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The Chronoscape Collection
CHRONOSCAPE: The future is flexible we can change it
Physicist Martin Riley has discovered a way to receive news stories from two weeks in the future but the Government steps in and cloaks the technology in secrecy. Despite Riley’s warnings, politicians on both sides of the Atlantic make radical alterations to events. The first temporal alteration saves Princess Diana, the next saves the Twin Towers, but ripples travel far ahead and disturb Earth's future civilisation. The Timestream must be realigned, but at what cost?
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About the author
Roger Ley
10 books23 followersRoger Ley has written eight novels and one anthology of speculative stories, including his four-part series 'Harry Lampeter and the Return to Steam', the three-part ‘Chronoscape Chronicles’ and the two-part ‘Cyber Crisis’ series. His writing has been podcast and broadcast internationally.
He was born and educated in London, and spent some of his formative years in Saudi Arabia. Later, he worked as an engineer in the oilfields of North Africa and in the North Sea before starting a career in higher education.
His early articles, which appeared in publications including The Guardian, Reader's Digest, The Oldie, and Best of British, led to his well-received collection of autobiographical stories 'A Horse in the Morning'.
He lives in Suffolk (UK).
This is his Amazon author page:
https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B01KOVZFHM
This is his website:
rogerley.co.uk
‘Chronoscape’ is a science fiction novel about time and alternate realities in which the Government is able to read the newspapers from two weeks in the future. 'The future is flexible, we can change it.'
'The Muslim Prince' is an alternate history thriller that asks the question, 'What if Princess Diana hadn't died?' It is a spin-off novel from 'Chronoscape'
'Dead People on Facebook' is a collection of stories connected to 'Chronoscape' in various speculative genres including: Steampunk, Horror, Time Travel, a little Magic and one Romance.
Harry Lampeter and the War with Scotland' tells how Harry leaves the Merchant Airship Service and joins MI6 as an observer of the war with Scotland and, more importantly, the American 'peacemakers'.
'The Steampunk Adventures of Harry Lampeter' is an irreverent romp through a steam age world as the Unted States Army attempts to takeover England in preparation for its invasion of Europe
'Harry Lampeter and the Turing Engine' describes Harry's adventures during the war against the Franco German alliance.
'Harry Lampeter and the Unholy Alliance continues Harry's unruly adventures, as mad Pope Benedict XVII attempts to fill the political vacuum in Europe by reviving the Holy Roman Empire and becoming its Emperor.
'The Digital Meltdown' is a prequel to the Harry Lampeter stories and tells how the digital age ended and the world returned to the age of steam.
‘A Horse in the Morning’ is a collection of mainly comic autobiographical stories.
He was born and educated in London, and spent some of his formative years in Saudi Arabia. Later, he worked as an engineer in the oilfields of North Africa and in the North Sea before starting a career in higher education.
His early articles, which appeared in publications including The Guardian, Reader's Digest, The Oldie, and Best of British, led to his well-received collection of autobiographical stories 'A Horse in the Morning'.
He lives in Suffolk (UK).
This is his Amazon author page:
https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B01KOVZFHM
This is his website:
rogerley.co.uk
‘Chronoscape’ is a science fiction novel about time and alternate realities in which the Government is able to read the newspapers from two weeks in the future. 'The future is flexible, we can change it.'
'The Muslim Prince' is an alternate history thriller that asks the question, 'What if Princess Diana hadn't died?' It is a spin-off novel from 'Chronoscape'
'Dead People on Facebook' is a collection of stories connected to 'Chronoscape' in various speculative genres including: Steampunk, Horror, Time Travel, a little Magic and one Romance.
Harry Lampeter and the War with Scotland' tells how Harry leaves the Merchant Airship Service and joins MI6 as an observer of the war with Scotland and, more importantly, the American 'peacemakers'.
'The Steampunk Adventures of Harry Lampeter' is an irreverent romp through a steam age world as the Unted States Army attempts to takeover England in preparation for its invasion of Europe
'Harry Lampeter and the Turing Engine' describes Harry's adventures during the war against the Franco German alliance.
'Harry Lampeter and the Unholy Alliance continues Harry's unruly adventures, as mad Pope Benedict XVII attempts to fill the political vacuum in Europe by reviving the Holy Roman Empire and becoming its Emperor.
'The Digital Meltdown' is a prequel to the Harry Lampeter stories and tells how the digital age ended and the world returned to the age of steam.
‘A Horse in the Morning’ is a collection of mainly comic autobiographical stories.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
August 25, 2018
This futuristic time travel tale is a refreshing sci-fi investigation of changed worlds within Earth's scope. Well written, with modern dialogue and circumstances, "Chronoscape" investigates the ethical dilemmas of time travel and the responsibility that society owes to the past.
December 14, 2017
Another one of these mushy future stories. It's obviously extremely hard to pin down the future with the realism and clarity of today, but I really do feel saddened when the future appears in this sort of novel and it's all narrow, vague and out-of-focus. There's oftentimes no depth to the proceedings.
Of course, there's also the fact that the whole work is eventually - spoiler alert - retconed out of existence. But hey, it was a fun, light story.
Of course, there's also the fact that the whole work is eventually - spoiler alert - retconed out of existence. But hey, it was a fun, light story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 21, 2020
Wow - fasten your seat belts! In fact, forget fastening your seat belt, you may need restraints, and a straitjacket and someone to pinch you when you've finished to ensure you're real, and half an hour with Sky News, and a cup of tea, and a chocolate hob-nob. It will take you some time to drink your tea and eat your hob-nob, as I finished Chronoscape over an hour ago and my head is still spinning through a full 360 degrees, although not quite as fast as it was and so far I've managed a small bite of biscuit as well as poking myself in the eye and smearing chocolate down my cheek. This time travelling adventure is so different from standard time travelling fare. Mr Ley has brilliantly applied his theory to events that are really close to our hearts so you feel totally invested in the outcome. I was enthralled within the first 15 minutes and then just did not want this story to end. Graig Bowles turns in an Oscar winning performance, as we've come to expect from this classy narrator. If you don't like fiction, SciFi, time travel, science - then this is the book for you because you don't need any interest in any of those things for Chronoscape to grab you in a bear hug and hold you tight. And as for the final twist - Mr Ley - you are wicked! I swallowed 3 flies, a moth and a spider my mouth was agape for so long - then panicked at the thought of the flies and what they might be doing. Do yourself a favour and listen to Chronoscape today, or 10 years ago because you can always thank me later, or before, or in 1990!
December 28, 2021
In a word, as the title above states, this is ‘clever’ - a unique writing style which flows well and has what is an ‘intellectual humour’ within. I really enjoyed this. In fact, it is my favourite book of the last few months. A couple of similes which I thought were a bit ‘just ok’ like one about treacle on the early pages but it didn’t detract because there were just a handful of these and in any case, all the content encircling those few examples was so good that they became insignificant. I’m going to read more from this guy as he has huge potential I think and the outline of his other stories listed at the back are so unique and fresh, I’ll have to give them a go. I’ve got till the year 2217 to do it but I’ll be reading his other stuff soon.
I recommend you read ‘Chronoscope’. I’m sending an email to my future self to ask what the tv series of the book is like!
I recommend you read ‘Chronoscope’. I’m sending an email to my future self to ask what the tv series of the book is like!
September 12, 2020
Just finished hearing Chronoscape by Roger Ley narrated by Craig Bowles.
I found the story to be interesting - loved the way the author let loose his imagination and in his way gave us a glimpse of a future which answers the “what ifs” of today.
Like what if Lady Di did not die? Another thing it made me very much aware of is that too much A.I. is not really something to look forward to - as the world will become way too sterile and controlled. The Author’s note at the end of the book is an excellent ending to this book you really should get hold of a copy and read it or hear it on audible like I did.
I found the story to be interesting - loved the way the author let loose his imagination and in his way gave us a glimpse of a future which answers the “what ifs” of today.
Like what if Lady Di did not die? Another thing it made me very much aware of is that too much A.I. is not really something to look forward to - as the world will become way too sterile and controlled. The Author’s note at the end of the book is an excellent ending to this book you really should get hold of a copy and read it or hear it on audible like I did.
December 12, 2021
CHRONOSCAPE: The future is flexible we can change it
by Roger Ley
As a listener that likes time travel, alternate universes and geeky tech gadgets this book hit all areas. It also explores human relationships over the years. I was kept entertained while I did my chores.
The narration was well done., by Craig Bowles is easy to listen to. The characters were well portrayed.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
by Roger Ley
As a listener that likes time travel, alternate universes and geeky tech gadgets this book hit all areas. It also explores human relationships over the years. I was kept entertained while I did my chores.
The narration was well done., by Craig Bowles is easy to listen to. The characters were well portrayed.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
December 1, 2021
Great book, makes you think.
Is our reality really what we believe it to be?
Do the powers that be (Government) have this ability, or is it just the extraordinary imagination of an incredible writer.
I absolutely enjoyed this book, and you can imagine that the world would have changed just as written if things had been different as per this book.
The narration was excellent, the story was highly engaging, and nothing like I had ever read before. At no point did I think I could guess where the story was going, which was great. I would highly recommend this book/audio and have done to friends. I know I keep saying this about this author, but it's true, pick up his books and try them.
Craig Bowles is a great narrator, and this is my third book read by him. He did wonders with the characters. Easy to listen to. I did speed up the narration like usual to 1.3 on Audible.
Chronoscape
The Future Is Flexible We Can Change It
By: Roger Ley
Narrated by: Craig Bowles
Length: 7 hrs and 43 mins
❤❤❤❤❤ Overall
🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧 Narration
📚📚 📚📚📚 Story
Read at 1.30 speed on Audible
I received this audiobook for free at my request. My review is my opinion and an honest review - nor did the author influence my opinion.
Is our reality really what we believe it to be?
Do the powers that be (Government) have this ability, or is it just the extraordinary imagination of an incredible writer.
I absolutely enjoyed this book, and you can imagine that the world would have changed just as written if things had been different as per this book.
The narration was excellent, the story was highly engaging, and nothing like I had ever read before. At no point did I think I could guess where the story was going, which was great. I would highly recommend this book/audio and have done to friends. I know I keep saying this about this author, but it's true, pick up his books and try them.
Craig Bowles is a great narrator, and this is my third book read by him. He did wonders with the characters. Easy to listen to. I did speed up the narration like usual to 1.3 on Audible.
Chronoscape
The Future Is Flexible We Can Change It
By: Roger Ley
Narrated by: Craig Bowles
Length: 7 hrs and 43 mins
❤❤❤❤❤ Overall
🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧 Narration
📚📚 📚📚📚 Story
Read at 1.30 speed on Audible
I received this audiobook for free at my request. My review is my opinion and an honest review - nor did the author influence my opinion.
July 10, 2021
This is an interesting story about time travel (of sorts) and the guy who discovers it.
The main character is a scientist who accidentally discovers time travel. It spends the first half of the book dealing with the discovery, research and early days of its implementation. With the second half being consequences and resolution.
The main character is mostly well written. He is a well meaning but flawed character. He is likeable and complex. He is light on back story but his motivations and emotions are explored, in depth, and feel natural. He was, until 2/3rds of the way through, extremely well written. However, at that point his role in the plot changes, and he rolls with it far too easily. There is an artificial influence on him, but he just no longer behaves the way he should. Check the end of the review for specific details, full of spoilers.
The secondary characters are fairly well written. No one is given a specific backstory, but their reactions feel realistic, even if some of them are a bit "one note". The story is told through the perspective of the main character, so this is somewhat to be expected.
The settings are fairly plain and involve mostly secret facilities in the first half of the book. In the second half things get a bit more expansive, but it involves, still, a lot of familiar places. There is little new here, but it all fits well in the story.
The plot is interesting and fun. It is not overly deep or complex. It is detailed in its description of significant events from the recent past and explores short term effects of the event working out differently. However, mechanics of time travel and effects of changing it or changing it back are not fully explored. Even by the end of the book, the final plan sounds well planned out, but it never is explained what it's long term effects would be. There also seems like an easier way to fix the problems. Over all though, it flows well, remains interesting and is easy to read/listen to.
The voice narration, by Craig Bowles, is fairly well done. His range of male voices are fine and his female voices are OK. There aren't many women in the book, but the ones that there sounded good enough. I will say, though, his American accent is awful, and while it didn't ruin anything for me, I would have preferred if he read this in his own voice.
All in all, this is a fun and interesting story that is heavily character driven and light on science or time travel theory. The settings are familiar and offer little, in the way of surprises. The characters are interesting and for the most part, behave in a realistic way. The voice narration is good, but American accent needs some work. The plot flows smoothly and was enjoyable and easy to consume. This was a very good book.
***spoilers***
The main character felt believable, for most of the book. So often in these types of books, the make (or sometimes female) characters emotions will be focused too much on the spouse and not the kids. With most fathers (me included) kids are the central focus of the family emotions. When the main character bought the boat and kept doing things with just him and the kids, I was pleased. This was strengthened when his kids future was put in danger, and when he was planning divorce. His kids were still on his mind. I was happy this was included.
However, he was taken to the future and suddenly faced with never seeing his kids again, not seeing them grow up, have families, etc. Unfortunately, this was never really on his mind and he suddenly all but forgot about the kids. Now, I know there was the mood stabilizer in play, but he immediately forgot about his wife and kids, even when the stabilizer wasn't in play.
The character realism kind of fell apart for me at this point, and I would have felt more invested in the character if his feelings felt more consistent.
As for the plot, the end plan was "unsave princess Diana" and that's it. It was never explained how that would fix the Timeline. Was that supposed to break confidence in the program? Or did nothing else matter? And why not just delete the original emails on the server and stop the whole time travel before it starts?
And why did no one think to just cascade the info. If you can only send it back 2 weeks, you just set up a closed server to forward things automatically. So you send info 2 weeks back, and then a computer forwards that 2 weeks back, etc. Seems like a no brainer.
The main character is a scientist who accidentally discovers time travel. It spends the first half of the book dealing with the discovery, research and early days of its implementation. With the second half being consequences and resolution.
The main character is mostly well written. He is a well meaning but flawed character. He is likeable and complex. He is light on back story but his motivations and emotions are explored, in depth, and feel natural. He was, until 2/3rds of the way through, extremely well written. However, at that point his role in the plot changes, and he rolls with it far too easily. There is an artificial influence on him, but he just no longer behaves the way he should. Check the end of the review for specific details, full of spoilers.
The secondary characters are fairly well written. No one is given a specific backstory, but their reactions feel realistic, even if some of them are a bit "one note". The story is told through the perspective of the main character, so this is somewhat to be expected.
The settings are fairly plain and involve mostly secret facilities in the first half of the book. In the second half things get a bit more expansive, but it involves, still, a lot of familiar places. There is little new here, but it all fits well in the story.
The plot is interesting and fun. It is not overly deep or complex. It is detailed in its description of significant events from the recent past and explores short term effects of the event working out differently. However, mechanics of time travel and effects of changing it or changing it back are not fully explored. Even by the end of the book, the final plan sounds well planned out, but it never is explained what it's long term effects would be. There also seems like an easier way to fix the problems. Over all though, it flows well, remains interesting and is easy to read/listen to.
The voice narration, by Craig Bowles, is fairly well done. His range of male voices are fine and his female voices are OK. There aren't many women in the book, but the ones that there sounded good enough. I will say, though, his American accent is awful, and while it didn't ruin anything for me, I would have preferred if he read this in his own voice.
All in all, this is a fun and interesting story that is heavily character driven and light on science or time travel theory. The settings are familiar and offer little, in the way of surprises. The characters are interesting and for the most part, behave in a realistic way. The voice narration is good, but American accent needs some work. The plot flows smoothly and was enjoyable and easy to consume. This was a very good book.
***spoilers***
The main character felt believable, for most of the book. So often in these types of books, the make (or sometimes female) characters emotions will be focused too much on the spouse and not the kids. With most fathers (me included) kids are the central focus of the family emotions. When the main character bought the boat and kept doing things with just him and the kids, I was pleased. This was strengthened when his kids future was put in danger, and when he was planning divorce. His kids were still on his mind. I was happy this was included.
However, he was taken to the future and suddenly faced with never seeing his kids again, not seeing them grow up, have families, etc. Unfortunately, this was never really on his mind and he suddenly all but forgot about the kids. Now, I know there was the mood stabilizer in play, but he immediately forgot about his wife and kids, even when the stabilizer wasn't in play.
The character realism kind of fell apart for me at this point, and I would have felt more invested in the character if his feelings felt more consistent.
As for the plot, the end plan was "unsave princess Diana" and that's it. It was never explained how that would fix the Timeline. Was that supposed to break confidence in the program? Or did nothing else matter? And why not just delete the original emails on the server and stop the whole time travel before it starts?
And why did no one think to just cascade the info. If you can only send it back 2 weeks, you just set up a closed server to forward things automatically. So you send info 2 weeks back, and then a computer forwards that 2 weeks back, etc. Seems like a no brainer.
January 2, 2021
I am not a sci-fi person and this is not really sci-fi, it does feel like it could happen. Each part was amazing and such an easy listen. I just did nothing yesterday really and listened to this audio book it was so good.
The mix of real and made up events plays with your head and I really can imagine it happening. I will look at flies in a new way now - and confirms what I thought about spiders.
I cannot work out who was my favourite character they were all so well written.
Loved the ending
The narration was brilliant again - I did have a mad panic, based on another review, when the first American voice came on but then it worked well from then on.
I cannot wait to listen to the next one.
This is so taking me away from my usual crime and thrillers.
I was given a free copy by the author in exchange for an honest and fair review which I have done.
The mix of real and made up events plays with your head and I really can imagine it happening. I will look at flies in a new way now - and confirms what I thought about spiders.
I cannot work out who was my favourite character they were all so well written.
Loved the ending
The narration was brilliant again - I did have a mad panic, based on another review, when the first American voice came on but then it worked well from then on.
I cannot wait to listen to the next one.
This is so taking me away from my usual crime and thrillers.
I was given a free copy by the author in exchange for an honest and fair review which I have done.
November 5, 2021
Chronoscape surprised me a few times in what it was and the twists it took - and yet it all felt like a natural progression of the story arch, occasionally mentioned/introduced carefully in the previous sections.
It all starts with betting tips. Dr. Martin Riley receives messages from the future, Temporal Messages as they call it later, with betting tips. It also starts with just that personal impact of receiving these messages - are they spam? Should they give it a try? What if it works? and then evolves into something bigger. Could this be an actual scientific research project? How would they get funding?
What seems like an amazing scientific project at first though, quickly gets wrapped up in politics and that's where we start to move into the bigger picture. If you know a certain event is going to happen - should you try and change it? What is the deciding factor for when to step in and issue a veiled warning - and when not? And how does it feel when all these people around you get promotions etc. for something that you invented - but don't get much or any credit for?
Without spoiling too much, it then goes even further and farther into the future (and then back again) - who cleans up the chaos that you caused by messing with the timestream?
The title is very well written - it flows well and is easy to follow along. Plus you can totally imagine how these political games are happening; it all rings so true.
Craig Bowles did a great job with the narration :) definitely recommend listening to or reading.
It all starts with betting tips. Dr. Martin Riley receives messages from the future, Temporal Messages as they call it later, with betting tips. It also starts with just that personal impact of receiving these messages - are they spam? Should they give it a try? What if it works? and then evolves into something bigger. Could this be an actual scientific research project? How would they get funding?
What seems like an amazing scientific project at first though, quickly gets wrapped up in politics and that's where we start to move into the bigger picture. If you know a certain event is going to happen - should you try and change it? What is the deciding factor for when to step in and issue a veiled warning - and when not? And how does it feel when all these people around you get promotions etc. for something that you invented - but don't get much or any credit for?
Without spoiling too much, it then goes even further and farther into the future (and then back again) - who cleans up the chaos that you caused by messing with the timestream?
The title is very well written - it flows well and is easy to follow along. Plus you can totally imagine how these political games are happening; it all rings so true.
Craig Bowles did a great job with the narration :) definitely recommend listening to or reading.
January 19, 2021
Physicist Martin Riley discovers a way to send news stories back two weeks. He understands the need not to mess with history and what can happen if one does, but when different governments (UK and USA) make his discovery very secret and start telling Martin what can be changed and what won't be changed. What historic events will the governments decide to change and which ones will they let happen and will Martin ever get the recognition he deserves or will the governments slowly edge him out and take it over themselves?
This was a wonderful audio narrated by the wonderful voice actor Craig Bowles. I loved the characters as they where both realistic and very believable. There is some action but the suspense is incalculable. This is so much more than your typical time travel novel it is more of the inception and early stages of just sending information not the sending people back in time kind of book, which I think makes it more believable and I liked it. I hope there are more to the series and we can follow what happens next.
This was a wonderful audio narrated by the wonderful voice actor Craig Bowles. I loved the characters as they where both realistic and very believable. There is some action but the suspense is incalculable. This is so much more than your typical time travel novel it is more of the inception and early stages of just sending information not the sending people back in time kind of book, which I think makes it more believable and I liked it. I hope there are more to the series and we can follow what happens next.
August 10, 2021
Such a creative and interesting time travel story! When physicist Martin Riley starts receiving anonymous, but accurate, racing tips from the future, he initiates a time research program that can change the course of the future. As the UK and US Governments start altering the timeline in the pursuit of their own questionably-ethical agendas, Martin begins to doubt the value of his work. I loved this fascinating and gripping sci-fi story, especially the dual focus. The panoramic view encompasses major events of the 1990s and 2000s, including the death of Princess Diana, the tsunami in the Pacific, and the Twin Towers and how the program deals with them. The conspiracies and spectre of sinister government were great. The narrow focus concentrates on Martin’s personal life as petty bureaucrat and ambitious scientist, and his growing disillusionment. Martin is a compelling main character - flawed and vain yet brilliant. Audio narrator Craig Bowles gave an excellent performance, with good character voicing, emotion and pacing.
May 15, 2021
CHRONOSCAPE BY ROGER LEY ,narrated by Craig Bowles is the first novel I have listened to or read.
Martin Riley , physicist , is getting emails from himself from the future. The emails are telling him the racing results. At first Martin deleted the emails and brushes them off as a practical joke. Then Martin decides to test the emails information and not only wins tons of money off the ponies but now knows that the future can be tapped and information can be gleaned from it. Sounds wonderful doesnt it? Not so much when the government gets its hands on the technology.
Personally,I would have given the book a higher rating but halfway thru it went from good book to totally boring. If the author would cut out about 5 or 6 chapters it would have been a whole lot better.The narrator , Craig Bowles did a very good job with such a long book and lots of characters.
I received this audiobook free in exchange for an honest review.
Martin Riley , physicist , is getting emails from himself from the future. The emails are telling him the racing results. At first Martin deleted the emails and brushes them off as a practical joke. Then Martin decides to test the emails information and not only wins tons of money off the ponies but now knows that the future can be tapped and information can be gleaned from it. Sounds wonderful doesnt it? Not so much when the government gets its hands on the technology.
Personally,I would have given the book a higher rating but halfway thru it went from good book to totally boring. If the author would cut out about 5 or 6 chapters it would have been a whole lot better.The narrator , Craig Bowles did a very good job with such a long book and lots of characters.
I received this audiobook free in exchange for an honest review.
June 24, 2021
I like reading fantasy and sci-fi and I poof escape from reality. Till now my relationship has always been either love at first sight or get lost in 5 pages. This book took me to a strange new world and made me realise why people write their status as It's complicated.
I love the concept. The detailing was very good. You can feel the hours of hard work and research that went into it. Story was gripping. Still why am I saying it is complicated?!!! Simple, the way story was narrated and the characters it potrayed were too real. Especially the corporate and govt take over. A man not getting what he deserves, undeserving people becoming his boss.... All are too real. There my escape from reality plan got foiled. And then I just could not leave the book. I had to know what happened next. So, that's why it's complicated.
One line verdict - read it. And then read the next book the Muslim prince. It's worth your time.
I love the concept. The detailing was very good. You can feel the hours of hard work and research that went into it. Story was gripping. Still why am I saying it is complicated?!!! Simple, the way story was narrated and the characters it potrayed were too real. Especially the corporate and govt take over. A man not getting what he deserves, undeserving people becoming his boss.... All are too real. There my escape from reality plan got foiled. And then I just could not leave the book. I had to know what happened next. So, that's why it's complicated.
One line verdict - read it. And then read the next book the Muslim prince. It's worth your time.
August 25, 2020
AUDIOBOOK REVIEW
Ok I was really surprised by this book it’s a really exciting audio with great narration and it’s nice to see what my other half is up to when my back is turned ;-) . Martin Riley discovers a way to send information across different time’s as he gets set up with his funding he finds it’s not always used in a way he’s completely comfortable and people are desperate to keep anyone with any objections quiet at any costs. Can Martin do the right thing and use his new technology for good and will he ever be recognised for one of the greatest discoveries in the world? Great listen
Ok I was really surprised by this book it’s a really exciting audio with great narration and it’s nice to see what my other half is up to when my back is turned ;-) . Martin Riley discovers a way to send information across different time’s as he gets set up with his funding he finds it’s not always used in a way he’s completely comfortable and people are desperate to keep anyone with any objections quiet at any costs. Can Martin do the right thing and use his new technology for good and will he ever be recognised for one of the greatest discoveries in the world? Great listen
September 6, 2020
A great read (or listen, to be exact). As a huge fan of time travel (it's on my bucket list), I was grateful for the chance to listen to this via a Facebook page I follow.
Cleverly written, the book quickly gets into the premise of the story and introduces the main character Martin, whose journey is a very wide and varied one by the time it gets to the end. Overall, a recommended read/listen from me.
Also, much delight from me when the narrator mentions places in Suffolk that are only a few minutes drive from me!
Cleverly written, the book quickly gets into the premise of the story and introduces the main character Martin, whose journey is a very wide and varied one by the time it gets to the end. Overall, a recommended read/listen from me.
Also, much delight from me when the narrator mentions places in Suffolk that are only a few minutes drive from me!
December 1, 2020
Chronoscape is a call back to the Golden Age of Science fiction, using a fast plot that revolves around interesting scientific concepts to portray an optimistic view of humanity's future. Overall, I enjoyed it, but I'll be the first to confess that it isn't for everyone.
Our story revolves around Martin Riley, an English physicist who starts getting emails from his future self (with racing tips of course!). Going on the possibility that time travel is possible, Martin procures a government grant to research sending messages back in time, ultimately developing a technology that allows the government to notify itself of future tragedies and prevent them. The death of Princess Diana, the destruction of the Twin Towers, and deaths due to natural catastrophes are all avoided thanks to Martin's temporal manipulations. Consequences, conspiracies, and time-travel crazy ensue, and Martin finds himself traveling through time to correct the time stream and set things right.
Overall, I really enjoy this book. It moves fast, and the concept exists to serve the plot, which allows things to keep trucking. But a word of caution: this is not a "cinematic" book! There are no "big showdowns", a minimum of fights and explosions, and most of the novel concerns character interaction and Martin's internal struggles. This is a novel of ideas, and the plot is welded to them. If you've read the Asimov I Robot stories or Arthur C. CLark's work, you may have an idea of what I mean: this novel has plenty of government conspiracies, evil elites, and futur-y things, but it isn't about that so much as its about the nature of time and the moral ramifications of "Playing God". I never felt drowned in the info, and I thought the science was handled well enough so that I always knew what was going out without feeling that the plot had stopped. The opening of the novel is slow, and details the development of Martin's time travel technology: I personally felt that this section added a bit of realism, but I think some readers might get a bit lost or bored. The second half of the novel deals with the book's events from the perspective of a completely different character, a bold choice but I thought it meshed well enough with the main plot to be serviceable.
The standout feature of the novel is Martin himself. He feels real to me, an ordinary person who happens to be passionate about physics and wants to see his technology used for moral purposes. He's no saint, he's no hero, and he ultimately "saves the day" only with the help of others. No Reed Richards or Tony Stark is our Martin, and he's better for it! He could easily be your physics professor or engineering instructor, a normal guy thrust into a world of plots and conspiracies, forced to destroy the very changes he himself made for seemingly just purposes. I found this "down to earth" approach to a scientist made the book feel more real, and the stakes higher. His family drama is actually pretty heart-breaking, and I wished the novel were longer so we could get to know him more.
All-in-all, this is a fun little read, and a good intro to scifi for those new to the genre ( for 15+ readers, there are some mildly adult situations). It will please some readers more than others, but I definitely recommend giving it a go if you're a fan of science fiction.
Our story revolves around Martin Riley, an English physicist who starts getting emails from his future self (with racing tips of course!). Going on the possibility that time travel is possible, Martin procures a government grant to research sending messages back in time, ultimately developing a technology that allows the government to notify itself of future tragedies and prevent them. The death of Princess Diana, the destruction of the Twin Towers, and deaths due to natural catastrophes are all avoided thanks to Martin's temporal manipulations. Consequences, conspiracies, and time-travel crazy ensue, and Martin finds himself traveling through time to correct the time stream and set things right.
Overall, I really enjoy this book. It moves fast, and the concept exists to serve the plot, which allows things to keep trucking. But a word of caution: this is not a "cinematic" book! There are no "big showdowns", a minimum of fights and explosions, and most of the novel concerns character interaction and Martin's internal struggles. This is a novel of ideas, and the plot is welded to them. If you've read the Asimov I Robot stories or Arthur C. CLark's work, you may have an idea of what I mean: this novel has plenty of government conspiracies, evil elites, and futur-y things, but it isn't about that so much as its about the nature of time and the moral ramifications of "Playing God". I never felt drowned in the info, and I thought the science was handled well enough so that I always knew what was going out without feeling that the plot had stopped. The opening of the novel is slow, and details the development of Martin's time travel technology: I personally felt that this section added a bit of realism, but I think some readers might get a bit lost or bored. The second half of the novel deals with the book's events from the perspective of a completely different character, a bold choice but I thought it meshed well enough with the main plot to be serviceable.
The standout feature of the novel is Martin himself. He feels real to me, an ordinary person who happens to be passionate about physics and wants to see his technology used for moral purposes. He's no saint, he's no hero, and he ultimately "saves the day" only with the help of others. No Reed Richards or Tony Stark is our Martin, and he's better for it! He could easily be your physics professor or engineering instructor, a normal guy thrust into a world of plots and conspiracies, forced to destroy the very changes he himself made for seemingly just purposes. I found this "down to earth" approach to a scientist made the book feel more real, and the stakes higher. His family drama is actually pretty heart-breaking, and I wished the novel were longer so we could get to know him more.
All-in-all, this is a fun little read, and a good intro to scifi for those new to the genre ( for 15+ readers, there are some mildly adult situations). It will please some readers more than others, but I definitely recommend giving it a go if you're a fan of science fiction.
September 18, 2020
There is nothing I like more that an good story about the vagaries of time - time travel tales, time slip adventures and journeys between alternate universes - I can always make 'time' for them (pardon the pun) and it is extra special when they turn out to be something a little different.
I don't think I have listened to a story quite like Chronoscape before. It starts with a scientist with an idea... what if you could send messages back in time? Except in this case, the scientist gets this idea because he has started receiving messages with racing tips in them, apparently from the future... oh, and apparently from himself. This is one of those circular conundrums that will drive you mad for some time - who actually comes up with this idea? But I digress...
Once he has established that this is not a hoax by placing bets on the tips and winning every time, he knows he is on to something, and after confiding in his mathematician girlfriend, they come up with a plan to try to get some funding to explore how to get this to work.
I am loath to give spoilers, so I won't, but suffice to say the idea becomes a reality and things go seriously awry as result - what a surprise!
Martin is the focus of the piece and he is likeable enough, although he does have his moments - and his narrative is laugh out loud funny in places. I loved his turn of phrase, and his use of swear words is wide, pointed and hilarious. There is plenty of suspense and real action among all the science too.
What made this so intriguing for me is that there comes a point in the story where the perspective changes big time and it becomes a whole different speculative beast - imagine Blake Crouch morphing into Philip K. Dick, if you will - and takes you to some mind-bending and philosophical places.
The story is thrilling, engaging and very thought provoking, but for me, the narration by Craig Bowles does let it down a bit, as I found his voice rather flat and expressionless, which was a shame.
Even so, this was a cracking listen and there is plenty here to capture the imagination. Highly recommended it you love a time tale too.
Thank you to Roger Ley and The Book Club Audio Listeners Facebook group for providing me with a copy of this audio book in return for an honest review.
I don't think I have listened to a story quite like Chronoscape before. It starts with a scientist with an idea... what if you could send messages back in time? Except in this case, the scientist gets this idea because he has started receiving messages with racing tips in them, apparently from the future... oh, and apparently from himself. This is one of those circular conundrums that will drive you mad for some time - who actually comes up with this idea? But I digress...
Once he has established that this is not a hoax by placing bets on the tips and winning every time, he knows he is on to something, and after confiding in his mathematician girlfriend, they come up with a plan to try to get some funding to explore how to get this to work.
I am loath to give spoilers, so I won't, but suffice to say the idea becomes a reality and things go seriously awry as result - what a surprise!
Martin is the focus of the piece and he is likeable enough, although he does have his moments - and his narrative is laugh out loud funny in places. I loved his turn of phrase, and his use of swear words is wide, pointed and hilarious. There is plenty of suspense and real action among all the science too.
What made this so intriguing for me is that there comes a point in the story where the perspective changes big time and it becomes a whole different speculative beast - imagine Blake Crouch morphing into Philip K. Dick, if you will - and takes you to some mind-bending and philosophical places.
The story is thrilling, engaging and very thought provoking, but for me, the narration by Craig Bowles does let it down a bit, as I found his voice rather flat and expressionless, which was a shame.
Even so, this was a cracking listen and there is plenty here to capture the imagination. Highly recommended it you love a time tale too.
Thank you to Roger Ley and The Book Club Audio Listeners Facebook group for providing me with a copy of this audio book in return for an honest review.
March 15, 2021
*Audiobook Review*
Having listened to The Muslim Prince recently, which is a spin-off book from this one, it was richly satisfying experience to be introduced to the context and science of it all, with its complexities and ramifications all present and accounted for. That's not to say it reads like a textbook, because like any sci-fi book worth its salt, Chronoscape is strongly investired with complex individuals who grow on you despite - or perhaps because of - all their flaws and imperfections.
For me, at least for the duration of the first half of the book, Martin Riley was very much the main character of the novel. Ambitious, driven, and not a little frustrated with the lack of recognition he had received for his contributions, Riley remains a likeable and relatable character despite grating on one's nerves re his hypocritical attitude towards his wife's infidelities that make you want to punch his lights out. Unless that's just me? Moving on...
The second half of the book, which actually picked up from where the epilogue began, positively blew my socks off. Time travel and temporal adjustment always come with consequences, and it is no different here. On a character note, I liked learning more about Mary- who had also played a significant role in TMP- but I felt, for the most part, that she and her partner, Patrick's story could have filled another book on it's own without being hitched to Martin's adventure. Roger Ley does integrate their stories well enough, but I could easily have done with a novella or short novel about Mary. Her life and work is certainly interesting enough and I feel there's a lot of potential there.
As before, Craig Bowles does an excellent job narrating this audiobook. Switching between Martin's point of view and that of the narrator requires subtle changes in tone, accent and modulation, and the narrator nails it. The characters are well differentiated, the pace is steady but moves along quickly enough, and in the end I was happy to listen to this for hours at a time without getting bored or distractedly missing things.
A very good book, overall. I'd definitely recommend it.
Having listened to The Muslim Prince recently, which is a spin-off book from this one, it was richly satisfying experience to be introduced to the context and science of it all, with its complexities and ramifications all present and accounted for. That's not to say it reads like a textbook, because like any sci-fi book worth its salt, Chronoscape is strongly investired with complex individuals who grow on you despite - or perhaps because of - all their flaws and imperfections.
For me, at least for the duration of the first half of the book, Martin Riley was very much the main character of the novel. Ambitious, driven, and not a little frustrated with the lack of recognition he had received for his contributions, Riley remains a likeable and relatable character despite grating on one's nerves re his hypocritical attitude towards his wife's infidelities that make you want to punch his lights out. Unless that's just me? Moving on...
The second half of the book, which actually picked up from where the epilogue began, positively blew my socks off. Time travel and temporal adjustment always come with consequences, and it is no different here. On a character note, I liked learning more about Mary- who had also played a significant role in TMP- but I felt, for the most part, that she and her partner, Patrick's story could have filled another book on it's own without being hitched to Martin's adventure. Roger Ley does integrate their stories well enough, but I could easily have done with a novella or short novel about Mary. Her life and work is certainly interesting enough and I feel there's a lot of potential there.
As before, Craig Bowles does an excellent job narrating this audiobook. Switching between Martin's point of view and that of the narrator requires subtle changes in tone, accent and modulation, and the narrator nails it. The characters are well differentiated, the pace is steady but moves along quickly enough, and in the end I was happy to listen to this for hours at a time without getting bored or distractedly missing things.
A very good book, overall. I'd definitely recommend it.
February 13, 2023
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Chronoscape cover art
Chronoscape
By: Roger Ley
Narrated by: Craig Bowles
Length: 7 hrs and 43 mins
4.5 out of 5 stars 45 ratings
5 out of 5 stars
By
Mindy H
on 13-02-23
Makes you wonder!!!
I’m officially a Roger Ley fan now! I have enjoyed his other books, but this sent me straight into fandom!! . Although this genre is far from my typical read, the edgy blend of sci-fi and thriller sucks me right in.
I love the way the small details in this story briefly touch on the characters and timeline of past storylines (not a sequel, just fun little details that one notices if they have read the other books)
For those that loved Mary the drone pilot… you will see her again in this story!
I have said in past reviews, pairing Craig Bowels and Roger Ley is absolutely brilliant. The narration flows so smoothly one forgets they are listening and feel as though they are observing in real time!
I am one of those that am if Tom unhappy with the last chapter of a book, mostly because I don’t want to walk away from the story ( especially when it’s read by Craig Bowels! ) but the Author’s Note left me unsettled on this one and was the perfect ending to this story.
Mr. Ley… welcome to my must read list.
September 15, 2020
This is a different genre than I usually read/listen to but everybody needs a change now and then. I listen to mostly thrillers and this is no exception it is a thriller but with science fiction at the heart, and cleverly done. Altering a timeline in this instance can have catastrophic consequences in the future so physicist Martin Riley has his job cut out as governments American and this side of the pond are using it for the wrong reasons. Martin does his best to relay the fears he has but can't go on as this has been troubling him for a long time, and it is affecting his family life, and even that is not working so he quits the day job. Can Martin be allowed to roam free with the knowledge he's got? Martin has got this gut feeling that no one leaves as a colleague left with family problems and was never heard of again. It was a delight to listen to and the narrator Craig Bowles does an excellent job, he was clear and read well at a good pace, the descriptions were well-defined pity we can't look into the future then we would have had this pandemic all sown up. A good listen and not too over the top.
January 7, 2020
Golden Age Science Fiction and Stunningly Realistic Time Travel.
It is not often that a book manages to capture the enthusiasm and the atmosphere of classic science fiction, but this book effortlessly succeeds with this and also incorporates a chillingly realistic version of time time with a startling view of the present world and a shocking future of mankind. Romance with androids, a form of virtual immortality, and a stunning vision of the universe, are some of the concepts incorporated in this novel which matches the scope and breadth set by the giants of Science Fiction. This book will not only appeal to lovers of true science fiction, but also to readers with a sense of curiosity about our world and the direction that the human race is travelling into an unknown future.
It is not often that a book manages to capture the enthusiasm and the atmosphere of classic science fiction, but this book effortlessly succeeds with this and also incorporates a chillingly realistic version of time time with a startling view of the present world and a shocking future of mankind. Romance with androids, a form of virtual immortality, and a stunning vision of the universe, are some of the concepts incorporated in this novel which matches the scope and breadth set by the giants of Science Fiction. This book will not only appeal to lovers of true science fiction, but also to readers with a sense of curiosity about our world and the direction that the human race is travelling into an unknown future.
January 7, 2018
Entirely original plot for this pacy sci-fi novel. Roger Ley has explored the idea as to what would happen if we ever managed to develop a technology to be able to look into the future, and with that knowledge be able to alter events and disasters. But the consequences of manipulating time can be disastrous anyway... I really enjoyed this and look forward to the follow-up novel.
August 13, 2025
Great book about knowing the future and deciding what to change or not change. Scary because it seems so realistic and giving that power to decide by just a few people. And then you have the added burden wondering if you change one thing, what will happen, will it change the trajectory of the world?
February 16, 2018
This was such an inventive story and Mr Ley is a great storyteller! I haven't read much sci-fi, but was recommended this book by a friend. As I don't have a scientific background, I was more interested in the characters lives and events. The book was riveting and thoroughly enjoyable. The main characters were likeable (I followed Martin's story with interest. Then along came Mary - another great character) and their actions and responses were realistic. I loved the description of Earth in the distant future - the beauty of Mr Ley's imagined planet was poetic relief from the science and invention. The story reached a satisfactory conclusion with reunions of some of the characters, however *****SPOILER ALERT - I did wonder why Martin didn't elect to have his sons with him on the island. ***** The only negative for me was that it did contain a spattering of typos and I think a character changed her name, but I'm a bit of a perfectionist and it didn't spoil what was a thoroughly readable and enjoyable romp through time.
April 13, 2021
This book is so amazing! What a roller coaster of emotions.
You have to read this book.
If you have never read Science fiction this could be for you! This could easily be adapted for TV., someone please do it!!
You have to read this book.
If you have never read Science fiction this could be for you! This could easily be adapted for TV., someone please do it!!
May 11, 2021
Audiobook Review
This story started a bit slow, but as you pick up the thread, the story takes you on an adventure that you need to know how it will end.
Thank you to both the author and narrator for doing a great job!
This story started a bit slow, but as you pick up the thread, the story takes you on an adventure that you need to know how it will end.
Thank you to both the author and narrator for doing a great job!
November 2, 2020
Well written with a gripping plot, interesting characters and raising thoughtful questions that will leave you rather introspective afterwards
December 7, 2024
Really enjoyed this book, familiar characters from other Roger Ley books.
What happens when you have the ability to stop certain historical events. When the future comes knocking you realise you have to go back and let them happen.
Highly recommend
What happens when you have the ability to stop certain historical events. When the future comes knocking you realise you have to go back and let them happen.
Highly recommend
January 6, 2025
In all honesty, science fiction is not exactly my genre as I find them often lacking the right depth or clarity (of course this is my personal opinion only). However, this is the 5th or 6th book I read written by Mr Roger Ley and every book leaves me speechless and feeling like OMG and that the book(s) worth every second of my time. Most of these books were provided to me by the author (thank you so much again!) in exchange for an honest review, except this one that I bought with my own money. Need I say much more? I wouldn’t have spent money or time to read all these books if I hadn’t enjoyed them. They really worth every penny and minute spent on them and I highly recommend them to everyone.
This novel is such an interesting concept and explores a world where time travel is a possibility. It was discovered accidentally and information could be sent 2 weeks back so the government could work on changing future events. The ethical dilemmas of doing so are investigated and you can totally imagine those political games and conspiracies happen in real life. I absolutely loved this book.
Craig Bowles did an excellent job narrating this story and bringing it to life.
This novel is such an interesting concept and explores a world where time travel is a possibility. It was discovered accidentally and information could be sent 2 weeks back so the government could work on changing future events. The ethical dilemmas of doing so are investigated and you can totally imagine those political games and conspiracies happen in real life. I absolutely loved this book.
Craig Bowles did an excellent job narrating this story and bringing it to life.
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