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Timeline Wars #3
Caesar's Bicycle
In an alternate Roman Empire, the ultimate battle is being waged for domination of the multiverse in the epic conclusion of the war for a million EarthsThere are a million different Earths across an infinite number of timelines—and every one of them is in peril.John Barnes’s ingenious science fiction saga the Timeline Wars reaches a breathtaking climax in Caesar’s Bicycle as former Pittsburgh private investigator–turned–Crux Op agent Mark Strang pursues the alien Closer enemy to a new an alternate ancient Rome of Caesar and Pompey.Strang’s investigation into the disappearance of a fellow ATN operative has carried him along a new timeline to a Roman Empire at once strikingly similar and remarkably different from the one recalled in history books on his own Earth. What he discovers is a world in the process of radical transformation through the introduction of new technologies, centuries before their time, by both sides in the war for the multiverse—enemy Closers and ATN alike. And this time, Strang’s mission carries a new urgency, for the timelines are becoming dangerously unstable and mysteriously starting to close. To prevent the total enslavement of every one of the million Earths, Strang himself will now have to make history. But by ensuring that an infamous assassination actually does take place, Mark Strang could be condemning himself to the most horrible death the Romans ever devised.
289 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1997
11 people are currently reading
90 people want to read
About the author
John Barnes
263 books198 followersJohn Barnes (born 1957) is an American science fiction author, whose stories often explore questions of individual moral responsibility within a larger social context. Social criticism is woven throughout his plots. The four novels in his Thousand Cultures series pose serious questions about the effects of globalization on isolated societies. Barnes holds a doctorate in theatre and for several years taught in Colorado, where he still lives.
See also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Bar...
See also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Bar...
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
February 18, 2021
As I liked the timeline wars books, the flaws in the premise were beginning to get hard to ignore.
So this is a fitting conclusion to the series. A little lighter on the shoot-em-up (for good, character-psychology reasons) and heavier on the "so this is life, huh?" philosophical moments. Maybe it was just my life when I read the book, but I appreciated the many times when the characters have to shrug and say "welp, that didn't work." There's an especially good scene on a hot air balloon. I would have liked a bit more gee-whiz technology, though.
So this is a fitting conclusion to the series. A little lighter on the shoot-em-up (for good, character-psychology reasons) and heavier on the "so this is life, huh?" philosophical moments. Maybe it was just my life when I read the book, but I appreciated the many times when the characters have to shrug and say "welp, that didn't work." There's an especially good scene on a hot air balloon. I would have liked a bit more gee-whiz technology, though.
February 12, 2023
Satisfying conclusion to the trilogy, you might say this book brings Closers to it. Pun intended. Again lots of action from our agents. The character growth is there and used as part of the story line. Fun trilogy.
April 8, 2015
Caesar's Bicycle (1997) 295 pages by John Barnes
This is the third book in the Timeline Wars series. This books starts several years and missions after #2, and starts off with assassination attempts against Mark & Chrysamen and many other CruxOps. After ATN calls a meeting and informs them of goings on, they are returned to Mark's home timeline, and more adventures begin. Some seeming third party, not ATN, steps in to help Mark out of a jam.
Mark, Chrys, Porter and Paula end up in a Roman era timeline with Caesar and Pompey. They are looking for a lost field agent, and end up with Julius Caesar. The rest of the story follows their adventures in that time period. Again long descriptions of battles, inventions that might seem out of context, and conversations with historical figures. There is lots of mention of bicycles, but no mention of paved roads, at one point he mentions rutted roads.
Despite the stretching of our suspension of disbelief Barnes has come up with three pretty good novels, that were entertaining, fast paced, had characters that were more than stereotypes and I liked all three.
This novel pretty much ended with the Caesar adventure coming to an end, but didn't go back and say why the timelines were closing, etc. I think they could have touched on that, or on the third party once that was over. Maybe there was going to be a fourth book that never made it.
This is the third book in the Timeline Wars series. This books starts several years and missions after #2, and starts off with assassination attempts against Mark & Chrysamen and many other CruxOps. After ATN calls a meeting and informs them of goings on, they are returned to Mark's home timeline, and more adventures begin. Some seeming third party, not ATN, steps in to help Mark out of a jam.
Mark, Chrys, Porter and Paula end up in a Roman era timeline with Caesar and Pompey. They are looking for a lost field agent, and end up with Julius Caesar. The rest of the story follows their adventures in that time period. Again long descriptions of battles, inventions that might seem out of context, and conversations with historical figures. There is lots of mention of bicycles, but no mention of paved roads, at one point he mentions rutted roads.
Despite the stretching of our suspension of disbelief Barnes has come up with three pretty good novels, that were entertaining, fast paced, had characters that were more than stereotypes and I liked all three.
This novel pretty much ended with the Caesar adventure coming to an end, but didn't go back and say why the timelines were closing, etc. I think they could have touched on that, or on the third party once that was over. Maybe there was going to be a fourth book that never made it.
June 10, 2011
In the third book of the Timeline Wars series, Mark Strang finds himself in a timeline in the ancient world.
The Closers have been messing with the local history again, equipping Ceasar with biycyles. Seems odd--but, think how much faster the army could travel if they were no burdened with huge supply wagons of grain. No long stops to feed and water the animals. and of course, the Closer agent responsible for this is feeding Ceasar advanced information to help his cause.
Mark's orders are simple: Kill Julius Ceasar. He is reluctant--he is a Time Agent not a paid assasain. But he and his three companions soon find themselves prisoners of Caesar, mixed up in the local politics with Pompey and Crassus. As usual, there's a civil war going on--quite common in Roman history.
The weakest of the three books in the series, it is still worth a read. I always thought Julius Ceasar was one of the good guys--here is protrayed more as a politician than a hero. The ending had a neat unexpected twist.
A fourth book may have been planned--there are a few loose ends--but has not yet been written. I would enjoy a continuation of the series--it is still a nice, fun adventure story.
The Closers have been messing with the local history again, equipping Ceasar with biycyles. Seems odd--but, think how much faster the army could travel if they were no burdened with huge supply wagons of grain. No long stops to feed and water the animals. and of course, the Closer agent responsible for this is feeding Ceasar advanced information to help his cause.
Mark's orders are simple: Kill Julius Ceasar. He is reluctant--he is a Time Agent not a paid assasain. But he and his three companions soon find themselves prisoners of Caesar, mixed up in the local politics with Pompey and Crassus. As usual, there's a civil war going on--quite common in Roman history.
The weakest of the three books in the series, it is still worth a read. I always thought Julius Ceasar was one of the good guys--here is protrayed more as a politician than a hero. The ending had a neat unexpected twist.
A fourth book may have been planned--there are a few loose ends--but has not yet been written. I would enjoy a continuation of the series--it is still a nice, fun adventure story.
December 2, 2021
It pains me to give this book only 3 stars because I really enjoyed this series immensely, but frankly, this is a rather weak ending to a great series -- the first two books were pretty awesome -- and it leaves a lot of loose ends that needed tying up, and I'm ticked the author didn't do that. Perhaps he intended to write a fourth book at some point, but obviously never did. In other books, we've seen characters like George Washington, but in this one, it's Julius Caesar. He's an interesting character, and not such a bad guy. Still, bicycles? I found myself irritated a number of times in and with the book, which is never a good sign, but I still enjoyed the overall premise of the book and the series, so it's all basically good. With this book dragging it down, I'd give the series 4 out of 5 stars. This book gets only 3. This one is recommended for those who have read the first two, but if you find this as good as the first two, I'll be surprised. The series itself is definitely recommended!
December 16, 2013
This was a terrible ending (?) for the series. It solves the direct problems of the previous books - the action and plot are easy to follow and the title scene actually occurs. However, it's a nasty mess of loose ends; the three major plot arcs set up at the beginning of the story go totally unresolved! One of those three arcs promised to be the finish for the story arc of the whole series, but instead it just gets dropped. The way this book is written also makes it hard to fit the short story (in the Drakas collection) into canon.
January 25, 2015
Barnes finally hits his stride in the concluding book of the trilogy with a detailed imagining of an alternate Caesar and an early introduction of powerful technologies that have dramatic effects on the people and cultures in this timeline.
April 7, 2017
This series could have just been a serial adventure, with the time-agents shuffling off to save one timeline after another, but instead there was real growth for the main characters and real progression for the overall war. The protagonist goes from a cold-blooded killer with a death wish on the side of good to a father and husband who goes to the opera and tries to find ways to avoid killing (though he ends up having to kill more often than not anyways).
I have a sneaking suspicion that it wouldn't be hard to use the time machines in a much cleverer way than the agency they work for does.
In this one they go back to the time of Caesar's civil war, in a Rome that has been introduced to rubber, chimneys, bicycles, cannons, and the like. I enjoyed his ability to create likable characters who think really differently about societal issues. Something about the discussion of imperium reminded me of Feng Shui-- both are ridiculous superstitions, but the results you get from working with either concept are perfectly reasonable: it's just that it's easier for our brains to think about animate forces with complexity than inanimate ones.
I have a sneaking suspicion that it wouldn't be hard to use the time machines in a much cleverer way than the agency they work for does.
In this one they go back to the time of Caesar's civil war, in a Rome that has been introduced to rubber, chimneys, bicycles, cannons, and the like. I enjoyed his ability to create likable characters who think really differently about societal issues. Something about the discussion of imperium reminded me of Feng Shui-- both are ridiculous superstitions, but the results you get from working with either concept are perfectly reasonable: it's just that it's easier for our brains to think about animate forces with complexity than inanimate ones.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews