Taking Time: ... A Tale of Physics, Lust and Greed

Physics, Lust and Greed #1

by Mike Murphey

The year is 2044. Housed in a secret complex beneath the eastern Arizona desert, a consortium of governments and corporations have undertaken a program on the scale of the Manhattan Project to bludgeon the laws of physics into submission and make time travel a reality.

Fraught with insecurities, Marshall Grissom has spent his whole life trying not to call attention to himself, so he can't imagine he would be remotely suited for the role of time travel pioneer. He's even less enthusiastic about this corporate time-travel adventure when he learns that nudity is a job requirement. The task would better match the talents of candidates like the smart and beautiful Sheila Schuler, or the bristle-tough and rattlesnake-mean Marta Hamilton.

As the project evolves into a clash between science and corporate greed, conflicts escalate. Those contributing the funding are mostly interested in manipulating time travel for profit, and will stop at nothing, including murder, to achieve their goals.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction

390 pages, Paperback

Published June 13, 2020

About the author

Mike Murphey is a native of eastern New Mexico and spent almost thirty years as an award-winning newspaper journalist in the Southwest and Pacific Northwest.
Following his retirement from the newspaper business, he and his wife Nancy entered in a seventeen-year partnership with the late Dave Henderson, all-star centerfielder for the Oakland Athletics, Boston Red Sox and Seattle Mariners. Their company produced the A’s and Mariners adult baseball Fantasy Camps. They also have a partnership with the Roy Hobbs adult baseball organization in Fort Myers, Florida.
At the age of 60, Mike stopped procrastinating and revived his life-long ambition to write a novel. His debut novel, a coming-of-age story called Section Roads—a coming of Age story set in the small town where he grew up—has been recognized by Indie Reader Discovery Awards, Reader Views Reviewers Choice Awards, The IAN Book of the Year Awards, the Somerset Contemporary Fiction Awards, and the Independent Publishers Book Awards. His novel, The Conman … A Baseball Odyssey, has been recognized by the International Book Awards, the eLit Awards and the Manhattan Book Awards. He has also published his humorous science fiction Physics, Lust and Greed series, which includes Taking Time … a Tale of Physics, Lust and Greed, Wasting Time and Killing Time. “We Never Knew Just What It Was… The Story of the Chad Mitchell Trio” is his first work of non-fiction. Mike loves fiction, cats, baseball and sailing. He splits his time between Spokane, Washington, and Phoenix, Arizona where he enjoys life as a writer and old-man baseball player.

Reviews

[Lauren Stoolfire · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an ecopy from Reedsy Discovery in exchange for an honest review.

The year is 2044. Housed in a secret complex beneath the eastern Arizona desert, a consortium of governments and corporations have undertaken a program on the scale of the Manhattan Project to bludgeon the laws of physics into submission and make time travel a reality. Fraught with insecurities, Marshall Grissom has spent his whole life trying not to call attention to himself, so he can’t imagine he would be remotely suited for the role of time travel pioneer. He’s even less enthusiastic about this corporate time-travel adventure when he learns that nudity is a job requirement. The task would better match the talents of candidates like the smart and beautiful Sheila Schuler, or the bristle-tough and rattlesnake-mean Marta Hamilton. As the project evolves into a clash between science and corporate greed, conflicts escalate. Those contributing the funding are mostly interested in manipulating time travel for profit, and will stop at nothing, including murder, to achieve their goals.

I've always been a sucker for time travel science fiction novels, so when I had the opportunity to try Taking Time by Mike Murphey from Reedsy Discovery I knew I had to give it a shot. The synopsis and short preview I tried before deciding to pick it up sounded incredibly promising with a good deal of potential. Now that I have completed this first installment of an upcoming trilogy, I can officially say that this is a solid read. There are elements that I particularly enjoyed such as the time traveling itself, the parallel worlds and concept of a multiverse that exists in conjunction with team's time travelling exploits. Then again, there are also elements that I could have done without as well. I knew going in due to the disclaimer on Reedsy Discovery that there was going to be some explicit content, but honestly over the chapters that honestly began to grate and wear thin.

In regards to the elements I appreciated about this novel, I'll begin with the time travel itself since after all it's what I came to see. The how in Murphey's novel isn't quite unique but it's still pretty cool to read about. In the story, the time travelers minds are projected back into their past, or potentially, future selves. They don't particularly travel great distances in time due to certain limitations. Plus, those funding the project are greedy and are attempting to use time travel for financial gain. As I mentioned earlier, one of my favorite aspects was learning that what they're involved with may be effecting parallel worlds. What little bit we get to see of the multiverse from the perspective of our characters when a projection goes awry was a highlight of the story for me. Let's just say that the face of humanity is different there. I'll admit that I totally had the Silurians from Doctor Who in the back of my mind.

Then, there were the elements that just didn't quite work for me. The nudity element of time travel didn't bother me at first since within the story, the time travelers need to be naked in order to travel in time safely and make it home whole. Marshall, the lead character, really focuses on the nudity and it becomes a joke that goes much too long. Seriously, I have a feeling that several pages could have been deleted without hurting the main storyline. And, of course, Marshall and the good looking women on the team end up having sexy times. I wasn't prepared for them to use to their time travel missions for so much sex. Again same as before, quite a few pages could have been deleted without harming the main storyline and I would have been perfectly fine with that. Basically, I was in it for the time travel, not so much that other stuff.

Overall, Taking Time by Mike Murphey is an intriguing time travel novel that mostly worked for me. There were some aspects that I wasn't quite prepared for that ran on too long for my tastes, but for the most part the elements I enjoyed outweighed them. As of this point, I wouldn't have the subsequent installments of the series at the top of my to be read pile, but I'd still wouldn't mind seeing where the series goes from where it left off. Thanks again, Reedsy Discovery!

[angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first edelweiss arc I have read. What made me download this book is because of the time travel theme on the book. Give me a book with a time travel on it and I'm all for it.😉

This book is about a set of people being projected to the past to determine whether time travel is profitable. This is a multiple pov kind of book. I love that each characters are fleshed out and have their own identity.👍

I love the science aspect of the book. Theories and laws related to time travel are mentioned and even discussed on the book.❤

This has the same tone as one of my favorite book: Timeline. There are some aspect of the book I'm not that comfortable with but in totality, this book is really great. It was a fast read for me and it is very exciting!😆

For fans of science based time travel, I recommend this one. 👍🤗

Thanks for edelweiss, the publisher and author for making this available for review.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

Started out promising, though without much of a central question to drive the plot; but unraveled in the second half, and only managed an OK ending by taking a couple of dubious shortcuts.

This book, for me, has two major problems. The first is that it's not clear to me what genre it's attempting, but it is clear to me that it's not succeeding in whichever one it is. If it's a thriller, it needs a tighter plot, a clearer goal, and a faster pace, especially in the first half. If it's a comedy, it needs to be funnier, and have more going on than an extended dick joke. If it's serious SF, it needs not to be so absurd; there's an incredibly handwaved explanation of why the time travelers' destinations are distinguishable by the theme songs from old TV shows that play over the tracking equipment when they get there, which makes no sense whatsoever. There's never a satisfactory explanation for the fact that any non-living organic matter catches fire and explodes when the travelers are sent through the equipment, either; that seems to be just a setup to require the travelers to be nude, for (inadequately) comedic purposes. It also doesn't seem to apply to the fillings in their teeth, for example, though it does apply to breast implants (apparently as an excuse to underline that the most attractive female traveler is all natural).

The time travel itself, with the travelers' bodies disappearing although it's really only their minds that are traveling, makes little sense either. And it has the issue of a lot of alternate-world stories, in that the travelers' existence, probably the least likely thing to remain constant between different worlds, remains constant, while everything else up to and including their evolutionary biology changes.

The other major problem is that, at several key moments, rather than the (perfectly competent) characters discovering plot-relevant facts by their hard work and cleverness, they discover them by overly convenient coincidence. This is how the ending is achieved, in fact, along with a bit of continuity being forgotten about.

Also, especially early on, the narrative timeline wanders around, dipping suddenly into flashbacks (often without the past perfect tense or past continuous aspect where they should be). I couldn't decide if this was a deliberate (but unsuccessful) attempt to reflect the theme of time travel or if the author just wasn't very good at telling a story in coherent order and using grammatical markers.

There were positives. The relationships between the characters, and their internal struggles, are mostly depicted well. If the author could manage more clarity of focus and more character agency (along the lines set out so well by Jack M. Bickham in Scene & Structure ), he could probably write a good book. But for me, this was not it.

I received a review copy via Netgalley .

[Billy Buttons · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was entered in The Wishing Shelf Book Awards. This is what our readers thought:
Title: Taking Time: A Tale of Physics, Lust and Greed
Author: Mike Murphey

Star Rating: 4.5 Stars
Number of Readers: 17
Stats
Editing: 8/10
Writing Style: 7/10
Content: 9/10
Cover: 10/10
Of the 17 readers:
16 would read another book by this author.
17 thought the cover was good or excellent.
16 felt it was easy to follow.
16 would recommend this book to another reader to try.
Of all the readers, 9 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘plotting a story’.
Of all the readers, 5 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘developing the characters’.
Of all the readers, 3 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘writing style’.
17 felt the pacing was good or excellent.
16 thought the author understood the readership and what they wanted.

Readers’ Comments
“This is a solidly written sci-fi thriller with a well-researched/developed technical element that was enthralling. If you enjoyed The Martian, you’ll love this. Although the ending feels a bit rushed, the author works hard to entertain (and educate) and, for the most part, succeeds.” Male reader, aged 62
“I think the author’s ability to identify corporate greed as a major plot element was excellent. I have no doubt if time travel was possible, greed would be a large of why it was funded. There are plenty of twists to this story, and there’s even a little humor thrown in. Very enjoyable!’ Female reader, aged 39
“If past-paced thrillers are your thing – with a little time travel thrown in – this is for you. It’s a little techno thriller here and there which I also loved. Physics happens to be an interest of mine.” Male reader, aged 48
“The time travel (and the science around it) was fab! The greed was interesting and thought-provoking. The lust was sort of annoying and pulled away from the story. Two out of three: not bad!” Male reader, aged 55

To Sum It Up:
‘A superbly plotted time travel adventure. A FINALIST and highly recommended!’ The Wishing Shelf Book Awards

[Hannah Barry · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a phenomenal read. I was actually in the middle of another book when I got this; I peeked at it just to see, and next thing I know I am absolutely enthralled. The author, Mike Murphey, clearly a very deep and playful passion for sci-fi from the days of Wells, and the varied and mysterious laws of science.
Though this story takes place in the future, Murphey so flawlessly blends the reality we know now with a distorted potential reality to come. He clearly shows great care and respect for time and the ways it moves, and the ways that moments can change you, shape you. He brings this to the evolutions of his characters in a lofty and fluid way. A brilliant blend of everything you want in a vivid and engaging time-traveling sci-fi read.

I'm excited and intrigued to read more!

[K.A. Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent science fiction story that doesn't get too wrapped up in the hard science of time travel but focuses instead of the possibility and the possible consequences. The relationships between the characters are well developed and there's a healthy dose of humor that will have you laughing out loud. I can't wait for the next book in the series!

[Reader Views · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mike Murphey’s “Taking Time: A Tale of Physics, Lust and Greed” fast forwards readers about 25 years into the future.

It’s 2044, and the American southwest has more secrets than just Area 51. A secret facility deep within the desert is the site of a monumental project: Time Travel. Many government agencies and business tycoons around the globe are anxious to master this new feat of technology and reap the financial benefits. Marshall Grissom finds himself smack in the middle of the chaos when he’s asked to report to the facility by his boss. For the next five years, Marshall will be asked to become a time travel pioneer. Shy by nature and more prone to observing in the background, Marshall is thrust into the depths of the project as one of a select few participants who will be used as test subjects. His companions, the beautiful Sheila and the whip-smart, battle-ready Marta, complicate things for Marshall, as they are advised that the only way to safely transport them through time is by having the travelers be naked. As he grows closer to the two women, and becomes entrenched in a deep conspiracy involving the possibility of parallel universes, Marshall will have to watch his back and stay alert, as the corporate goons and government scientists will stop at nothing to achieve their goals, even if it means committing dirty crimes.

“Taking Time: A Tale of Physics, Lust and Greed” was a fun read simply because the concept of the book was so unique. Of course, many authors have tackled the idea of time travel before, but Murphey really adapted the idea and made it his own. The idea that in the not-so-distant future governments and big businesses might get involved in a secret mission to bring about the possibility of time travel is one that really isn’t all that preposterous these days. With the constant new advances in science and technology, it seems like it’s only a matter of time before time travel becomes a major focus, and Murphey’s tale seemed like a realistic portrayal of what the results might be. The scientists are passionate about the new possibilities and discoveries being made, while those who are funding the project and hoping to reap the financial winnings of a successful time travel project are pushing for quick progress and positive results, no matter what. Science and money seem to be two things that are becoming increasingly entangled in our modern world, which can unfortunately have some dangerous consequences.

Overall, “Taking Time: A Tale of Physics, Lust and Greed” was quite enjoyable, but I did find that sometimes the sexual innuendos and deviances got in the way a little bit. This caused them to kind of hang heavily over the action in the story, which caused the story to feel like it hitched or hit a weird curve in some places. This could be more of a personal preference, but I think that being more selective with this type of content would have increased the suspense of the story.

Readers who enjoy science fiction, time travel, mystery and government secrets will find “Taking Time: A Tale of Physics, Lust and Greed” to be a fun, fast-paced adventure that will constantly keep them asking new questions until the final page is turned.

[BooksCoffee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in 2044 in the Eastern Arizona, Murphey’s intriguing latest science fiction tale featuring a young insecure hero finds the latter trying to fit in with a motley crew of strangers who are set to go on a top-secret mission as humanity’s first ever time-travelers.

When Marshall Grissom was offered to be a part of a five-year long research program in a secret complex beneath the Eastern Arizona Desert that will pay high salary and extra perks, he was more than happy to sign up. But little did he know that he was about to become one of the first ever time-travelers in the history of humanity as part of a covert operation on behalf of a syndicate of governments and corporations who wanted to make the time-travel a profitable reality. Painfully shy and reserved Marshall is thrown together with the lovely and intelligent Sheila Schuler and the hardheaded and mean Marta Hamilton. As the project evolves and the clash between science and corporate greed becomes a reality, new friendships are formed, hidden enemies come out of shadows, and the old secrets unravel, threatening to jeopardize the whole project. With their lives at stake, Marshall and his fellow time-travelers must do everything in their power to stop the malevolent forces from realizing their sinister motive.

The book starts on a slow note with a multitude of characters thrown together in a strange environment without a clear backstory, but once the reader gets to know the protagonists, there is no turning back. Murphey does an excellent job dramatizing events in the early days of the project: he expertly integrates the characters’ evolving relationship into their inner turmoil as the stark reality of being used by the governments and the corporations as the sole guinea pig dawns on.

The intriguing world of spies and counterspies and the characters’ well-drawn backstories as they struggle in completely unfamiliar terrain keep the readers invested throughout. The narrative is mostly smoothly paced except for characters’ sudden flashback integrated into the story. Scientific details of the time are blended well into the labyrinthine plot that gradually builds to a logical explanation.

The Intriguing information about the concept of time -travel, dark matter, and time dilation among others, though a bit dubious adds a dash of physics into the otherwise SF thriller plot.

Laden with a hefty dose of drama, intrigue, and witty dialogue, this entry will please time-travel fans.

[Rags · Rating 3 out of 5]

** I received this book as a free copy from Netgalley and Acorn Publishing in return for an honest review ***
Side note: I hate protected PDFs which is what I got with horrible formatting. This was annoying because the author's name and page numbers would be inserted at random intervals through the text. Ugh.

Despite the formatting issues, I enjoyed reading the story. Three main characters: Marshall, Marta, and Sheila are experimentees in a time-travel parallel universe story. The science is a little dubious (dark matter allowing time travel) and the competing project is a straw horse (time dilation allowing for astronauts to travel 200 years into the future while passing only a couple of years of subjective time - and then waiting for the future society to kindly send them back into the past with 200 years of information to alter the past the astronauts came from. Really? Why would any future society do that?)

A few other nitpicks: The ending is hurried and left on a bit of a loose end (what happens to the project? Is the author setting up for a sequel?) Marshall's massive organ (which is repeatedly, umm, touched upon) contributes, I guess, to the lust part of the book title (though there is not much lust in the book).

But a fun read nevertheless. Mike does a good job with the characters and their interactions. Almost all the protagonists are sympathetic, though the antagonists (corporate shills for the most part) are a bit cartoonish. The parallel universe idea is well done and Mike does a pretty good job with the implications. Well worth spending an afternoon with for an enjoyable quick read.

[Gene Desrochers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Taking Time moves rapidly and continuously through a time travel experiment that takes place in April 2043. Part science fiction, part coming-of-age, and part spy novel, this story has a little of everything. The story centers around a group of 3 brave souls who agree to embark on a scientific experiment and give up their regular lives, to become chrono-nauts in the first time travel experiments conducted by the U.S. government with help from corporations, always a winning combination. Sheila, Marta (the woman on the cover), and Marshall become the first team to embark on this journey. They don't know what will happen, but there's sex (everyone must strip naked before each trip and stand before the rest of the researchers, scientists, and technicians in their birthday suit), jealousy, and many unexpected developments as the travelers must help the scientists piece together exactly where in time they are and more interestingly, what parallel universe they might be inhabiting. Add the fact that the memories of each adventure fade quickly, they must come back and be debriefed immediately for fear of misrepresentation. There are many others involved with ulterior motives besides pure science who will do anything in their power to make money or get credit for the groundbreaking scientific developments. There's also the fact that every trip is life-risking and of course the looming possibility of the butterfly effect made famous by Ray Bradbury in his short story. All of these aspects combine in a well-paced novel that leaves you wanted to read book 2 at the end, which I intend to do very shortly!

[Anthony · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Review

I am a big fan of time travel sci-fi stories, and this one hits that genre perfectly. The rich character interactions and relationships brought humor and intrigue to this narrative, as did the engaging use of imagery in the author’s writing style. The vast world-building and atmosphere that the author created instantly make the reader feel immersed in the story.

The two things that made this story stand out the most are the technical aspects of the time travel elements and the themes of corporate greed and government oversight. Early on in the book, the use of time travel shows the characters merging with their past selves, giving a different take on the time travel story. Meanwhile, the exploration of how corporations and governments interact with one another, the drawback of greed taking hold, and how it impacts the work being done made this a thoughtful first entry into this series.

The Verdict

Memorable, thoughtful, and engaging author Michael Murphey’s “Taking Time” is a must-read sci-fi novel. The detail and incredible world the author created, along with the blend of humor and wit in the dialogue, helped push through the twists and turns this narrative needed and made for a brilliant first chapter in this series.

[Alexa Simmons · Rating 5 out of 5]

"As every point in space exists simultaneously, so does every point in time."

I really like books about a parallel universe, and this one's a perfect fit. You might have probably thought this one would be cliché with its time travel concept, but it isn't.

In the Wormhole Project, the time machine wouldn't let you physically travel. All you needed to do was stand right there and live to describe the experience to the scientists. It was never easy after countless tries. And when the research had evolved, they had a conflict with the government and corporations that sponsored them because these people would not even let anyone live for their greed. With the travelers' life at stake, they did everything they could to not harm anyone.

I love everything about this book. You can't find anything that's in here boring at all. Every page gives off an exciting feeling that you can never ignore, so you'll just have to turn one page and another after another until you realize you're at the end of the book.

Murphey was really amazing. Through his books, you can clearly see that he was born to write.

[Joshua Maley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love a good sci-fi story, and Taking Time held lots of promise in its premise. The book was well-written and an easy, light read despite the weighty subject matter. As an amateur nerd, I found the science behind the sci-fi concepts and time travel to be grounded and believable enough to not pull me out of the story. Anything goes with that, really, since it’s a purely fictional concept. But some stories pull it off better than others.

The characters were fun and well developed. Early on the book reads like a series of vignettes, with a focus more on the characters than on a strong, central plot hook. This works well for the most part, but the lack of focus does make the back half of the book a bit harder to follow and results in the story being moved along more out of necessity than out of anything the characters do.

Still, it’s a fun read, a bit silly, a bit dark, a bit serious. Worth taking a look at if you’re a fan of sci-fi but not looking for some intricate, interconnected epic.

[Dianna Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

While reading this book, I thought of a question that still lingers in my mind even after I finished it. "Would you rather go back to the past or the present?" I kept thinking and thinking of an answer, then I thought, I’ll go to the future for sure. I think there's no use in going back to the past because what's gone is gone. It's already our identity, the depiction of our personality. Maybe others would choose the past to undo their mistakes, but time traveling to the past would bring about the events we already know happened. On the other hand, I wouldn't worry about stepping on the wrong stone and setting up a life I would ever regret.

That's easy for me to say, but in "Taking Time", the Wormhole Project risks the travelers' life. And going against the greedy corporations that only care about their profit doubles the danger.

So, let's just stay here in the present and let God lead us to the right path. Play along with your life because He will never put you in a position He knows you won't be able to pull off.

[Donte Reyes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not your ordinary Science Fiction story.

Served with a compelling and intriguing plot, Mike Murphey’s Taking Time won’t let you look away even in a bit of time. This book will capture your heart and mind and your whole being until the very last page.

This whole idea of Time Travel is to determine whether it could be profitable or not. Many corporations and even the government had this project under control to achieve their horrible desire to become more rich and powerful. You can clearly see how this novel could be absolutely terrifying, it doesn’t need ghosts or zombies because there are humans, and their greed turns them into the monster they are. This is exactly how our future will be if these regimes will continue to rule the world.

The author knows how to communicate with the readers, and I was completely swept away by it.

[Anthonet James · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s a gem. It shouldn’t be missed by time travel fans.

To be honest, this story starts out slow and kind of dull but trust me, give it about a few more pages and the sheer genius of this will become apparent.

An excellent sci-fi that doesn’t deal with the science of time travel alone, but focuses on the possibilities and consequences as well. The character development was good, it has multiple POVs so you can easily be attached with them.

The only downside was the nudity concept which I wasn’t a fan of, and the time travel itself at some point. To me, it’s just absurd that the traveler's body can disappear although it’s just their minds that are traveling. It just doesn’t make sense. But we never know, maybe the future will be just like that.

Still, it’s a fun read. Silly, a bit dark, and serious. Worth it for anyone who loves to read this genre and is of age.

[Linda Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the concept of time travel because scientists trying to discover how to pull this off proves that there really is nothing impossible in this world.

Although the time travel is good, there’s just a bunch of unnecessary scenes that could have been omitted, without really affecting the main story. I expected some explicit content considering the title, but there’s just a lot.

This is my first novel by Mike Murphey, and I’m already a huge fan. I think I should hurry up and read the next installments of this trilogy. I feel bad for the next books I will ever read because they will surely suffer from being compared to this book. This goes to my all-time favorite list.

[Mark Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mike Murphey shows readers that time travel is a new and fresh subgenre that anyone can enjoy. The novel seems to start as a Doomsday style novel with the government and corporations living underground. But it soon becomes clear that Murphey has other plans. The approach to time travel is unique, captivates readers, and delivers a rainbow of emotions. Readers will finish the book with a sense of completion and connection with the main characters. Even the inner journey is fleshed out with reasonable accuracy and detail.

[Daniel Lewis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fairly interesting time travel idea, they could travel back but its an alternate universe sort of travel. I wont say how that gets sorted since I do not want to give away any spoilers. The book spends WAY too much time talking about part of one of the time travelers anatomy. The 10th time is just too damn much. The story was decent for the most part. Not sure if I will read the sequel I will have to see if this story pops back up in my head after some time reading something else.. The ending though, bravo!

#timetravel

[The Page Ladies Book Club · Rating 4 out of 5]

Science fiction with plenty of laugh out loud moments! Those are the first things that come to mind when I think about this book! This is a book that everyone at one point and time is going to enjoy! It's a fast, fun read! The characters are well developed and though it takes place in the future the author has done a great job blending the present in with what it may be like in the future! It's a top-secret mission about the first time-travelers! What sci-fi lover wouldn't want to read this!

[R.K. Emery · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such an intriguing book, just from the synopsis.

Mike Murphey captures the imagination of anyone interested in the possibility of time travel. The words he has crafted for this type of adventure are brilliant.

The addition of humor really adds to the characters. It's funny and witty throughout the entire book.

This is a great piece of writing with so much to offer!

[C. Gonzales · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, I loved this and I had the hardest time putting it down.

I love an author who can create such a fun and unique world and add vibrancy to it. Mike Murphey brought us into a fantastic setting and made his world and his characters stand out.

The wit and humor had me giggling as I read. It added an extra layer I really enjoyed.

Solid storytelling and imagination from Murphey!

[CR · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one had some great characters and a killer story. If you love science fiction then this one will so be one you will want to grab. The title tells it all!! I loved how humor played a big part in this story as it helped it to be serious us also fun. It was a wonderful story and I can not wait to see what else Murphey has in store for his fans!

[Nanette Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A twist on Time Travel

When Marshall finds himself at a secret facility he discovers he has made a 5 year commitment to exploration of time travel. The fact that he is extremely tall and built like a horse it becomes a problem when you have to travel naked. Let the adventure begin

[Shawn Butler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tumescent Time Travel! An incredibly creative time travel novel with a lot of naughty and a lot more great characters and plot development. I don't normally read time travel novels because they seem so repetitive (paradox, oh no!), but the author does a great job pumping fresh blood into an often flaccid SF genre.

[Matt Kelland · Rating 1 out of 5]

To time travel, you have to go naked. Cue a load of puerile garbage about the male protagonist gazing at his two female colleagues. A discussion of breast implants. The woman looking at the man's penis as he gets an erection. The women in their bedrooms lounging around in their underwear before stripping off. I gave up.

[Mike Murphey · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Mike Murphey’s novel is a masterpiece, from the gorgeous writing to the sophisticated characters, it delivers entertainment at its finest." --The Book Commentary Five Stars

Taking Time: A Tale of Physics, Lust and Greed by Mike Murphey is a fascinating meld of science fiction and fantasy featuring time travel. It is set in the future, in 2044, and a consortium of governments and corporations undertake an exciting program to trump the laws of physics and enhance time travel.

Marshall Grissom is the kind of character who doesn’t feel comfortable in his own skin and prefers self-effacement to being in the spotlight. He is not fascinated by the Wormhole Project and he becomes even less enthusiastic when nudity becomes a prime requirement. He hasn’t properly moved on from his painful high school experience, being gnawed on by badgers. But the man with little athletic skills and an awkward body becomes the time travel pioneer. But where the project is headed is what will stun him even more.

Mike Murphey’s novel is a masterpiece, from the gorgeous writing to the sophisticated characters, it delivers entertainment at its finest. A bold time travel project quickly creates an atmosphere where conflict grows and where human greed takes center stage, featuring powerful sponsors whose sole mission is to manipulate time travel for personal interests and they will do anything, including murder, to achieve their aims. The characters are deftly developed, and I enjoyed how the author explores the backgrounds of the characters, especially Marshall Grissom. There are other compelling characters that are brilliantly written, like the beautiful Sheila Schuler and the bitchy Marta Hamilton.

Intelligently plotted and featuring memorable characters, Taking Time: A Tale of Physics, Lust and Greed provides a delightful ride to fans of time travel and readers who enjoy strong prose and stories that are steeped in realism. This extraordinary time travel is fierce in its execution and it is a novel that will leave readers entertained and inspired.



"The story is a sci-fi lover’s dream!" --Indies Today

A guy that is over six-and-a-half feet tall, is rail thin, and wears shoes sized to fit a clown has trouble blending in. That is unfortunate for Marshall Grissom, who doesn’t want to stand out. He has no special skills and isn’t a genius, so it comes as a shock when Marshall is chosen to be among the pioneers in a time travel project. The job is top secret and involves lots of non-disclosure agreements along with an inflexible five year commitment. Despite the unlikelihood of being selected, Marshall, albeit reluctantly, embraces the job and even manages to make a couple of friends. These relationships are put to the test as Marshall realizes that greed is the true father of invention.

Reading a Mike Murphey book is like spending time with your favorite family dog—it’s always a dependable companion and good for a few laughs. No matter what topic Murphey writes about, his books are consistently compelling, and Taking Time is no exception. With dynamic characters and futuristic science, the story is a sci-fi lover’s dream! And just as the cover promises, there is just a little physics, a bit more lust, and a ton of greed to help round out this exciting novel. The pages are filled with manipulations and mysteries, but also a healthy dose of humor to keep the whole thing from taking itself too seriously. Taking Time is a slightly satirical and entirely entertaining twist on a time travel tale.
★★★★★ / Reviewed by STEVE QUADE for Indies Today / MAY 13, 2020

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. I think it handled time travel with a interesting twist that lent well to the whole story without being the whole story. That way the characters shined through. You got to know them and liked them.

[Samantha Turley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful new sci-fi world with characters full of humor and wit.

I absolutely loved the way Mike Murphey told his story. These characters came to life and showed so much personality, it was so fun to read.

Fast paced with quite a bit of action. Solid Sci-Fi story!

[Gary Ferguson · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best time travel books I've read in awhile

The physics are reasonable and the characters are well written. The story moves along very well and had some interesting twists. I very much enjoyed this book.