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Behind the Now: Time Travel, but not like that
We live in the Now.
Time is relatively constant where we exist, and its passage makes its mark on everything. José refused to be a spectator and wanted to know more.
He was an unusual kid by any standard. In modern terminology he would be considered ADHD or PTSD, or any number of alphabet designations. In his era, he was just called weird.
Thick glasses, held together by white tape around the bridge, identified him as a homegrown science nerd. Behind the glasses there was a highly intelligent kid with a compulsive streak. Bad eyesight, inherited from some distant relative, lead to highly tuned ears detecting the quiet banshee singing beyond the Now. With access to discarded TV vacuum tubes and electronics scavenged from dumpsters behind the mall, he created a time machine.
Cracking open the TimeWall didn’t allow him to travel the depth and breadth of Time as the tropes alleged. His worst fears were validated when he met himself, created only a step behind. Them, his Shadows, were snapshots of José’s last moment, and there were a lot of them, gray and thin as a molecule. The one-dimensional copies of his every existence, linked together with QTmBits, were not happy to see their host standing in front of them.
Even skinny shadows have power, and José was pushed back to the Now. Passing through the TimeWall filled his head with detailed snippets of his life playing out in his dreams and waking life. The unexpected exit shorted out his Time device, and he was stuck in the Now like everyone else.
The first person to break through Time and return with evidence would gain the accolades of his fellow explorers. Being first meant he could always make a living trolling the university symposium circuit.
His only competition are the other TimeExplorers, the University, with their ProtonTimeGun, and the military, who didn’t care who won the race as long as they got the spoils.
Time is relatively constant where we exist, and its passage makes its mark on everything. José refused to be a spectator and wanted to know more.
He was an unusual kid by any standard. In modern terminology he would be considered ADHD or PTSD, or any number of alphabet designations. In his era, he was just called weird.
Thick glasses, held together by white tape around the bridge, identified him as a homegrown science nerd. Behind the glasses there was a highly intelligent kid with a compulsive streak. Bad eyesight, inherited from some distant relative, lead to highly tuned ears detecting the quiet banshee singing beyond the Now. With access to discarded TV vacuum tubes and electronics scavenged from dumpsters behind the mall, he created a time machine.
Cracking open the TimeWall didn’t allow him to travel the depth and breadth of Time as the tropes alleged. His worst fears were validated when he met himself, created only a step behind. Them, his Shadows, were snapshots of José’s last moment, and there were a lot of them, gray and thin as a molecule. The one-dimensional copies of his every existence, linked together with QTmBits, were not happy to see their host standing in front of them.
Even skinny shadows have power, and José was pushed back to the Now. Passing through the TimeWall filled his head with detailed snippets of his life playing out in his dreams and waking life. The unexpected exit shorted out his Time device, and he was stuck in the Now like everyone else.
The first person to break through Time and return with evidence would gain the accolades of his fellow explorers. Being first meant he could always make a living trolling the university symposium circuit.
His only competition are the other TimeExplorers, the University, with their ProtonTimeGun, and the military, who didn’t care who won the race as long as they got the spoils.
246 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 22, 2025
1 person want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
November 25, 2025
5+ Stars
Bob Freeman writes an incredible tale with Behind the Now
In Behind the Now, the reader is brought into the life of José Isaac Davidovich, a very compelling character, with grand traits, such as being quirky in his own way, and also his quest for knowing and understanding time and space. Bob Freeman writes magnificent books, and though I know his work, others should too. This is one of the hidden gems, and once you read it, you'll want to read his other works, as well. I am a big fan of Bob Freeman and want to read whatever he writes. Bob has an intelligence and imagination that is incomparable. He writes, showing the story, with deep, and vivid descriptions of his characters, and of course, the shadowy world, and the TimeWall. Never heard of a TimeWall before, well, this book will tell you all about it. José and his shadows, create plot levels, and it's not just about the science, or the space time continuum, or all business. It's an adventure, and I love the humor between Jose and his shadows. It's a mix of genres, all that come together seamlessly, and it makes you think, but not too hard so you don't enjoy the story. What a captivating story, and this is why I give it five plus stars. Bob Freeman builds a great world, this one, and the TimeWall, and of course, whatever is Behind the Now. Both thrilling and alluring, all the way to the end. This book has many magnificent plots that kept this reader turning the pages. Behind the Now is a definite recommendation by Amy's Bookshelf Reviews. I read this book to give my unbiased and honest review. Amy's Bookshelf Reviews recommends that readers of this book, be kind, and also write a review.
Bob Freeman writes an incredible tale with Behind the Now
In Behind the Now, the reader is brought into the life of José Isaac Davidovich, a very compelling character, with grand traits, such as being quirky in his own way, and also his quest for knowing and understanding time and space. Bob Freeman writes magnificent books, and though I know his work, others should too. This is one of the hidden gems, and once you read it, you'll want to read his other works, as well. I am a big fan of Bob Freeman and want to read whatever he writes. Bob has an intelligence and imagination that is incomparable. He writes, showing the story, with deep, and vivid descriptions of his characters, and of course, the shadowy world, and the TimeWall. Never heard of a TimeWall before, well, this book will tell you all about it. José and his shadows, create plot levels, and it's not just about the science, or the space time continuum, or all business. It's an adventure, and I love the humor between Jose and his shadows. It's a mix of genres, all that come together seamlessly, and it makes you think, but not too hard so you don't enjoy the story. What a captivating story, and this is why I give it five plus stars. Bob Freeman builds a great world, this one, and the TimeWall, and of course, whatever is Behind the Now. Both thrilling and alluring, all the way to the end. This book has many magnificent plots that kept this reader turning the pages. Behind the Now is a definite recommendation by Amy's Bookshelf Reviews. I read this book to give my unbiased and honest review. Amy's Bookshelf Reviews recommends that readers of this book, be kind, and also write a review.
January 24, 2026
In the story we follow the main character José who is a kid full of ideas and an obsession that makes him seem very arrogant and weird to the world around him. He tinkers with noisy equipment that annoys his mother and their chihuahua, but non of that matters to him. He is all consumed by the thought of breaking the timewall.
The book has a charming cover and the premise of a kid timetravelling meanwhile adult scientist fumble with even getting the theories right, is hilarious.
Sadly, the book is unstructured to the point where the reader struggles with understanding what is going on and what the timeline is. On top of that, the characters are extremely flat. They talk line paper dolls being instructed to monolouge to the reader, and often what they are saying are random stuff, that doesn't add anything to the story.
When that is said and nitpicking aside, the way timetravel is portrayed is very intriguing but again it seems like the author had a great idea but the messy delivery makes it a product that isn't very enjoyable to read about.
The book has heart, but it is messy, difficult and annoying to read due to the flat characters, non existent pacing and a plot with no direction.
The book has a charming cover and the premise of a kid timetravelling meanwhile adult scientist fumble with even getting the theories right, is hilarious.
Sadly, the book is unstructured to the point where the reader struggles with understanding what is going on and what the timeline is. On top of that, the characters are extremely flat. They talk line paper dolls being instructed to monolouge to the reader, and often what they are saying are random stuff, that doesn't add anything to the story.
When that is said and nitpicking aside, the way timetravel is portrayed is very intriguing but again it seems like the author had a great idea but the messy delivery makes it a product that isn't very enjoyable to read about.
The book has heart, but it is messy, difficult and annoying to read due to the flat characters, non existent pacing and a plot with no direction.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 18, 2025
What really stood out to me about Behind the Now is how personal it feels despite its big ideas. The science is fascinating, but it’s the emotional core that carries the story, José’s unresolved past, his compulsive need to understand time, and the way his experiments begin to reshape his sense of self. The imagery is haunting, especially the shadow-filled environments and the sense that time is always watching, always waiting. I loved that the book doesn’t overexplain everything; it trusts the reader to sit with the uncertainty. This is the kind of sci-fi that lingers in your thoughts, not because of action scenes, but because of the questions it raises.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 15, 2026
This book takes time travel off the usual rails and sends it somewhere quieter, stranger, and far more thoughtful. José’s journey is less about jumping eras and more about confronting the weight of existence itself. The concept of Shadows is haunting and unforgettable. This novel truly deserves award appreciation from Silent Book Club for its originality and emotional depth.
January 15, 2026
Bob Freeman doesn’t give us flashy sci-fi shortcuts. Instead, he gives us consequences. The idea of meeting your own fractured moments is unsettling in the best way. I finished the book thinking about identity, memory, and time for days. A well-earned Silent Book Club award contender.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews