What do you think?
Rate this book
Across Horizons #1
Obsolete Theorem
A time jump. A fight for survival. A bond between species.
It wasn't possible, but then it happened…
A Neanderthal's 47,000-year-old remains are found in Spain. That's not unusual, but positioned beside the woman's skeleton is something that shouldn't be there—a robotic drone. Lincoln Woodhouse has some explaining to do.
When confronted with the evidence, Lincoln cannot deny that the drone is one of his own models. After all, he routinely jumps his drones into the past to collect environmental data. The problem is, this drone shouldn't even exist in Lincoln's universe. Everyone knows sending a drone into the past creates an alternate timeline.
The implications of the discovery are staggering, and Lincoln is ordered to jump back in time to investigate, even though no human has ever done so before. Upon jumping, he and his team find themselves in a world of deadly creatures and savage beings.
Amidst the primeval chaos, Lincoln encounters Skyra, a woman unlike anyone he has ever known. She is a skilled hunter and vicious fighter. She is not human, but she just might hold the key to humanity's future.
It wasn't possible, but then it happened…
A Neanderthal's 47,000-year-old remains are found in Spain. That's not unusual, but positioned beside the woman's skeleton is something that shouldn't be there—a robotic drone. Lincoln Woodhouse has some explaining to do.
When confronted with the evidence, Lincoln cannot deny that the drone is one of his own models. After all, he routinely jumps his drones into the past to collect environmental data. The problem is, this drone shouldn't even exist in Lincoln's universe. Everyone knows sending a drone into the past creates an alternate timeline.
The implications of the discovery are staggering, and Lincoln is ordered to jump back in time to investigate, even though no human has ever done so before. Upon jumping, he and his team find themselves in a world of deadly creatures and savage beings.
Amidst the primeval chaos, Lincoln encounters Skyra, a woman unlike anyone he has ever known. She is a skilled hunter and vicious fighter. She is not human, but she just might hold the key to humanity's future.
284 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 27, 2020
1179 people are currently reading
435 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 - 30 of 103 reviews
April 1, 2020
“An affliction makes us stronger, not weaker. After all, here we are, sacrificing everything in an attempt to save civilization.”
What a fascinating read! Scrumptious! I’m not at all surprised, coming from excellent author Stan C. Smith, I wouldn’t have expected less from him. On the contrary, I’m again marvelled by his extensive imagination and creativity!
The technology involved is thrilling and the way it’s described is highly appreciated. This book is full of Mind-bending surprises, heart pounding scenarios, filled with wonder. A precise background research of history, archeology and science, detailed description of what was back in those ages, making it so credible and realistic. The Temporal Bridge Theorem: Jumping back or forward in time created an alternate time-line—a parallel universe, a mind blowing concept. The action is nearly constant and I frequently found myself tense while reading. There’s also a dark sense of humor appropriately placed. What a gut wrenching, page turning, sit on the edge of your seat book. The author does an amazing job of making the characters come to life and you feel connected to them in an emotional way. He has once again outdone himself. Congratulations! A great story and can't wait for the next book in the series, Forgone Conflict #2.
What a fascinating read! Scrumptious! I’m not at all surprised, coming from excellent author Stan C. Smith, I wouldn’t have expected less from him. On the contrary, I’m again marvelled by his extensive imagination and creativity!
The technology involved is thrilling and the way it’s described is highly appreciated. This book is full of Mind-bending surprises, heart pounding scenarios, filled with wonder. A precise background research of history, archeology and science, detailed description of what was back in those ages, making it so credible and realistic. The Temporal Bridge Theorem: Jumping back or forward in time created an alternate time-line—a parallel universe, a mind blowing concept. The action is nearly constant and I frequently found myself tense while reading. There’s also a dark sense of humor appropriately placed. What a gut wrenching, page turning, sit on the edge of your seat book. The author does an amazing job of making the characters come to life and you feel connected to them in an emotional way. He has once again outdone himself. Congratulations! A great story and can't wait for the next book in the series, Forgone Conflict #2.
November 15, 2020
Interesting time travel book!
Obsolete Theorem by Stan C. Smith is a terrific sci-fi book about time travel with with a great imagination of what it would be like to live as a Neanderthal. A terrific plot, well developed characters, lots of action, and nerdy stuff! I really didn't like the violence that was implied on the sister, although I am sure this could happen, I don't like to read about this. That's the only reason it didn't get a 5 star review.
I plan to continue with this series!
Obsolete Theorem by Stan C. Smith is a terrific sci-fi book about time travel with with a great imagination of what it would be like to live as a Neanderthal. A terrific plot, well developed characters, lots of action, and nerdy stuff! I really didn't like the violence that was implied on the sister, although I am sure this could happen, I don't like to read about this. That's the only reason it didn't get a 5 star review.
I plan to continue with this series!
March 25, 2020
This book was fast paced and had some very engaging characters – my favourite being Ripple – the drone with a god-complex.
Inventor and scientist, Lincoln, and his small team have time-travelled back 47 659 years – possibly on a one-way mission – after a message from the past demands Lincoln’s presence: “LINCOLN WOODHOUSE. COME HERE AND NOW. ENTIRE CIVILISATION AT RISK”. The message is clearly impossible – but also clearly not a hoax. Lincoln has no choice but to investigate.
The team arrive to find a world scarcely populated by Humans (Bolups) and Neanderthals (Nandups) – the two species sworn enemies. The first person they meet is Skyra-Una-Loto, a female Neanderthal, who has been taught English by her ‘friend’, Ripple, and so the team side with the Neanderthals against their own (though many generations removed) species.
As you might expect from life in a prehistoric, stone-age era, there is a lot of violence, and dangerous mega-fauna, though thankfully the violence is normally more alluded to, rather than described in gruesome detail.
Skyra is an amazingly strong character, who adapts incredibly quickly and well to changes in her life. Lincoln is out of his depth in the new environment without all his technology, but never gives up, and does his best to protect Skyra and her sister Veenah.
Apart from Ripple, Skyra and Lincoln, the other characters are rather flat. I did like that Lincoln had employed disabled people on his team, as he believed that they had already overcome so much, that they would be more successful and determined employees. Sadly, their characters did not get much story-time, and were not well developed. The other (prehistoric) Bolups and Nandups were cartoonish. Except for Veenah, who was so severely traumatised, that she had no chance to make a positive impact on the reader.
It is not until right near the end that you find out why (or even if) the entire civilisation is at risk – and indeed which civilisation. It was not what I might have guessed, and the book ends on a cliff-hanger.
I enjoyed reading this book. It is a good, solid sci-fi/time-travel book, with a few unique twists, but not enough to really grab me. I am – in general – not a great fan of the time-travel genre. Parallel universes are great, but time-travel seldom appeals. Readers who are more into this genre will undoubtedly rate this book higher than I have.
I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book at no cost from the author in exchange for an honest review
Inventor and scientist, Lincoln, and his small team have time-travelled back 47 659 years – possibly on a one-way mission – after a message from the past demands Lincoln’s presence: “LINCOLN WOODHOUSE. COME HERE AND NOW. ENTIRE CIVILISATION AT RISK”. The message is clearly impossible – but also clearly not a hoax. Lincoln has no choice but to investigate.
The team arrive to find a world scarcely populated by Humans (Bolups) and Neanderthals (Nandups) – the two species sworn enemies. The first person they meet is Skyra-Una-Loto, a female Neanderthal, who has been taught English by her ‘friend’, Ripple, and so the team side with the Neanderthals against their own (though many generations removed) species.
As you might expect from life in a prehistoric, stone-age era, there is a lot of violence, and dangerous mega-fauna, though thankfully the violence is normally more alluded to, rather than described in gruesome detail.
Skyra is an amazingly strong character, who adapts incredibly quickly and well to changes in her life. Lincoln is out of his depth in the new environment without all his technology, but never gives up, and does his best to protect Skyra and her sister Veenah.
Apart from Ripple, Skyra and Lincoln, the other characters are rather flat. I did like that Lincoln had employed disabled people on his team, as he believed that they had already overcome so much, that they would be more successful and determined employees. Sadly, their characters did not get much story-time, and were not well developed. The other (prehistoric) Bolups and Nandups were cartoonish. Except for Veenah, who was so severely traumatised, that she had no chance to make a positive impact on the reader.
It is not until right near the end that you find out why (or even if) the entire civilisation is at risk – and indeed which civilisation. It was not what I might have guessed, and the book ends on a cliff-hanger.
I enjoyed reading this book. It is a good, solid sci-fi/time-travel book, with a few unique twists, but not enough to really grab me. I am – in general – not a great fan of the time-travel genre. Parallel universes are great, but time-travel seldom appeals. Readers who are more into this genre will undoubtedly rate this book higher than I have.
I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book at no cost from the author in exchange for an honest review
March 23, 2021
“An affliction makes us stronger, not weaker. After all, here we are, sacrificing everything in an attempt to save civilization.”
What a fascinating read! Scrumptious! I’m not at all surprised, coming from excellent author Stan C. Smith, I wouldn’t have expected less from him. On the contrary, I’m again marvelled by his extensive imagination and creativity!
The technology involved is thrilling and the way it’s described is highly appreciated. This book is full of Mind-bending surprises, heart pounding scenarios, filled with wonder. A precise background research of history, archeology and science, detailed description of what was back in those ages, making it so credible and realistic. The Temporal Bridge Theorem: Jumping back or forward in time created an alternate time-line—a parallel universe, a mind blowing concept. The action is nearly constant and I frequently found myself tense while reading. There’s also a dark sense of humor appropriately placed. What a gut wrenching, page turning, sit on the edge of your seat book. The author does an amazing job of making the characters come to life and you feel connected to them in an emotional way. He has once again outdone himself. Congratulations! A great story and can't wait for the next book in the series.
What a fascinating read! Scrumptious! I’m not at all surprised, coming from excellent author Stan C. Smith, I wouldn’t have expected less from him. On the contrary, I’m again marvelled by his extensive imagination and creativity!
The technology involved is thrilling and the way it’s described is highly appreciated. This book is full of Mind-bending surprises, heart pounding scenarios, filled with wonder. A precise background research of history, archeology and science, detailed description of what was back in those ages, making it so credible and realistic. The Temporal Bridge Theorem: Jumping back or forward in time created an alternate time-line—a parallel universe, a mind blowing concept. The action is nearly constant and I frequently found myself tense while reading. There’s also a dark sense of humor appropriately placed. What a gut wrenching, page turning, sit on the edge of your seat book. The author does an amazing job of making the characters come to life and you feel connected to them in an emotional way. He has once again outdone himself. Congratulations! A great story and can't wait for the next book in the series.
April 21, 2022
Let's go back 47,000 years to a time where Neanderthals were common...you know...like at a football game.
So this pretty smart dude invents a time jump machine and takes his 4 other clever mates back 47,000 years or so, 'cos he found a message scratched on a fossilized A.I. drone he'd sent back earlier. The message invited him to come back and join the party and meet the Flintstones. Only it's not a party; It's full of big hairy cavemen - types (Oops! That's not politically correct. Oversized, hirsute, neuron-deficients) who want to beat your brains out and probably eat you. Would you go back to Neanderthal times and not take a weapon? I know I wouldn't. Apparently, our "smart" guy, Lincoln, wasn't too smart after all.
The writing was good. So was the editing and the research. The time-travel theory was good too and well-explained in a chapter at the end. Yeah, there were a few silly bits, but the action scenes kept me going. This is a good read, but it isn't a stand alone book. I'm sure there's a good ending somewhere in the later books in the series.
Excuse me, but I have to go and feed our sabre-toothed cat descendant.
So this pretty smart dude invents a time jump machine and takes his 4 other clever mates back 47,000 years or so, 'cos he found a message scratched on a fossilized A.I. drone he'd sent back earlier. The message invited him to come back and join the party and meet the Flintstones. Only it's not a party; It's full of big hairy cavemen - types (Oops! That's not politically correct. Oversized, hirsute, neuron-deficients) who want to beat your brains out and probably eat you. Would you go back to Neanderthal times and not take a weapon? I know I wouldn't. Apparently, our "smart" guy, Lincoln, wasn't too smart after all.
The writing was good. So was the editing and the research. The time-travel theory was good too and well-explained in a chapter at the end. Yeah, there were a few silly bits, but the action scenes kept me going. This is a good read, but it isn't a stand alone book. I'm sure there's a good ending somewhere in the later books in the series.
Excuse me, but I have to go and feed our sabre-toothed cat descendant.
March 23, 2020
Brilliant. Stan C Smith’s Obsolete theorem: Across Horizons is a feast for the imagination. The storyline, pacing, and characters are addictive. Many aspects of the book intrigued me. Lincoln (a modern Homo sapien) and Skyra (a Neanderthal) existed over 47,000 years apart, yet each had a special ability not seen in others that connected them. A message sent from the past by a robotic drone that had not even been created yet adds a mind-bending wrinkle to the story. In his quest to investigate, Lincoln brings together a diverse group of individuals each with a special (dis) ability. For me, a book must have characters who display the essential components of determination and perseverance. A hint of this can be found in Skyra’s words, “Your fear will kill you! Push your fear out of your head and into your arms and legs, then it will save you.” If you are looking for an adventure that will captivate you from the get-go and leave you reeling in the end, this is it!
April 3, 2020
Time travel is always a fascinating theory. This books takes you to the past because of the future. This author writes the most exciting possibilities and the most realistic characters I have had the pleasure to read. I won't write an spoilers but if you read his previous series then you know just how awesome his books can be. I highly recommend this book and the coming series.
March 28, 2020
This is the third Stan C. Smith series I have started. I loved both of the others, and figured this one would be a good bet, as well. We are once again jumping through time, as happens in the Bridgers series. But the time travel in this series works differently than it does in Bridgers, so it's not just a rehash of work he's already done. In this series, the main protagonist has a theorem that any time travel causes a new reality to split off from the reality you travel from. This means two things. One, you can't mess up your past because it is no longer your past. And two, if you go back, you can never get home again. This book involves traveling to the distant past in a gripping way Mr. Smith does so well.
December 19, 2020
What a fascinating start to another new series by this author. I do find the first book of a series is the harder one to read, as we adjust to a new place and new people. It is easy to be critical, as we have not grown accustomed to these characters, but experience shows me that they will become more developed with time, and that we will invest more in them. However, there was one character who was brilliant - immediately - and that was a wonderfully quirky drone. In fact, there were two, and I loved the apparent autonomy and the sarcastic comments. A bit of levity in a book is a wonderful thing. I am fascinated to see how this series will progress, and am eagerly waiting the next book!
December 28, 2022
DNF at 30%
June 16, 2023
I LOVED this book! Currently reading the sequels. I get bored easily with books and will not finish reading them if I lose interest (unlike my younger self who forced her way through torturous novels routinely- life is too short!). I had no trouble finishing this one though! You have your likable and brilliant protagonist who invents a way to send himself back into the distant past and meets a Neanderthal woman who is equally brilliant in her own way, a meddling robot that thinks it can save the world, and a cast of interesting characters that add to the story in their own ways. Also there is much adventure and angst as they fight physically and mentally for their freedom and lives. Hope you enjoy as much as I did!
September 8, 2020
I start and stop reading more books than I finish. There are enough great books out there to last beyond my years on this earth, so that, combined with my sense of how precious time is as I get older, means I cannot justify the time spent on a book that doesn’t measure up. This demeanor also stems from my 30 years as an Indie author who is constantly polishing her craft. The work never ends, and there is no such thing as perfect, but I appreciate authors who excel at the craft. Stan C. Smith is one of those authors.
As an adolescent, teen, and young adult, I read lots of Robert A. Heinlein. Recently, I went back to read some of those beloved works, and realized I wasn’t quite as impressed with some of them. (Bear with me, here, I’ll circle back to the book review). I started re-reading Stranger in a Strange Land. An award-winning, and some think, quintessential work by a science fiction master. Honestly, I stopped reading it this time halfway through, because it seemed artificially padded and verbose, and ultimately, I couldn’t stand the bombastic tone that pretended to be one of the characters, but was really the narrator—which was Heinlein himself. He didn’t do that with many of his other works, especially the ones they categorize as the Juveniles. So here’s the point: if I can stop reading and put away the work of a master, whom I have admired my entire life, I can put away anyone else’s book. And when I don’t do that, it’s a significant action.
I read Obsolete Theorem in one sitting. One day. And I often read more slowly than I should because I am too busy studying the books I read. It’s hard for me to take off that editor/critic hat. But I sailed through this book, fingers full of virtual paper cuts. This book was like The Best of Heinlein meets Clan of the Cave Bear. Everything was handled with expert finesse: The grammar and mechanics and spelling (don’t recall any issues at all, but maybe that was because I was carried so quickly through the story), the plot (intriguing enough to make me download the book), the characters (authentic, quirky, relatable), the concept (adventurous, thought-provoking and exciting), the setting (unusual, vivid, visual), the descriptions (clean, succinct, and effective). Even the ending tied up the storyline neatly, while still leaving just enough intrigue to make me immediately download the next in the series, and mentally make a stack on my reading table with this author’s other work.
Notably, I am not a physicist, and I can’t say for sure how sound that science is in this book, but I’ve written some similar books, and done the research, and I’m educated enough to know that it all seems perfectly plausible, and it’s obvious the author took great pains to understand the material. I also enjoyed and appreciated that he managed to fold that complex material into the book in an easily understood way, without talking down to the reader. So often, in these theoretical and speculative fiction books, the author is found standing on a lectern, bloviating about brainy subjects, as if to say, “Look how smart I am, and how dumb you are.” There’s nothing worse that a haughty, stuffed-shirt author, but you will find none of that here.
I’m excited to be excited about a book and its author. I’ve already begun the second one, and will be reading the author’s entire catalog, whatever that may be, because he's hooked me. I can taste the metal in my mouth. If you care about intelligent, entertaining, intriguing, and well-rendered novels, this one cannot be missed.
As an adolescent, teen, and young adult, I read lots of Robert A. Heinlein. Recently, I went back to read some of those beloved works, and realized I wasn’t quite as impressed with some of them. (Bear with me, here, I’ll circle back to the book review). I started re-reading Stranger in a Strange Land. An award-winning, and some think, quintessential work by a science fiction master. Honestly, I stopped reading it this time halfway through, because it seemed artificially padded and verbose, and ultimately, I couldn’t stand the bombastic tone that pretended to be one of the characters, but was really the narrator—which was Heinlein himself. He didn’t do that with many of his other works, especially the ones they categorize as the Juveniles. So here’s the point: if I can stop reading and put away the work of a master, whom I have admired my entire life, I can put away anyone else’s book. And when I don’t do that, it’s a significant action.
I read Obsolete Theorem in one sitting. One day. And I often read more slowly than I should because I am too busy studying the books I read. It’s hard for me to take off that editor/critic hat. But I sailed through this book, fingers full of virtual paper cuts. This book was like The Best of Heinlein meets Clan of the Cave Bear. Everything was handled with expert finesse: The grammar and mechanics and spelling (don’t recall any issues at all, but maybe that was because I was carried so quickly through the story), the plot (intriguing enough to make me download the book), the characters (authentic, quirky, relatable), the concept (adventurous, thought-provoking and exciting), the setting (unusual, vivid, visual), the descriptions (clean, succinct, and effective). Even the ending tied up the storyline neatly, while still leaving just enough intrigue to make me immediately download the next in the series, and mentally make a stack on my reading table with this author’s other work.
Notably, I am not a physicist, and I can’t say for sure how sound that science is in this book, but I’ve written some similar books, and done the research, and I’m educated enough to know that it all seems perfectly plausible, and it’s obvious the author took great pains to understand the material. I also enjoyed and appreciated that he managed to fold that complex material into the book in an easily understood way, without talking down to the reader. So often, in these theoretical and speculative fiction books, the author is found standing on a lectern, bloviating about brainy subjects, as if to say, “Look how smart I am, and how dumb you are.” There’s nothing worse that a haughty, stuffed-shirt author, but you will find none of that here.
I’m excited to be excited about a book and its author. I’ve already begun the second one, and will be reading the author’s entire catalog, whatever that may be, because he's hooked me. I can taste the metal in my mouth. If you care about intelligent, entertaining, intriguing, and well-rendered novels, this one cannot be missed.
March 27, 2020
To say Stan C Smith's new series hits the ground running is a huge understatement. Wow, does he know how to start a new series! Great story that runs at full pace throughout and is crammed full of tension. In essence, this is a time travel story but where others take us to great moments in history Stan C Smith takes us much much further to the time of Neanderthals. I really enjoyed this story not only because it had something different about it but because of the tale of Lincoln, genius inventor and creator of time travel, who makes a desperate one way trip more than 47,000 years into the past. He does this after remains of one of his drones are found that couldn’t, shouldn’t exist, that have a cryptic message written just for him etched on them. He and his small team need to travel back in time to save all of future civilisation! What they find in the distant past is a Neanderthal woman who is trying to rescue her sister from the primitive humans of the time. The story focuses mainly on Lincoln and this woman Skyra as they struggle to survive. Skyra herself is an awesome character full of determination, resilience and strength both mental and physical. Lincoln, intellectually strong, is out of his element and struggles but too displays that dogged determination. The author takes the characters on an exciting journey from the start until the very final paragraph. Will they find out what they are meant to do to save civilization? Can they survive? Will Lincoln and his friends even be able to get back to their time and will it be the same world they left? You’ll have to read this hugely entertaining book to find out, highly recommended.
March 29, 2020
Left me with anticipation of what’s to come…
Not unlike his other book themes, Stan C. Smith draws us into an unfamiliar existence in contrast to our present-day reality. Using what would appear to us to be futuristic technology, we go back in time presumably to save the future. Once again, we or rather the team must deal with a violent tribal mentality when the so-called human race treated each other or “others” with malice.
There is something unique about the authors imagination and/or research that tends to always hold my attention but I am not a lover of the violence and continual tension. However, having communicated my thoughts to Stan C. Smith, I have been reassured that the ultimate goal of this series is to reveal more of the "mystery and discovery, creativity and relationships that contribute to a civil society." (my words) but that it often takes some struggle before getting there. Also, not being a fan of cliff-hangers, I found myself at a rather steep precipice that definitely requires continued reading in the hope of reaching an acme of solace…thus I could not give the book five stars. A new-comer may get discouraged but I know better from reading his other series to know that there is an unexpected conclusion that will make the series worthwhile. So, I will give Stan Smith the benefit of any doubt and keep on reading.
Not unlike his other book themes, Stan C. Smith draws us into an unfamiliar existence in contrast to our present-day reality. Using what would appear to us to be futuristic technology, we go back in time presumably to save the future. Once again, we or rather the team must deal with a violent tribal mentality when the so-called human race treated each other or “others” with malice.
There is something unique about the authors imagination and/or research that tends to always hold my attention but I am not a lover of the violence and continual tension. However, having communicated my thoughts to Stan C. Smith, I have been reassured that the ultimate goal of this series is to reveal more of the "mystery and discovery, creativity and relationships that contribute to a civil society." (my words) but that it often takes some struggle before getting there. Also, not being a fan of cliff-hangers, I found myself at a rather steep precipice that definitely requires continued reading in the hope of reaching an acme of solace…thus I could not give the book five stars. A new-comer may get discouraged but I know better from reading his other series to know that there is an unexpected conclusion that will make the series worthwhile. So, I will give Stan Smith the benefit of any doubt and keep on reading.
March 29, 2020
I keep seeing reviewer’s said this is a time travel book… It is not really one. It is a book about bridging from one timeline to another and anyone who is a fan of Stan see Smith’s books knows this. The reason they bridge to other timelines is to not to affect our timeline and then this book across a Rison obsolete theorem Across Horizons is about a brilliant scientist who invents bots that can go back in time to different timelines gather information and in a perfect world bring it back to Lincoln the scientist. In this instance though instead of being visited by his but he gets visited by high ups in the government that tell him his bot was found at an archaeological dig next to A female Neanderthalsthighbone… That’s not a hole though on the thigh bone in the body of the bot is a message Card then telling Lincoln he must go to the certain time and place on a certain date or Lincolns own existence and ours could be ruined forever. This is when the fun begins. I don’t know how Stan see Smith comes up with all these different worlds which such believable detail and intriguing story line. He is just so good I love his books and have read some of them three times even though I’m not a big sci-fi fan… Actually I am not a sci-fi fan at all. Having said that though I totally totally recommend this book 500%.
September 24, 2020
So, Time Travel is actually Space Travel depending on one’s point-of-view?
I read all of Stan Smith’s Diffusion and Bridgers series. His books are compelling. There is science. There is action that convincingly fits the conditions of the worlds he builds for his books. No other author writes the way he does.
There are similarities between the time travel concepts of the Bridgers universes and this first book in the Across Horizons series. Then again, there are similarities between different species of trees. Stan Smiths’ characters in Obsolete Theorem are in very different forests than the characters in Bridgers.
Enough with metaphor. Buy the book so that you can get to meet Skyra, a Neanderthal woman whose every day is another life or death struggle for basic survival. Get to know Lincoln, who transitions back in time about 47,000 years, and lacks all of Skyra’s survival skills – basically a weak and totally vulnerable human who is in a setting that is totally alien to where he came from.
Then, wrap your head around the fact that Stan Smith’s DNA contains more Neanderthal genetic material than about 98% of the people who have had their own genetic code analyzed by the same labs that evaluated his.
I already purchased Foregone Conflict, Book #2 in this series. A guaranteed, zero risk investment in my future reading pleasure.
I read all of Stan Smith’s Diffusion and Bridgers series. His books are compelling. There is science. There is action that convincingly fits the conditions of the worlds he builds for his books. No other author writes the way he does.
There are similarities between the time travel concepts of the Bridgers universes and this first book in the Across Horizons series. Then again, there are similarities between different species of trees. Stan Smiths’ characters in Obsolete Theorem are in very different forests than the characters in Bridgers.
Enough with metaphor. Buy the book so that you can get to meet Skyra, a Neanderthal woman whose every day is another life or death struggle for basic survival. Get to know Lincoln, who transitions back in time about 47,000 years, and lacks all of Skyra’s survival skills – basically a weak and totally vulnerable human who is in a setting that is totally alien to where he came from.
Then, wrap your head around the fact that Stan Smith’s DNA contains more Neanderthal genetic material than about 98% of the people who have had their own genetic code analyzed by the same labs that evaluated his.
I already purchased Foregone Conflict, Book #2 in this series. A guaranteed, zero risk investment in my future reading pleasure.
March 27, 2020
A great start of a new series!
The time? 45,659 years ago reminded me of an alternate earth that you found (or should have found) by reading Stan Smith's Bridger series (a series you should read if you haven't already done so).
We have in this year a humanoid (Homo neanderthalensis) named Skyra was doing her best to attack other humanoids (called bolus) to rescue her captured her sister. She and her strange flying companion are on the hunt.
Then, 45,659 years into the future (now the present time) somewhere northwest of Tucson, Arizona, Lincoln Woodhouse is running from arctic wolves and an allosaurus in what turned out to be a simulation (aka, a sim) that he had designed.
Maddy, of his drones, tells Woodhouse he has visitors back at his lab. The government agents tells him they have found one of his drones at a paleontological site in Spain next to the skeletal remains of a woman that the agents identified as being exactly 45,659 in the past.
Lincoln says this is just impossible. The agents then declare that his Temporal bridge Theorem is now obsolete. So Woodhouse and three of his teammates, along with Maddie, travel back in time 45,659 years to investigate his now "obsolete theorem".
Intrigued yet? I was and just had to read the book - as you will too.
The time? 45,659 years ago reminded me of an alternate earth that you found (or should have found) by reading Stan Smith's Bridger series (a series you should read if you haven't already done so).
We have in this year a humanoid (Homo neanderthalensis) named Skyra was doing her best to attack other humanoids (called bolus) to rescue her captured her sister. She and her strange flying companion are on the hunt.
Then, 45,659 years into the future (now the present time) somewhere northwest of Tucson, Arizona, Lincoln Woodhouse is running from arctic wolves and an allosaurus in what turned out to be a simulation (aka, a sim) that he had designed.
Maddy, of his drones, tells Woodhouse he has visitors back at his lab. The government agents tells him they have found one of his drones at a paleontological site in Spain next to the skeletal remains of a woman that the agents identified as being exactly 45,659 in the past.
Lincoln says this is just impossible. The agents then declare that his Temporal bridge Theorem is now obsolete. So Woodhouse and three of his teammates, along with Maddie, travel back in time 45,659 years to investigate his now "obsolete theorem".
Intrigued yet? I was and just had to read the book - as you will too.
July 21, 2025
"Obsolete Theorem" by Stan C. Smith is a fun science fantasy trip to the time of man versus Neanderthal. Led by the brilliant Lincoln from the near future, a team dives back in time to save humanity, despite their theorem that - with the formation of alternate timelines- they can never get home. Their intrepid scientists are hardly warriors, but they find themselves in a brutal world where club and arrow are more effective than everything they know. Native to that environment is Skyra, a Neanderthal warrior seeking to save her sister.
I enjoyed Skyra as a character the most. Writing from the perspective of a humanoid-but-decidedly-not-human had to have been difficult, but I thought Smith did a wonderful job of infusing a language and way of life distinct from the humans Skyra was in conflict with. Her confusion and scorn for the humans she knew in her world was a little amusing, but also emphasized her own depth of sentience and self-identity. She was also a bad**s.
Overall, I enjoyed this read with its classic time travel tropes: worry for what monstrous things they might encounter, wonder and scientific curiosity, challenges where innovation can save the day, and concern for altering the future. But, Smith's Neanderthal setting is fresh and interesting. Fun read!
I enjoyed Skyra as a character the most. Writing from the perspective of a humanoid-but-decidedly-not-human had to have been difficult, but I thought Smith did a wonderful job of infusing a language and way of life distinct from the humans Skyra was in conflict with. Her confusion and scorn for the humans she knew in her world was a little amusing, but also emphasized her own depth of sentience and self-identity. She was also a bad**s.
Overall, I enjoyed this read with its classic time travel tropes: worry for what monstrous things they might encounter, wonder and scientific curiosity, challenges where innovation can save the day, and concern for altering the future. But, Smith's Neanderthal setting is fresh and interesting. Fun read!
March 22, 2020
This is my first book by Stan Smith, but don't think it'll be my last! It's a time travel story, but with a difference, since the time travelled back to is exactly 47,659 years in the past. A time when early humans and neanderthals co-existed. A brilliant scientist, in what appears to be the near future, receives a message from the distant past, which brings into doubt the validity of his "temporal bridge theorem" that has allowed unfettered time travel. Of course he has to follow up and see if his theory has been disproven. It also features a small team of scientists who accompany him back in time and a couple of "drones" with personality. There are some very explicit and bloodthirsty scenes, very much within the context of the story, but not for those with weak stomachs. Lots of action, with some science fact in a science fiction story, and a hint of romance. All in all, a very entertaining read, and with quite the hook for the next book, not quite a cliffhanger, since there is a definite conclusion but there is also a question of "what next" I received an ARC and this is my voluntary review.
March 29, 2020
This the first book in Stan C. Smith's fantastic new series Across Horizons. In Obsolete Theorem inventor and scientist, Lincoln, and his small team have time travelled back 47 659 years most likely on a one way trip after a message received from the past: LINCOLN WOODHOUSE. COME HERE AND NOW. ENTIRE CIVILISATION AT RISK. The message makes no sense to Lincoln, but he feels compelled to try to discover what it means and how it could have been sent.
What he and his small team of volunteers find is a very sophisticated drone that he had sent back there sometime in his own future! The drone, calling itself Ripple will not tell the whole story right away, but does reiterate that Lincoln is the only one who can save civilization by saving Skyla, a Neanderthal woman of about 20. She is unusual and exhibits a talent no others but her sister has. Skyla insists on saving her sister who is being held captive by humans, so Lincoln and some of his group must go with her to ensure she is not killed.
I always marvel at the creative mind of Stan Smith an must read everything he writes!
I was given an ARC of this book and am voluntarily posting and honest review.
What he and his small team of volunteers find is a very sophisticated drone that he had sent back there sometime in his own future! The drone, calling itself Ripple will not tell the whole story right away, but does reiterate that Lincoln is the only one who can save civilization by saving Skyla, a Neanderthal woman of about 20. She is unusual and exhibits a talent no others but her sister has. Skyla insists on saving her sister who is being held captive by humans, so Lincoln and some of his group must go with her to ensure she is not killed.
I always marvel at the creative mind of Stan Smith an must read everything he writes!
I was given an ARC of this book and am voluntarily posting and honest review.
March 27, 2020
STAN HAS DONE IT AGAIN!!!
And yet each "it" is completely different - aside from being astonishingly creative. Stan Smith has the knack of taking a simple quasi-scientific idea and building a whole world - or in some cases, a series of worlds - around that notion.
He populates his stories with interesting and realistic people - in this case people spanning 47,000 years - and creates situations that ring true to the time, the society he created, the people.
I am an advance reader for his work, and I confess I'm not very good at it - I get so involved in the stories that I miss the grammatical or other errors I am supposed to be finding.
In short, it is another wonderful book by a wonderful author that is hopefully the first in yet another wonderful series. Smith has a number of series, and if you haven't read any of them - read this one first, and then go back and try some of the others. You will thank me.
And yet each "it" is completely different - aside from being astonishingly creative. Stan Smith has the knack of taking a simple quasi-scientific idea and building a whole world - or in some cases, a series of worlds - around that notion.
He populates his stories with interesting and realistic people - in this case people spanning 47,000 years - and creates situations that ring true to the time, the society he created, the people.
I am an advance reader for his work, and I confess I'm not very good at it - I get so involved in the stories that I miss the grammatical or other errors I am supposed to be finding.
In short, it is another wonderful book by a wonderful author that is hopefully the first in yet another wonderful series. Smith has a number of series, and if you haven't read any of them - read this one first, and then go back and try some of the others. You will thank me.
March 28, 2020
Time travel as a subject in fiction is nothing new. As a life-long reader of sci-fi, fantasy and adventure, the number of novels I have read that include it is pretty darn high. I actually thought I was sick of reading takes on the subject, until Stan Smith's Obsolete Theorem. His team of very unique "misfits" is not only intelligent and entertaining. Their take on life in general, shaped by the sometimes strange hands they were dealt, gives the reader pause ... how would I react? The drones seem more human than machine, and more than once make the reader laugh. Their brilliant "minds" and subsequent actions are simply a reflection of the leader of the expedition, Lincoln. They are also a reflection of the penetrating, gifted mind of Stan Smith. Battles, suspense, creatures beyond "normal" imaginative scope, joy, heartbreak, and even a touch of underlying romance. Mr. Smith has another winner here! I will be checking often for news of the next book in the series
March 29, 2020
Obsolete Theorem is one of those wonderful books that grabs your interest right from the start and keeps it throughout the whole book. This is an extraordinary time travel book that takes you on a wild ride to earth of almost 50,000 years ago. The imagery and setting are superb. It has an engaging storyline that immerses the reader into what life and death may have very much been like 50,000 years ago. The characters are well-developed, colorful and complex, giving you an insight into who they are. This story is original with plenty of twists and turns to keep you on the edge of your seat. It is storytelling at it's best that keeps you turning page after page, and looking for more when you are done. The ending comes as a surprise and leaves your heart pounding and your mind ready for more of this fantastic series.
April 10, 2020
Time should not be used lightly
This is an excellent book. It begins with drones and temporal space and how things happen.
Lincoln has invented drones that travel into the past, but not in his timeline since that is impossible. So why is one of his drones found on a ancient Paleolithic site? Lincoln and his team travel into the past to find out. There they encounter Neanderthals and early humans, they also encounter Skyra a young Neanderthal woman trying to rescue her twin from the humans.
Veenha has been taken by the humans and is released by her sister and the strangers with her only to find her death at the hand of her own tribe. Can Lincoln and his team save themselves and Skyra from them and return to their own time?
A must read for all lovers of prehistoric times.
This is an excellent book. It begins with drones and temporal space and how things happen.
Lincoln has invented drones that travel into the past, but not in his timeline since that is impossible. So why is one of his drones found on a ancient Paleolithic site? Lincoln and his team travel into the past to find out. There they encounter Neanderthals and early humans, they also encounter Skyra a young Neanderthal woman trying to rescue her twin from the humans.
Veenha has been taken by the humans and is released by her sister and the strangers with her only to find her death at the hand of her own tribe. Can Lincoln and his team save themselves and Skyra from them and return to their own time?
A must read for all lovers of prehistoric times.
May 9, 2020
Time is a savage mistress. I wasted none devouring this tale.
Time waits for no man. But a unique woman is waiting for one particular man and she doesn’t even know it. Problem is, he hasn’t been born yet. And won’t be for thousands of years.
Lincoln Woodhouse, an eccentric genius, gets a desperate plea from 47,000 years in the past to come and save humanity. How can he refuse? Even though he knows he can never get back. Or can he?
Stan C. Smith spins a bizarre story of time travel that threatens the very fabric of time itself. The mysteries of time with its dangers and even a smidgen of romance helped to keep me hooked. Smith does a masterful task of twisting time and bringing his characters over a chasm of events across the millennia.
The finale left me stunned, wanting more. Where, oh where, is the sequel?
July 12, 2020
Oh, the speculation!
As speculative sci-fi goes Obsolete Theorem meets the requirements. The world building is consistent with what we know about Neanderthals but that is as far as I agree with the story, then the story kicks into the action while still developing the characters and that's where the author lost me, they were not up to the task at hand let alone the consequences of their actions and the fact that they all survived with minor scratches made also the whole thing rather underdeveloped for me. This book could be maybe for young adults who would miss the flaws in its conceptional development.
As speculative sci-fi goes Obsolete Theorem meets the requirements. The world building is consistent with what we know about Neanderthals but that is as far as I agree with the story, then the story kicks into the action while still developing the characters and that's where the author lost me, they were not up to the task at hand let alone the consequences of their actions and the fact that they all survived with minor scratches made also the whole thing rather underdeveloped for me. This book could be maybe for young adults who would miss the flaws in its conceptional development.
May 10, 2021
Interesting Story with Unexpected Plot Twists
The story only covers a few days and almost 48 thousand years. This is time travel with an interesting twist and a complex cast. The main characters including four from our time, one from the past, and two drones are well developed characters. The drones have almost as much depth as the living people. The story paints a vivid picture of the world and its inhabitants.
My only serious complaint is that the end was abrupt and was a cliffhanger. I didn’t get a sense of closure on any major story arc. However, the trip was a very good read.
The story only covers a few days and almost 48 thousand years. This is time travel with an interesting twist and a complex cast. The main characters including four from our time, one from the past, and two drones are well developed characters. The drones have almost as much depth as the living people. The story paints a vivid picture of the world and its inhabitants.
My only serious complaint is that the end was abrupt and was a cliffhanger. I didn’t get a sense of closure on any major story arc. However, the trip was a very good read.
June 16, 2024
Hard Science Fiction with good characters
The author points out the time travel necessarily involves space travel. Because the Earth is spinning on its axis, and rotating around the sun, which is moving inside of our galaxy, which is moving in the universe. Making the location calculations much more complex then the time travel calculation. I particularly enjoyed his line that we may one day discover spaces littered with the frozen bodies of Time Travelers who miscalculated the location. The characters are also excellent, and appealing. It is interesting to note that this is a book without a bad guy in it.
The author points out the time travel necessarily involves space travel. Because the Earth is spinning on its axis, and rotating around the sun, which is moving inside of our galaxy, which is moving in the universe. Making the location calculations much more complex then the time travel calculation. I particularly enjoyed his line that we may one day discover spaces littered with the frozen bodies of Time Travelers who miscalculated the location. The characters are also excellent, and appealing. It is interesting to note that this is a book without a bad guy in it.
April 1, 2020
Stan C. Smith does it again!
I thought the Bridger series was one of the very best sci-fi books ever written. This new series promises to be equally compelling. Smith manages to perfectly balance all elements of excellent story telling--enough science that makes sense, unusual settings and unpredictable circumstances, strong character development, and some love interest, all in the context of non-stop thrilling action. Never a slow moment, and most appreciated, no foul language.
I thought the Bridger series was one of the very best sci-fi books ever written. This new series promises to be equally compelling. Smith manages to perfectly balance all elements of excellent story telling--enough science that makes sense, unusual settings and unpredictable circumstances, strong character development, and some love interest, all in the context of non-stop thrilling action. Never a slow moment, and most appreciated, no foul language.
May 6, 2020
A new way to understand Time Travel.
The author presents a very riveting story of a possible Time Travel scenario. The tale is a typical hero meets damsel in distress and rescues fair maiden but the most interesting part is the explanation of how Time Travel could occur. The story keeps the reader engaged and the good guys stay ahead by a whisker. The story and pace seem to be designed for teen and YA readers. I enjoyed it and found the subsequent discussion of Time Travel quite enlightening. I received a free copy of this book from the author and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The author presents a very riveting story of a possible Time Travel scenario. The tale is a typical hero meets damsel in distress and rescues fair maiden but the most interesting part is the explanation of how Time Travel could occur. The story keeps the reader engaged and the good guys stay ahead by a whisker. The story and pace seem to be designed for teen and YA readers. I enjoyed it and found the subsequent discussion of Time Travel quite enlightening. I received a free copy of this book from the author and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 103 reviews