Short Stories, Time Travel, Fiction, Anthologies, Speculative Fiction

7 pages, Audiobook

Published November 3, 2025

About the author

John Scalzi, having declared his absolute boredom with biographies, disappeared in a puff of glitter and lilac scent.

(If you want to contact John, using the mail function here is a really bad way to do it. Go to his site and use the contact information you find there.)

Reviews

[BiblioPeeks · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you’re a fan of speculative fiction and/or science fiction, then this story collection is for you! These six stories all feature an aspect of time travel and they feel like listening to an episode of The Twilight Zone or Outer Limits. Each story is fascinating, with glimpses into what could be, while also homing in on what matters most. My favorites are marked with stars. All the narrators are fantastic and fit their respective stories and characters perfectly. I highly recommend the audiobook!

The best part? The collection is FREE to Amazon Prime and Kindle Unlimited members!
www.amazon.com/TimeTravelersPassport

Without further ado, take a peek inside each story below👇🏼

•3 Days, 9 Months, 27 Years by John Scalzi - Narrator: Malcolm Hillgartner
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A time travel technician must step away from the controls and take action in a twisty short story where timing is everything.

•Making Space by R. F. Kuang - Narrator: Kristie Lee Walsh
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A childless couple take in a mysterious boy in this ominous short story about parenthood, sacrifice, and our responsibility to the future.

•For a Limited Time Only by Peng Shepherd - Narrator: Jonathan Davis
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A time-traveling salesman searches for the moments that truly matter.

•A Visit to the Husband Archive by Kaliane Bradley - Narrator: Mirai
A woman discovers her hidden potential in this dystopian short story about memory, identity, and imagination.

•All Manner of Thing Shall Be by Olive Blake - Narrator: David Monteith
A group of vampirical frenemies come face to face with their immortality.

•Chronus by P. Djèlí Clark - Narrator: A’rese Emokpae
A young Black woman challenges the indignity of a segregated dystopian future and exposes a time-bending secret.
____

Thank you to Amazon and Brilliance Publishing for my gifted audiobooks. All opinions are my own.

[Maria reads SFF · Rating 4 out of 5]

My thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for a DRC of The Time “Traveler's Passport Collection”
Six Short Stories by six different author, all having their own version of time travel.
Below are reviews for each individual story.
“3 Days, 9 Months, 27 Years” by John Scalzi
4.5 stars
This is my first work by the author and I am so impressed! A lot of times I find SF with technological advancements and theoretical explanations difficult to understand, never mind enjoy, but here I ate this Short Story up.
A company that provides time travel in the past and an unnamed technician that is our narrator. It was brilliant. It touched on human nature, on history and time in such fascinating ways.
There was a minor aspect that I don’t think it should have worked, but considering how excellent this story was, I don’t even mind.
That is all that I am going to reveal as this is so short, but so impressive, definitely worth experiencing.

“Making Space” by R.F. Kuang
4 stars
Starting strong with some SF-Horror vibes this story discussed a lot of climate and social issues. As with all works by R.F. Kuang there are multiple layers and her morally gray characters have their own biases, even if they themselves had experienced judgement multiple times. I will be thinking about it for a long time. My only complaint is that I wanted just a touch more towards the end, but even so I am so glad I got this reading experience.

“For a Limited Time Only” by Peng Shepherd
3 stars
We follow Russ, an employee to a company that does time travel both in the past and future for commercial purposes. His job is only traveling to the near past.
We also follow his family and his two colleague’s family members.
The story has some strong emotional parts that pulled at my heart strings. But from a technical point of view, for me there was a major plot hole that I could not ignore.
If you can look over a fault of logic and just focus on the emotional component, this can be a worthy read.

“A Visit to the Husband Archive” by Kaliane Bradley
2 stars
It makes me sad that my first work by this author was a miss.
Our own humanity is a form of time in this SF Dystopia and I appreciated that message, but this story did not worked for me.

“All Manner of Thing Shall Be” by Olivie Blake
2 stars
Satire and social commentary. Time travel with vampires. It sounds brilliant and maybe as an idea it was. The characers were quie original and eccentric, but I just could not get emotionaly invested in them.
Not a memorable reading experience unfortunately.

“Cronus” by P. Djèlí Clark
5 stars
Only white oligarchs being able to time travel in a segregated dystopian future and how they used that alongside AI to change the historical narrative.
While this was a SF it was incredible scary how closely it hit home as we already see white supremacist leaders trying to erase the past and rewrite history.
I don’t want to reveal to much as this is such an impactful reading experience, so I am just going to gush spoiler free about what I loved.
An amazing premise, great plot that turns quite adventurous as it is progressing , a sister-brother bond that is not by blood and a cool organization of resistance.
I loved this short story so much and I could have infinite more future adventures with this cast of characters.

[Robin (Bridge Four) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Like most collections it is a mixed bag. Individual story ratings included below.

3 Days, 9 Months, 27 Years By John Scalzi narrated by Hillgartner Malcolm - ✰✰✰✰.5
Duration: 1h 4 mins 🎧
This was a very enjoyable day in the life of a tech at a time travel tourism facility. Scalzi built an interesting world in which you could go to a point in history and spend a very specific amount of time there (reasons). I thought it was well thought out and so interesting with a bit of a surprise at the end. Scalzi was able to build a believable world / system in about an hour with his definite flare and humor mixed in. If you like time travel stories I liked this one the best of the series.

"I gassed the client with a tranquilizing spray."

Audio: I enjoyed the narrator voice. It was rich and fit the discovery channel way the information was being presented in the story.

Making Space by R. F. Kuang narrated by Kristie Lee Walsh - ✰✰✰
Duration: 54 mins 🎧

More time travel adjacent story in the bunch. A couple finds a child in the woods and decides to keep him. The child is strange and seems to know about events before they happen like they are past elements to him. While this was an intriguing story it went a bit sideways for me in the end. For me it almost ruined the story but for some it will just be something that haunts them. But let’s just call it an impactful moment and go on from there.

Props to R.F. Kuang for building a mysterious and ominous atmosphere very well.

Audio: The narrator was a good fit for the voice of the PoV. The tension and ominousness built well through her performance.

For A Limited Time Only by Peng Shepherd narrated by Jonathan Davis - ✰✰✰✰
Duration: 1 h 13 mins 🎧

I’ve never read anything by Peng Shepherd but this made me want to look into some of her other works as she pretty much broke my heart in a very short time.

Russ is a traveling salesman, time traveling that is. His job is to go into the recent past and sell companies on making or buying one product over another. Board with the day to day of it he wants to move to futures where he can go forward in time instead. He has always been denied a transfer and we the reader are about to find out why.

An interesting and emotionally intense listen.

Audio: The voice of Russ as he learns why he is has been stuck in this job helped to break my heart. Very strong performance emotionally. There are a lot of time transitions that sometimes didn’t translate well however that was not specifically a narration issue but compounded by both writing and narration.

A Visit To The Husband Archive by Kaliane Bradley narrated by Mirai - ✰✰✰
Duration: 1 hour 🎧

What a strange a weird story. I liked that the reader/listener had to go along for the ride to figure out what was really going on. In this dystopian world you can go to the husband archive to get an intimate partner. Ester has just checked out her Husband, much like you would check out a library book. He is older, but they have said those are better than the newer husbands. They usually don’t go crazy and need to be killed.

I will say the time travel reveal aspect was crazy! I wish there had been more time in the story to explore that. I also spent a good amount of time trying to figure out if Ester was an android or a real person but it did make more sense after the reveal. That said I would have loved to have a novella length to do more of the worldbuilding and explanation this book really needed.

Audio: Interesting accent chosen that added to the mystery of the story. Good character separation and voice pacing choices.

All Manner Of Thing Shall Be by Olivie Blake narrated by David Montieth - ✰✰.5
Duration: 1 hour 21 mins 🎧

I was confused…like so confused that I restarted this story thinking I missed things…I didn’t. There is a house full of people, I think they are all vampires, except maybe one of them (still unclear) and the reader follows each of the characters through a day in their life, the same day because it is looping. One of the vampires is trying to kill someone, one is trying to save something and one is just trying to get through a day in Jr. High without her “fake mother” devouring everyone at the PTA.

The confusing feeling never went away and while all of the characters were interesting there were just so many in a very short story that it all just felt like chaos.

Audio: The narrator gave a good performance and capture the different character voices well. I liked his voice and accent choices.

Cronus by P. Djèlí Clark narrated by A’rese Emokpae – cannot rate dnf’d about 10 minutes in.
Duration: 1 hour 29 mins 🎧

This is a story that was not for me. It started a bit slow and the “racism” of the characters who are rich and time travel was not only over the top but seemed to radiate “rich white man bad” in a comically flat way. I don’t think I could have made it through an hour or more of that.

[MikaReadsFantasy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Time Traveller’s Passport presents a spectrum of time-travel stories that range from inventive and emotionally resonant to confusing and disjointed. As with many anthologies, the experience varies widely from entry to entry, resulting in a collection that is intriguing but uneven.

Story Assessments

★ ★ ★ ½ – 3 Days, 9 Months, 27 Years by John Scalzi
This story follows the operator of a time machine used by clients for casual historical tourism. Its matter-of-fact tone initially reads like a dry description of a routine job, but the narrative eventually shifts in an unexpected and intriguing direction. The blending of mundane procedure with speculative possibility creates a quietly clever contribution to the anthology.

★ ★ – Making Space by R. F. Kuang
A childless couple takes in a mysterious boy in a story that aims for ominous tension but lands instead in confusion. Graphic destruction, unclear motivations, and a discomforting tone overshadow the thematic exploration of parenthood and responsibility. The narrative’s intent becomes difficult to parse, resulting in a disorienting reading experience.

★ ★ ★ ★ ½ – For a Limited Time Only by Peng Shepherd
This piece explores a time-traveling salesman in search of life’s most meaningful moments. Strong characterizations, thoughtful pacing, and an effective story structure create an emotionally engaging narrative. While the ending may be predictable, its execution remains satisfying, and the time-travel system is both clear and compelling.

★ – A Visit to the Husband Archive by Kaliane Bradley
Set in a dystopian world of memory and identity, this story presents challenging character dynamics and worldbuilding that never fully cohere. The bleak tone, the heavy emphasis on the characters’ sex lives, and a time-travel element that feels peripheral contribute to an overall sense of disconnect. The ending reinforces the story’s bleakness without offering resolution.

★ – All Manner of Thing Shall Be by Olivie Blake
This story of vampiric frenemies confronting immortality features dense, verbose prose and extensive backstory infodumps that significantly slow the narrative. The plot progression struggles to emerge amid the stylistic excess. The audiobook narration, however, is notably strong and brings energy to the text even as the story itself falters.

★ ★ ★ ★ – Cronus by P. Djèlí Clark
A young Black woman navigating a segregated dystopian future anchors this engaging and well-constructed story. Themes of racism are woven effectively into the time-travel framework, while the alternate-history setting feels fresh and sharply imagined. The narrative introduces a compelling mystery and a world rich enough to support a longer work.

Audiobook Narration

The anthology’s narration is consistently solid, with some performances offering distinctive energy and character. Others take a more monotone approach, which diminishes emotional nuance. Production quality remains strong throughout, even when individual performances vary.

Overall Impression:
The Time Traveller’s Passport delivers a wide array of concepts and tones, resulting in an anthology that contains both standout stories and weaker entries. Its strongest pieces showcase inventive uses of time travel and memorable character work, while others struggle with clarity or cohesion. The collection remains worth exploring for its high points, bolstered by generally competent audiobook narration.

A big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Brilliance Publishing for giving me the opportunity to listen to an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Renato · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was very pleased with this speculative collection of stories, each of which had a very Twilight Zone feel to them.

★3 Days, 9 Months, 27 Years By John Scalzi★
A story of a clerk at a Time Travelling travel service.

This is the most Scalzi thing you will have every read, as it is by (yes) Scalzi. The comic tone reminded me very much of a Love Death & Robot's episode called Alternative Histories, which I discovered was written by...yes: Scalzi Again!

★Making Space By R. F. Kuang★
This one creeps in on you - but I do not think it is as creepy as the author intended it to be.
I think this one could have benefitted from a bit of workshopping.
The concept is stirling gold, but the order of events seem a bit clumsy.

★For a Limited Time Only By Peng Shepherd★
Ugh - this one broke my heart!

★A Visit to the Husband Archive By Kaliane Bradley★
The least time-travel-y of the collection. It was okay - very alien.

★All Manner of Thing Shall Be By Olivie Blake★
Imagine if the What We Do in the Shadow's characters also had access to a time travelling bus?
And the time travel is not used for mature reasons at all?

A lot of drole silliness in this one (poor Magellan) including a nice twist that you should have already seen coming again...?

★Cronus By P. Djèlí Clark★
After finishing Ring Shout, the only thing that I wanted from Clark was an in-the-same-world-of-Ring-Shout follow up. Not anymore - Cronus needs to be realized into a full novel. The story is TOO GOOD.

In a world where Time Traveller tourism is a thing, what happens if the service is in the hands of the super rich who may have their own agenda? And where people suffer from False-Memory-Psychosis, where victims are haunted visions and memories from the original timeline (our timeline) that do not exist because they were changed (are currently being changed) by rich white people in power?

[Grace -thewritebooks]

Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for an eARC in exchange for an honest review

So much weird stuff!!! I requested this because of Olivie Blake and RF Kuang but had a blast with all six stories, and found them all unique in their own horrible and unsettling ways.
There is something particularly grim about reading a book where so much of our present seems to be presented as one of the Worst Possible Outcomes and, not personally being a much of a dystopia fan, I wondered whether this would take away from my enjoyment of the book. However, as is the case with a lot of sci-fi/horror/dystopia (or like everything I guess idk), despite the backdrop of time-travel each story had its own moral and ethical themes to play around with that really took centre stage. Was particularly enthralled by the motherhood one, so exceedingly sinister and yet at the same time I was right behind them all the way.
Overall, a very curious collection that makes some very interesting talking points!

[Victoria Wu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scalzi: boooooo
kuang: savage and touching as always.
Shepherd: well damn.
Bradley: my head hurts.
Olivie: I was mistaken. NOW my head hurts. Lol girl wut???
Clark: y’all ever hear Christina Aguilera talk about how her mom used to put her in little small town singing competitions full of sweet little small town 10 year old girls doing their best imitations of their favorite singers? And then she shows up with her voice and suddenly no one is having fun anymore?
Four stars just for this one.

[Hana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this collection of short stories! I was already familiar with the authors so I had pretty high expectations going into this, and I wasn’t disappointed. While some were better than others, even my least favourite was an enjoyable read. I especially liked how unique each author’s take was on time travel — some of the stories really took me by surprise and had me wishing they were longer.

Below are individual reviews for each story:

“3 days, 9 months, 27 years” by John Scalzi
4.25 ⭐️
This was so immersive and interesting, and I loved the narrative style. It might not be for everyone, but I really liked how detached we were from the narrator until the very end. The sudden narrowing of the perspective made for really interesting storytelling.


“Making Space” by R.F. Kuang
2.75⭐️
I think R.F. Kuang’s characterization just doesn’t work for me; her characters rarely feel as fleshed out and nuanced as I’d like them to be, and this was particularly apparent in this shorter form story. That said, I still enjoyed the story overall and I liked the prose and atmosphere, I just didn’t find it as memorable as some of the other stories in this collection.


“For a Limited Time Only” by Peng Shepherd
3.75⭐️
This was beautifully structured and heartbreaking. The plot itself was somewhat predictable, but the character work is what really made this story shine — I didn’t find myself bored despite anticipating the ending pretty early on.


“A Visit to the Husband Archive” by Kaliane Bradley
4⭐️
The prose threw me off at first and I didn’t expect to rate this story so highly, but it made sense in time and ultimately really worked to set the tone. This was such a fascinating approach to time travel (more time travel adjacent) and I could easily see this being a full length novel.


“All Manner of Thing Shall Be” by Olivie Blake
2.5⭐️
I know Olivie Blake’s prose isn’t for everyone, but I really like it! That said, if you aren’t a fan of her novels, you probably won’t like this either.
Unfortunately, this was probably my least favourite in the anthology. While I enjoyed the prose and found the characters charming, the plot meandered and felt like it ultimately went nowhere. I don’t typically mind this, but I don’t think it worked with the short story format — we didn’t spend enough time with the characters to grow attached so I wish the plot had been a bit tighter.


“Cronus” by P. Djèlí Clark
4.5⭐️
I really loved how this story unfolded. It had an amazing premise, great character work, and the pacing was spot-on. P. Djèlí Clark has this incredible ability to slowly peel back the layers of a narrative and bring everything to light at the perfect moment, and I had a great time reading this.


Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

[Savitri (IG: abookishcookie) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Special thanks to Amazon Publishing for the gifted audiobook collection!

I absolutely enjoyed listening to this digital and audio-only anthology featuring six mega authors! If you love speculative or sci fi with time travel as the central theme, do not pass this one up! This collection is also FREE for Amazon Prime and Kindle Unlimited subscribers 😵

3 Days, 9 Months, 27 Years By John Scalzi narrated by Hillgartner Malcolm
Duration: 1h 4 mins 🎧

Making Space by R. F. Kuang narrated by Kristie Lee Walsh
Duration: 54 mins 🎧

For A Limited Time Only by Peng Shepherd narrated by Jonathan Davis
Duration: 1 h 13 mins 🎧

A Visit To The Husband Archive by Kaliane Bradley narrated by Mirai
Duration: 1 hour 🎧

All Manner Of Thing Shall Be by Olivie Blake narrated by David Montieth
Duration: 1 hour 21 mins 🎧

Cronus by P. Djèlí Clark narrated by A’rese Emokpae
Duration: 1 hour 29 mins 🎧

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
My five star favorites were the stories narrated by Hillgartner Malcolm, Kristie Lee Walsh & A’rese Emokpae 😍

[Dani Boise · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a wild collection of stories! I found several of these quite thought-inducing. They center on time travel as a plot driver and I found this fascinating.

Overall, the stories were intriguing, kept me guessing, and made me think about life as we know it. With character-driven plots, these stories would be great for any sci-fi fans or anyone that wants to dabble, since they are all shorts!

The standouts for me were:

Cronus -- this has a scary (in the sense of what the world could look like) storyline that resolved wonderfully [I'm always HERE FOR BA women main characters]

For a Limited Time Only -- when you realize why Russ keeps getting denied his transfer request *tears*

3 Days, 9 Months, 27 Years -- a little more 'technical' at times but I loved the resolution of this one for the MC

[Jacub · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ~

Best to Worst IMO

1. Making Space by R.F. Kuang
2. Cronus by P. Djèlí Clark
3. For a Limited Time Only by Peng Shepard
4. 3 Days, 9 Months, 27 Years by John Scalzi
5. A Visit to the Husband Archive by Kailane Bradley
6. All Manner of Thing Shall Be by Olive Blake

1 & 2 were amazing!!! 3-5 I could put in any order, they were good! 6… oh how this only reminds me why I don’t like Olive Blake’s writing style

[Jolie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this collection from Netgalley.

This was a collection of short stories by several authors featuring time travel.

All but one (All Matter ofThing Shall Be) were relatively enjoyable reads. They were all bittersweet and some had a Black Mirror vibe. The Husband Archive was a pretty interesting one with fully fleshed out characters, and I wouldn't have minded if it were longer.

The last story really reminded me of season 2 of the Umbrella Academy and how awful segregation was, along with how the world would've been if it were allowed to continue.

[Emily A]

mixed bag

scalzi and djeli clark had fantastic stories.

enjoyed kugan's

the others... meh

[Amber Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 days, 9 months, 27 years: 3.25 stars
Making Space: 4
For A Limited Time Only: 4
A Visit To The Husband Archive: 3.25
All Manner of Thing Shall Be: 3
Cronus: 3.5

Overall rating: 3.5

[zinikornis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such an amazing collection of short stories! They were all about time travel, as the collection's title suggests, and they were similar in themes but differing in genres a bit. Through mostly dystopian and sci-fi vibes, the mood was consistent over the 6 stories: baffling, jaw-dropping, mind-boggling, sometimes dark, dystopian, and always with an unexpected twist and an ending left hanging halfway in the best way possible.

———

3 DAYS, 9 MONTHS, 27 YEARS BY JOHN SCALZI
The story was a great beginning to the collection. Maybe on its own as a short story it would've been redundant to dedicate so much space for establishing the world, but in a collection it worked perfectly to ease us into the overall mood of this collection, in my opinion. It was also a bit milder emotionally than the other tales, but had a huge, mind-boggling twist at the end that I was not expecting (maybe I'm just not used to the genre/theme). I enjoyed it immensely, definitely one of my favorite stories from this collection.
5/5

MAKING SPACE BY R.F. KUANG
I was a bit freaked out at first by this story (maybe that was enhanced by me listening to it while walking at night), then I thought it was also a bit more mellow, kind—and finally, it turned freaky again. I was enjoying this story as well, but I wasn't as invested as I was in the other tales. The twist wasn't as impactful either. But still, it was a great read (or listen), a freaky, dark-ish, interesting short story.
4/5

FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY BY PENG SHEPHERD
This was heart-wrenching. I think the story itself maybe would've been a bit mellow, but the emotional charge adds a whole extra star to this story's rating. Very sad, well-written, but a bit average story.
4/5

A VISIT TO THE HUSBAND ARCHIVE BY KALIANE BRADLEY
Honestly, a bit forgettable. I was very interested in the beginning to see how this story progresses, as it had a very promising base idea, but the end was disappointing to me. It wasn't a big twist or an emotional turn; felt like "just a few sentences". Still, I enjoyed the world, the idea, the characters, the pacing.
3/5

ALL MANNER OF THING SHALL BE BY OLIVIE BLAKE
Oooh, this one was so fun! This was the one—might I say: sorely needed!—truly humorous story in this collection, and I enjoyed it to bits. The end wasn't so much a twist, but a real, closed ending for once, with the twist happening more in the middle, and that also gave this tale a unique spin within the collection. I adored the writing style as well, the choice of words, and especially the characters, who are the center of this whole tale. The other one of my favorites in this collection!
5/5

CRONUS BY P. DJELI CLARK
This one fell flat for me. I understand the intention, but it didn't speak to me. I felt like I was reading an activist's letter or something. The story spent way too much time explaining the world and the "right" ways, and emphasizing the intention of the story (that should usually be the 'unsung' part, the underlying current the readers pick up on and analyze on their own), explaining it so blatantly makes the reader feel like the author doesn't trust me to be able to interpret my own way through a story. Additionally, it didn't help that the whole concept of this 'underground society' felt like a cult at the first glance and it kept feeling like that the deeper we got into it. Just because someone is convincing and tells you things aggressively, maybe it doesn't mean you should let them tinker with your mind immediately? Or maybe just this concept, or this solution to the main issue, didn't fit the short story format.
2/5

Overall, a very well done, nicely curated list of mind-boggling time travel stories. I must give the whole collection 4,5 stars (rounded up to 5).

———

I would like to thank NetGalley and the author for the opportunity of reading this book.

Please note that this is my subjective opinion. I believe each and every author has a right to and deserves fair, honest feedback from their readers, which I am aiming to provide. I adore every author's creativity, bravery and commitment to writing, finishing and publishing a work of art.

#TheTimeTravelersPassport #NetGalley

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ll admit time travel is a trope I usually avoid (like the plague, literally and figuratively), but the author lineup for this collection was too good to pass up!

3 Days, 9 Months, 27 Years by John Scalzi: In Scalzi’s typical style, the science is accessibly explained, although his brand of humour is mostly missing. We follow a time machine technician as they explain their job: pushing the buttons to send people back in and out of time. The process in the world he’s created is interesting and believable and the ending twist is thought provoking, allowing us to contemplate responsibility and morality. The story turned out to be more serious than I thought it would be considering the author, but I appreciated its interesting world building and thought provoking themes. (4 stars)

Making Space by R. F. Kuang: In just a few pages, the author sets up a subtle tone of suspenseful unease: a runner finds a mysterious boy in the woods and it all goes wrong (or right?) when they discover who he actually is. I was compelled to read on to figure out the origins of the boy (although I assumed aliens, forgetting there’s a theme to the short stories in the collection). The twist, though set up, is quite forceful, and though the ending seems contrived I really was hooked! (3 stars)

For a Limited Time by Peng Shepherd: How do you live in the future if, in the present, it’s your job to go to the past? Sure, betting on capitalist ventures is a sure thing, but how do you deal with life when bad news hits your family? I had to suspend my disbelief and just accept some of the science and timey-wimey stuff, but overall this one just breaks your heart. I’ve never read anything by this author but would certainly read more. (4 stars)

A Visit to the Husband Archive by Kaliane Bradley: I don’t even know how to describe the plot of this. Right away the world building signalled this was going to be just a bit different, and the author kept up my interest as I read on to figure out what was going on. But, I don’t think I ever figured it out, and instead it was just depressingly strange and unsettling. That being said, this was certainly creative and left me wanting more as there were so many unanswered questions. (2 stars)

All Manner of Thing Shall Be by Olivie Blake: I’ve enjoyed this author’s work in the past (including the shorts stories in Januaries) so had high hopes for this - and at least in terms of characters and writing style it did not disappoint. Various subtypes of vampires live together (intentionally peacefully or not) and use a time machine in a tourist bus to literally pass the time. What happens when they realize they’re stuck in a time loop? I do appreciate the author’s writing style and found the characters interesting, but I never was really sure what was going on. I think in this case, the author’s style of wordiness was just too much, though I’d read more if this were longer. (3 stars)

Cronus by P. Djèlí Clark: A history lesson with time travel and rampant racism. Our main character is a time travel agent in the near future that resembles the near past, as racial segregation upheld by false memories and white supremacy reign. But that’s all about to change. I’ve read a lot by this author and this one does not disappoint! As usual his world is interesting and so plausible I got sucked in by the injustice and kept reading to see if goodness prevailed. The story concludes effectively, but I wanted to know more and would’ve kept reading a longer work to find out what happened! (5 stars)

I’m still not a bit fan of the trope, but overall this was an interesting collection that is worth the read for any speculative fiction fan!

Thank you to Netgalley and Amazon Original Stories for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[To Read Toad · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection is fantastic — six short time travel stories that each bring something unique and imaginative to the table. Apart from R. F. Kuang, I hadn’t read anything by these authors before, and this was such a brilliant way to dip my toe into their writing styles and the time travel side of sci-fi (a genre I’ve recently reconnected with after being an avid fan in my teens).

Each story feels distinct — some hit, some didn’t— but all share that spark of wonder that makes time travel strange, weird and so endlessly fascinating.

A perfect bite-sized collection for both sci-fi veterans and newcomers alike.

3 Days, 9 Months, 27 Years by John Scalzi Deeply philosophical and introspective, Scalzi’s story reads like a thought experiment packing a surprising amount of meaning into so few pages. It’s reflective, clever, and ends with a twist (4 Stars).

Making Space by R. F. Kuang A familiar voice in Kuang’s writing. Sharp, unsettling, and brilliantly layered. Everything I expect from her, distilled into a compact, provocative short story.
There’s so much here: identity, belonging, tension, a creeping discomfort that sits just with you. It feels like Kuang — just in miniature.
I can’t help thinking that if this had been longer, if I’d had time to truly fall for (or rage against) the characters, this would’ve been a five-star read. But for me, it missed a little spark — so it lands as a solid 3.

For a Limited Time Only by Peng Shepard Now this one was interesting. For a Limited Time Only is a haunting reminder of how fragile and fleeting life really is. A quiet, emotional punch that makes you rethink how you spend the time you’re given (4 stars).

A Visit to the Husbands Archive by Kaliane Bradley Wow, this was unsettling. Bradley has such a sharp, magnetic writing style — the kind that makes you desperate for more pages, more answers, more world. This really needs to be a longer story.
A book about how memory informs identity, society, relationships, language, art, music…everything. It’s creepily dystopian. Horrifically alien. I loved it. 5 stars!

All Manner of Things Shall Be by Olivie Blake Feels like ‘What We Do In the Shadows’ meets a time traveling bus… and a house that time has forgot. I’ve not quite got my head around this one. 2 stars.

Cronus by P. Djèlí Clark Hell. Yes. This story absolutely delivered. Dark, sharp, and uncomfortably relevant — the kind of story that sits in your stomach like a warning. Loved it! 5 STARS!
Clark weaves time travel with razor-edged social commentary on racism, segregation, misogyny, and power. It gave me that eerie, uneasy feeling…the kind that tells you a story isn’t just good, it’s saying something important.
Cronus explores the terrifying ease with which control begins: censorship, banning media, rewriting history. And alongside that is a fierce reminder of why stories matter — literature, memory, truth and how revolutions begin with one idea shared.


Thank you to Net Galley for the ARC, in exchange for an honest review.

[Vivian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Moving between humour, heartbreak, eerie mystery and social commentary, each story reveals a different facet of the time travel genre. Some pieces soar, other stumble, but together they form an inventive, engaging showcase of how time travel can illuminate identity, memory and power.

3 Days, 9 Months, 27 Years by John Scalzi
A sharp, inventive twist on time travel that feels like a philosophical thought experiment. Crisp, tech-leaning explanations are threaded through glimpses of eccentric travellers and a dryly amused operator who shepherds them, giving the whole thing a sly, understated humour. The twist is clever and arrives swiftly - almost too swiftly - a fatalistic flash rather than a deep dive. Delightfully witty and creative.
4/5

Making Space by R.F. Kuang
Making Space leans more into parenthood than time travel, anchored by Kuang’s talent for building an ominous, creeping dread. But the thin character work and rushed plot undercut the emotional impact this kind of story needs. The idea of making - and taking up - space is intriguing, but it's presented too simply to be truly compelling. A strong premise that never quite pays off.
2/5

For A Limited Time Only by Peng Sheppard
Quietly devastating, Shepard uses time travel as a powerful vehicle to explore family, grief and the fierce importance of spending our time wisely. The character work is excellent and the non-linear timeline not only makes perfect sense but heightens the story's emotional impact. And when the reveal comes, it lands with perfect, heartbreaking clarity.
5/5

A Visit to the Husband Archive by Kaliane Bradley
More weird fic than scifi, built on a stack of ideas the short frame can’t fully explore. Bradley plays with time as something we hold and can lose, tying it beautifully to memory and identity. The atmosphere is eerie and dystopian, the mystery tight and the emotional depth hits hard - the interaction between the pair, the husband’s unsettling position, the ache of what’s missing. Ambiguous but powerful.
4/5

All Manner of Things Shall Be by Olivie Blake
Vampires, time loops, supernatural housemates, forced share housing - it’s a lot even before the time travel, which lands like an afterthought and barely matters. The plot wavers between overly dense and basically nonexistent, and the sprawling cast doesn’t get enough room to breathe. There are flashes of humour and intriguing ideas but it feels like Blake tried to cram a novel’s worth of chaos into a few dozen pages. For me, it simply didn’t work.
1/5

Cronus by P. Djèlí Clark
Sharp and staggering, Cronus explores the terrifying ease with which power can rewrite history. Themes of racism, sexism and inequality hit hard, and the dystopian fallout is chilling in how closely it echoes present social issues. Tightly written yet rich in depth, it's a compelling in an uncanny way - like staring into a mirror and glimpsing a distorted but recognisable reflection.
5/5

My thanks to Amazon Original Stories for a copy of The Time Traveler's Passport collection.

[Quill (thecriticalreader) · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

Although filled with stories by talented, creative authors, The Time Traveler’s Passport is filled with more hits than misses.

I was pretty excited to get an ARC copy of The Time Traveler’s Passport to listen to for a long drive! This year I have made it a goal to read as many time travel stories as possible, and the collection is filled with authors whose other works I have enjoyed. Sadly, I was not a big fan of most of these stories.

“3 Days, 9 Months, 27 Years” by John Scalzi: 2/5
Narration: Decent

Review: Most of this story wasn’t a story at all, but rather Scalzi explaining his concept of time travel tourism to the reader. It’s a fun but pretty basic system of time travel. At times, Scalzi repeats his explanation of how time travel works in his story so much it feels like he thinks his audience is too stupid to understand. The actual plot is weak compared to the buildup.

“Making Space” by R.F. Kuang: 1/5
Narration: Could be a me problem, but I could not stand the narrator for this one

Review: I could be biased because I hated the audiobook narration so much, but this one did not land for me. I couldn’t tell if the main character is supposed to be sympathetic or not, but I hated her. Nothing about this story felt realistic to me.

“For a Limited Time Only” by Peng Shepherd: 2.25/5
Narration: Narrator did a good job of giving each character a distinct voice and immersing the reader in the pathos of the story.

Review: Goodness, this one was a tear-jerker. But of course it is—it’s about a kid with cancer. I’m not sure the time travel element adds a whole lot to the story, however.

“A Visit to the Husband Archive” by Kaliane Bradley: 3.25/5
Narration: Decent

Review: This story is the most experimental of the six stories. It’s desolate exploration into the fundamental nature of humanity reminded me a bit of Flowers for Algernon and I Who Have Never Known Men, although the themes are not explored as powerfully here. Bradley’s prose is beautiful.

“All Manner of Things Shall Be” by Olivie Blake: 4.5/5
Narration: Fun and dynamic

Review: This story might feel a bit overly quirky/twee for some people, but I loved the wild cast of characters and the humor in this story. Blake pokes fun at modern life with an inventive premise. I laughed out loud throughout and finished wanting to read more about these characters.

“Cronus” by P. Djèlí Clark: 1.5/5
Narration: Strong
The plot and concept felt too bland and didactic for my taste (especially compared to some of his other works), although I appreciate what Clark is trying to do with the story. I could always predict where it was going; it never challenged me or surprised me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[John Deardurff · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Time Traveler’s Passport Collection is an anthology of six standalone time-travel stories edited by John Joseph Adams and penned by a diverse cast of authors. Most of the stories miss the mark for me and do not belong in this series. I would only recommend reading three of the six as individual instalments outside of this “collection”.

3 Days, 9 Months, 27 Years (John Scalzi) – 4 stars
The narrator is just your average technician that works at the local time travel office. Tourists, historians, and assassins can choose a 3-day, 9 months, or 27-year journey to the past. But those realities do not have any effect on their current reality. The chances of getting rich and famous are just as likely as getting leprosy or being eaten by a T-Rex. Nice twist at the end that suggests part of my review is not entirely accurate... at least in this reality.

Making Space (R.F. Kuang) – 2 stars
A childless couple takes in a mysterious boy. That’s the story and then it gets depressing. The focus is on parenthood and sacrifice and is only loosely connected to the “time travel” premise. This installment offers almost no actual time travel elements, making it feel somewhat out of place.

For a Limited Time Only (Peng Shepherd) – 3 stars
Russ is a time traveling salesman working for Oracle Marketing Solutions in the monotonous “near past” division, endlessly commuting through time while wishing for bigger adventures. The premise could have been fun, but turned into a depressing story of loss, mourning, and people stuck in a limited time; only.

A Visit to the Husband Archive (Kaliane Bradley) – 3 stars
Journey to a future dystopian society, where widespread memory loss affects the majority of the population. Individuals of different genders who are housed within the husband archives are resistant to this condition. The narrative follows Ester as she chooses a husband named John. John had been archived because he remembered books; not just what they were, but what they were supposed to do. Still seems to miss the time travel aspect of this collection, but third in my list of favorites.

All Manner of Thing Shall Be (Olivie Blake) – 2 stars
This struggled to integrate into the sci-fi framing. A story of immortals with centuries of clashing personalities that are stuck in a temporal loop. Basically, Groundhog Day for Ghosts. I did discover that this author is not someone I will revisit.

Cronus (P. Djèlí Clark) – 4 stars
Annabeth is introduced as a young Black woman navigating life in a segregated dystopian future. She keeps a low profile while working at CRONUS, a time-travel tourism company that caters mainly to wealthy, white clients. She doesn't support the system; instead, she endures it because standing up feels too risky and hopeless. The story's worldbuilding sets it apart, and although it didn't quite surpass my top choice, it stands out as my second favorite in the collection, delivering more of an impact than the other stories.

[Lois · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the premise of this anthology and enjoyed the majority of the stories.

3 Days, 9 Months, 27 Years
This was easily my second favorite story in this anthology.
This story features a technician who assists customers who are time traveling using the company’s equipment. This had a reveal I deeply enjoyed. This felt like a larger story and I find myself craving more.

My husband is a huge Scalzi fan, this is the first story I’ve read that’s written by him. It definitely won’t be my last.
This audiobook is narrated by Malcolm Hillgartner.

Making Space
This was weird in all of the best ways. This story is largely focused on the wife of a couple and the child they are fostering. This story has an eerie quality to it. This audiobook is narrated by Kristie Lee Walsh.

For a Limited Time Only
This is focused on Russ, his co-workers and their families. Russ’ company handles time travel to the past and future. This focuses on personal and emotional uses for time travel.
This audiobook is narrated by Jonathan Davis

A Visit to the Husband Archive
This is weird and interesting. I quite enjoyed the basis for this story which is somewhat dystopian in nature. This does explore time travel but in a very unique way. This has elements of humor and horror.
This audiobook is narrated by Mirai

All Manner of Thing Shall Be
This is heavily satirized and has something to say about our current society. While I do like this author this story is probably my least favorite in this anthology. Time traveling vampires add a layer of charm but it isn’t enough to make this story work.
This audiobook is narrated by David Monteith

Cronus
This is my favorite story in this anthology. I actually discovered this author through another short story of his called, ‘The Secret Lives of the Nine Negro Teeth of George Washington’. This story is easily my favorite short story I’ve ever read. So Cronus had a lot to live up to and did not disappoint in the slightest.
This is set in a dystopian future that feels like a logical conclusion to our current timeline. This deals with racism and white supremacy in very direct ways. This story shook me because I could easily understand the scenario as well as see the parallels in our current society.
This audiobook is narrated by A'rese Emokpae

Thank you to John Scalzi, R.F. Kuang, Peng Shepard, Kailene Bradley, Olivia Blake, P. Djèlí Clark, Brilliance Publishing/Amazon Original Stories, and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook anthology. All opinions and viewpoints expressed in this review are my own.

[Molly ♍️✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

These were all a lot of fun and rekindled my love for speculative sci-fi. I've reviewed them separately as each story is its own...

3 Days, 9 Months, 27 Years
The first in a series of short stories centred around time travel, and it was a gorgeous piece of storytelling!
It slowly catches you unaware while the narrator transcribes the events of their working day, working in the tourism time travel industry.
Simple, yet mind-puzzling, but truly rewarding!

Making Space
The second instalment of The Time Traveller's Passport, Making Space, instantly had me intrigued. I didn't see where this one was going. R.F. Kuang is an author I know and love. I haven't read any short-form work by her, but this was great. I found it the most eerie from the collection, and upsetting from an empathetic female perspective. Later, as the sci-fi aspect developed, it was both warming at times, but grew increasingly worrisome until it became unsettling. I enjoyed how it made me feel afterwards.

For a Limited Time Only
This short story started slowly for me, but it might have ended up being the most impactful overall out of the collection. The story is interesting, and bit by bit the threads weave together until the crux appears like a dagger in the chest. Beautifully done by Peng Shepherd, who is a new-to-me author, but I will definitely look out for their work in future

A Visit to the Husband Archive
A Visit to the Husband Archive had its hooks in me instantly. The premise was fabulous. I enjoyed going in with very little information and being drip-fed pieces. Eerie, yet I found beauty in it. This is the first story I have read by Kaliane Bradley, and I've now added The Ministry of Time to my TBR.

All Manner of Thing Shall Be
In typical Olivie Blake, roll with it, and you will be rewarded!
Vampires, teen mood swings, Helen Mirren PTA, assassinations, and déjà vu. It's one hell of a wacky ride.
The ending was sweet and fun, a great addition to The Time Traveler's Passport collection.

Cronus
P. Djèlí Clark ended this collection with a bang! I loved this, truly. I don't want to say too much about the plot so readers can enjoy it for themselves, but I would 100% read a full-length novel based on this if the author were inspired to go down that route.

Thank you to NetGalley and Brilliance Publishing for an ALC of this audiobook as part of The Time Traveler Passport collection.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

First, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

As a science fiction fan, it was tough for me to pass up this collection of 6 short stories from various popular authors in the sci-fi and fantasy genres, even though I'm not typically a huge fan of the time travel trope. It felt like a nice mix of tried and true authors for me, while also being exposed to authors I was not previously familiar with. I have read at least one full length novel by Scalzi, Kuang, and Clark. I have heard of Blake's novels, but Shepherd and Bradley were entirely new to me.

As with all short story collections, it's hit and miss, but there are enough hits to make the reading worthwhile. Scalzi's story was very Scalzi - if you like his stuff, I imagine you'll like this story too. Kuang's story had me intrigued the whole time and was fairly dark, which matched my experience with what I've read from her in the past. I was not prepared for how sad Shepherd's story was; definitely a tearjerker, but well written and made me curious to try something else of hers. Bradley's felt the most like a "classic" sci-fi story, along the lines of 1984 or Fahrenheit 451. Blake's was just odd and not for me. I admit I looked at other reviews when I finished, and I don't seem to be alone in saying that was my least favorite story. Definitely gave off What We Do in the Shadows energy, but while I love that show, the humor didn't come through as well here. I didn't hate the story, but I also didn't feel it added much to the collection, while the other stories had some real emotional heft to them. Clark's dealt with racism and classism, motifs that I've seen in the works of his I've previously read. It was an interesting riff on time travel and elitism, and I wish we got a little more of it beyond where it ended. Clark's story was the only one I felt like probably could have been developed into a full novel and still stayed interesting.

Overall, I'd say I liked Scazli and Clark's stories the most, then Shepherd and Kuang's, then Bradley's. The only one I didn't much care for was Blake's. Hey, 5/6 isn't bad - pretty good odds you'll find something here to like.

[Lyndsay Durbin · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 Days, 9 Months, 27 Years: 4
I enjoyed this! I worried that it might be a little too complicated at first for my baby sci-fi brain & thinking but it was well written and the time travel was well explained! I like the idea of having 3 days, 9 months or 27 years to live in a different place and time!

Making Space: 4.5
I was captivated by this story. I'm not sure my final feelings about it but I did enjoy the Time Travel and sci-fi parts of it. This was really a story about motherhood and what one would do for their child though and I think that was important

For a Limited Time Only: 5
I absolutely bawled when I came to the realization of what the major life moment of our MC was going to be. I think Peng wrote a devastating but poignant reminder about how you need to live in the moments that truly matter. I just wanted more time for him and his family.

A Visit to the Husband Archive: 4
I **think** this was much more of an alien-esque story and I enjoyed it. I liked the commentary on colonialization and the final conclusion about how even though Esther's husband says that she won't ever remember or learn anything, she does at least learn the tune/whistle that she learnt from Rosa the previous day. It doesn't sound like it would be enough for any sort of civilization comeback but it is slight resistance.

All Manner of Thing Shall Be: 2
I really don't think I understood anything about this. I listened to this one and I don't think the narrator worked for me. I don't think it was due to them but I just could not follow along with the story and the names. I don't understand this POV and how it fits in what feels like modern 20th century. Things made a bit more sense as we get closer to the end but the beginning and middle was very confusing.

Cronus: 5
This was very freakishly accurate to how I continuously feel like our timeline is going backwards through time right now. This was an interesting story, and I loved the bits of Black American history that was interwoven. I think this might be my favorite of the series but that may have also just been recency bias.

[Adrian · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Days, 9 Months, 27 Years by John Scalzi
2.5 stars
I feel like this short story reads more like an encyclopedia than a story. While it is mostly fine, there is a lot of defining going on that made it a little dry. I like exploring time traveling possibilities, but this took some of the fun out of it. The narrator was just ok as well (kind of read like an encyclopedia as well). 2.5 stars
Making Space by R. F. Kuang
4 stars
This was much more like a short thriller and more enjoyable than the first book. It had a somewhat weird ending, but I enjoyed it. The narrator was decent as well (3.75 stars).
For a Limited Time Only by Peng Shepherd
I don’t really know what happened in this one. I got confused on who was who and I felt like it either didn’t properly end or I just didn’t understand the ending. The narrator was ok (3 stars)
A Visit to the Husband Archive by Kaliane Bradley
2.3 stars
I kind of had no idea what was going on. It seems that there should be a little bit of a backstory for what was happening. I had no idea what was going on. I think that I would have enjoyed it more if I knew what was going on. The narrator was okay. (3.4 stars) They were able to change their voice between the man and the woman. That's all it was really, so it worked out.
All Manner of Thing Shall Be by Olivie Blake
2 stars
I also did not know what was going on in this book. It was a bit confusing to me. Later on I read that it was like vampires and stuff. That might have made more sense, but I didn't know what was going on. The narrator was okay (3.5 stars)
Cronus by P. Djèlí Clark
4.25 stars
I think this was the best one of the bunch. It was interesting, short, and brought up some curious points. What if some white racist nationalists had a time machine? Would they go back in time and make it to how things were just after the US reconstruction period? This story had an interesting premise, and I feel like it could be a longer novel. The narrator was ok as well (3.25 stars)

[Ines · Rating 4 out of 5]

John Scalzi’s 3 Days, 9 Months, 27 Years kicks things off brilliantly with a mix of wit, warmth, and a hint of existential dread. It’s funny, touching, and just a little chilling: a lovely reminder of how fleeting life and the future really are. Easily my favourite so far for its cleverness and emotional punch.

R.F. Kuang’s Making Space is darker and morally complex, delving into parenthood, responsibility, and the weight of future choices. Intriguing, but a bit unsettling and undercooked in places, leaving me with mixed feelings.

Peng Shepherd’s For a Limited Time Only is utterly heart-wrenching, a meditation on love, loss, and the inevitability of life’s events. The time-travel angle enhances the emotional depth rather than driving the plot, creating a nostalgic, tragic atmosphere that lingers.

Kaliane Bradley’s A Visit to the Husband Archive is ambitious and highly original, exploring memory, identity, and dystopian control. Striking in concept, though the brevity leaves me wanting more world-building and character depth to really get invested.

Olivie Blake’s All Manner of Things Shall Be didn’t quite land for me, coming across as a touch pretentious and rather confusing despite the time-loop conceit. Some might enjoy the quirky characters and abstract style, but it felt overambitious and tricky to follow.

Finally, P. Djèlí Clark’s Cronus stands out as one of the more grounded, socially aware pieces, exploring racism, power, and historical erasure through the lens of time travel. It’s chilling, thought-provoking, and timely, even if the short format leaves a few threads underdeveloped.

A varied collection overall, full of humour, poignancy, conceptual flair, and social commentary. Some stories hit harder than others IMO, but the range of voices and ideas makes it a thoroughly engaging read for fans of speculative fiction.

[Ilyse · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved seeing how the authors individually and uniquely created based on the prompt.

3 days, 9 months, 27 years
4 stars
Loved this story, it was dry but in a way that fit the feeling of the entire story. I really liked how we mostly got little glimspes into multiple other peoples lives and desires to time travel before getting anything about the narrator himself. ESPN liked the ending


Making Space
3.5 stars
This one felt very RF Kuang and I loved her take in a sci-fi/time travel story. I just wish we got a bit *more* time travel from this one. It also was a bit darker, like a lot of Kuangs work. She does dark so well.


For a Limited Time Only
4.25 stars
This one hurt, as the parent of a young child, but I really enjoyed it despite the tears. It wasnt as sweeping as some time travel stories, time travel wasnt really even the point, but it fed in so nicely.


A Visit to the Husband Archive
3.5 stars
This felt way more sci-fi than the previous short stories, it was weird in a way i wasnt expecting but I really enjoyed the twists and turns throughout the story.



All Manner of Thing Shall Be
4.5 stars
I love a good found family story, but a supernatrual vampiric found family written by Olivie Blake? Count me in. I appreciated the myriad character types and tropes she utilizes in this short story. I want a full book about this group, maybe a couple more PTA meetings.


Chronus
5 stars
They really saved the best for last. Not that I didn't enjoy the 5 earlier stories, but I really loved this one. The setting was so realistic while the premise was so intriguing and horrifying. This is the story I would least want to live in, by far, but it was the most interesting to think about.

Thank you Amazon Original Stories and NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

[sophie! · Rating 4 out of 5]

High quality collection of short stories focusing on time travel and its implications. I especially liked the focus on the implications of time travel, and the way that it was used to question modern systems.
3 Days, 9 Months, 27 Years (4/5) - I felt like this was at least partially influenced by The Sound of Thunder by Ray Bradbury (which happens to be one of my favorite sci fi short stories of all time). A bit heavy on the exposition but I enjoyed the ending.

Making Space (4/5) - Good for her. I can't find it in me to review any further without spoilers. Protect Buddy at all costs.

For a Limited Time Only (4/5) - Sweet story about family and how the modern working system can get in the way. The time skips in this one weren't always entirely clear - I think this was purposeful, but it ended up leaving me confused.

A Visit to the Husband Archives (3.5/5) - Enjoyable but I struggled to understand the state that the world was in and how exactly it got there. I felt like there was symbolism in this story that I didn't pick up on. I could see some reoccurring motifs, but I didn't understand their significance in the larger story. I would love to discuss this in a group setting.

All Manner of Things Shall Be (3.5/5) - It felt like I walked into an episode of What We Do in the Shadows halfway into the episode and never entirely figured out the plot. I liked the found family elements, and the various stereotypes that the housemates seemed to take shape in, but this was probably my least favorite.

Cronus (4/5) - I liked this a lot but I was a bit sad that this is only a short story. I really wish that I could get a novel length version of this story.

Thank you to Amazon Original Stories for an advance copy in exchange for an open and honest review.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been on a little bit of a (sci-fi) short story kick recently, although this anthology differs from the others in that it contains stories written by different authors rather than the same one - some that I have read before, and some that I have not, which gave rise to some interesting observations:

3 Days, 9 Months, 27 Years: 4.5 stars. Entertaining premise and a well-done twist. I've heard of John Scalzi before but had not read his stuff, but now I'm intrigued.

Making Space: 3 stars. If you know me you know I love R. F. Kuang but this one was sort of meh for me. I can see some of the themes that she was trying to commentate on but it was underdeveloped and not as strong as some of the other entries in the anthology.

For A Limited Time Only: 4 stars. À la Arrival/Story of Your Life, which I loved, and I will say Peng Shepherd does do a good job of crafting deep, emotional familial connections.

A Visit to the Husband Archive: 3.5 stars. Weird, not in a totally bad way, and also genuinely bleak in a way that most of the others weren't. Not quite as compelling as some of the others for me but interesting nonetheless.

All Manner of Thing Shall Be: 2 stars. Boring, pretentious, overwrought, as I've come to expect from all of Olivie Blake's other writing that I've tried (and failed) to engage with. Tries to be What We Do In The Shadows except with absolutely none of what makes What We Do In The Shadows compelling.

Cronus: 4.5 stars. Another story that will be making me check out the author, P. Djèlí Clark - what an impactful story packed into such few pages.

[Em (chronic_listener) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Time Traveler's Passport is a collection of 6 short stories by 6 different authors, all centered around time travel. At around 45-85 minutes each (7h in total) this was perfect to get one or two stories in between other reads (although I binged it in less than 36h ...)

I loved the concept of this collection, and seeing how many different possibilities these authors explored with the prompt "time travel". Every story packed a twist and challenged you to think. Ranging from funny and weird to dark and unsettling, every single one was thought-provoking and interesting to follow.

I always admire when authors manage to put this much "oomph" into such a short story!

My favorite stories were the first story 3 Days, 9 Months, 27 Years by John Scalzi (which follows a day in the life of a time-machine technician) and the last story Cronus by P. Djèlí Clark (about a young Black woman in a segregated dystopian future) — both of these really left an impact on me!

🎧 every story had it's own narrator and they all did an incredible job — highly recommend the audiobook in general — but I'm sure some parts would have been easier to keep track of with eyeball reading. Also, there were some really good quotes I would have loved to highlight and annotate!

TL;DR:
If you are looking for bite sized, poignant, mind-bendy sci-fi stories where nothing is at it first seems — this might just be the collection for you!

✨ sci-fi short stories
✨ first + third person POVS
✨ time travel
✨ sci-fi / futuristic
✨ 6 short stories
✨ thought provoking
✨ fast-paced

Thank you NetGalley and Brilliance Publishing for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.