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The '86 Fix #1
The '86 Fix
Imagine if you could travel back in time to when you were sixteen.
Imagine if you could spend one weekend reliving your past — would you change anything?
Everything wrong with Craig Pelling’s life can be traced back to 1986 and the moment he popped in to a newsagent for a can of Coke. Now in his mid-forties, he lives in a loveless marriage and earns a living in a dead-end job managing an electrical store. He could have been so much more, achieved so much more.
But as bitter as Craig feels about his mundane existence, fate hasn't finished with him yet. A series of unfortunate events pushes the hapless Craig to breaking point as his life crumbles around him. All looks lost until he's thrown a lifeline — the miraculous lifeline of a brief trip back to 1986, to relive one weekend as his sixteen year-old self. Will he be able to fix his mundane life? Is it as simple as just reverting one decision he made over thirty years ago?
Craig is about to find out.
Imagine if you could spend one weekend reliving your past — would you change anything?
Everything wrong with Craig Pelling’s life can be traced back to 1986 and the moment he popped in to a newsagent for a can of Coke. Now in his mid-forties, he lives in a loveless marriage and earns a living in a dead-end job managing an electrical store. He could have been so much more, achieved so much more.
But as bitter as Craig feels about his mundane existence, fate hasn't finished with him yet. A series of unfortunate events pushes the hapless Craig to breaking point as his life crumbles around him. All looks lost until he's thrown a lifeline — the miraculous lifeline of a brief trip back to 1986, to relive one weekend as his sixteen year-old self. Will he be able to fix his mundane life? Is it as simple as just reverting one decision he made over thirty years ago?
Craig is about to find out.
360 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 14, 2016
496 people are currently reading
1021 people want to read
About the author
Keith A. Pearson
21 books433 followersI rarely visit Goodreads, on account it's a terrifying place for authors who aren't blessed with a thick skin.
If you'd like to know more about me, head over to my website, or you can follow me on Facebook or Twitter.
If you'd like to know more about me, head over to my website, or you can follow me on Facebook or Twitter.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 470 reviews
October 11, 2020
4.5 STARS
Ahhh...nostalgia.
1986!
What do you remember about that year (if you were even born)?
Well, a comet named Halley did a flash and run, a kid with a lisp became the youngest world boxing champion, Chernobyl had a meltdown - a real one, not like superstars are having these days, the Challenger Space Shuttle sent shock waves around the world, Oprah started her reign of terror on daytime television, more than 5 million people tried to hold hands across America (and, surprisingly, no sexual harassment lawsuits) simultaneously, Bill Cosby was the most famous (and wholesome) television dad and Pee-Wee Herman hijacked the kids - you know, the good old times of family values, Tom Cruise shot to stardom in what will become one of the best movies of all time (hint - he was flying upside down while they gave the Russian the finger) and another star was on the rise, all be it in a much smaller role, in the brilliant war movie PLATOON (hint - the most famous movie pirate who went undercover in schools on television...no? Okay, Tim Burton's go-to actor in, well, everything), the biggest song of the year was either the one where a shitload of stars came together to make a difference or the one where Falco called on the spirit of the famous composer, and, finally, there was that whole Richard Gere vs. the gerbil incident - I'm not saying it is true, but who knows, right?
As a PS - have a listen to this: I dare you not to laugh (and, yes, it really happened on live radio) -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTrOb...
Right...THE '86 FIX is a coming of age...or maybe going back of age...or maybe - no, don't even try to wrap your head around it.
Craig Pelling's life is a mess. In his mid-forties and his whole world unraveling, he can trace everything that went wrong to an exact moment in 1986, when he was a sixteen year old bunch of hormones, and he lost his virginity. You know, like the saying goes: "Sweet sixteen
and never been kissed, only fucked by mistake."
I guess we all felt, when we were young and virgins, that losing your virginity to your High School crush is the best thing that can ever happen to you. This story goes the other way.
And we've all played that 'What If...' game, right?
So, with the help of his trusted Commodore 64, he travels back to 1986 and gets 48 hours to change his future...
However, you've all heard of the Butterfly Effect, and there is really no telling how much his actions will change in not only his life but those he has contact with in the past.
Can you really make things better, even if you change the worst things in your life?
So, boys and girls, can you still remember what happened in your life in 1986? I was a boy of 11, and the pivotal changes in my life wouldn't happen for another 18 months or so, but there are these flashes - and I've reached an age where some of those memories might be only figments of my nostalgic imagination, but I choose to remember them that way, regardless.
I was so young and innocent back then. I don't think I knew anything about sex yet - while I was on my third or fourth crush at the time, when I had "The Talk", it came as a huge fucking surprise. And there's that memory of utter disgust when you looked at your parents the first time after that, as if you couldn't believe they would stoop so low!
It was safe to ride on my bicycle to visit my friends, opening the car window still required manual labor, phones were not portable, so if you missed someone, it was tough titties for you, in my country it was still very much legal (and encouraged) for teachers to spank the hell out of children - and, believe me, they did - and kids were still encouraged to be outside as often as possible.
What else?
Oh yes, if you wanted information you had to go to a library or, if you were lucky enough, look something up in your family's encyclopedias - ours were dated by about 20 years, so it was next to useless for school projects. We were forced to, ahem, sorry, misspoke there - "encouraged" to do all kinds of sports we had absolutely no talent for: I was nothing more than a tackle dummy on the rugby field for about six years. Homophobia was rampant (as well as many other idiotic prejudices of the time) - so much so, it was almost worse to be branded gay than alcoholic. So many things were banned in my country - especially movies and music (propaganda, you see) - I heard about the satanic Ozzy Osbourne about six years before I heard any of his music...yip, I like my Ozzy, people. In fact, I like most of the music I was warned about during those years.
One of the examples I can throw out there (just to show you how ridiculous it was), was the movie PET SEMATARY. I was 13 or 14 when it came out, and I tricked my parents into taking us to the drive-in to see it (As it happens, it was rated 2 - 18 years, as most good movies were, and it happened to be the very last movie I saw at the drive-in). After its run, it was released on video for exactly one week before it was pulled form the shelves and banned outright. Why? The fuck alone knows. Anyway, I was 18 years old before it was unbanned and available on the shelves again.
So, I have good and bad memories of that time, and they are equally special and horrifying to me these days. But the question remains: If I had a chance to go back in the past and change my future, what would I do?
I honestly don't know. I knew too little about life at that stage, but if it were possible to leave some notes with advice for the future, here's what I probably would have said:
1. Rook to d4 - you can win instead of draw!
2. Girls only act that innocent, man, they get horny too!
3. You can't break for shit, but your bank shots will be your strength.
4. Human nature - of which you know nothing, dumb-ass - will be more important to study than facts.
5. You'll never be a salesman, asshole - just skip over that part of your life.
6. Never go all in with KK - it is your Achille's Heel, you simply can't win with them!
7. Don't be so naive - people are so much more complicated than you can imagine.
8. Those free dating sites will improve your life by absolutely 0%.
9. Don't worry about penis size - you are above average...world average, I mean.
10. There will come a time when you will question whether following your instincts or being a nice guy will be the right choice. Fuck the nice guy, man, girls really, really get horny too!!
Okay, I've wasted enough of your time. I liked this story, even though it is not flawless. The build-up is about 50%, so it felt a little long. Was it necessary for everything he wanted to change? Perhaps, but I still feel the writing style could have been condensed a little. Having said that, I did not see that ending coming and it was awesome.
Highly recommended for people who get nostalgic about the eighties.
Ps. If you've ever wondered why I call myself technologically imbesilic, it has to do with a Commodore 64 - ours consisted of a keyboard and a tape player, which we had to plug into our old black-and-white Pioneer television. When I finally got the opportunity to learn something about computers and programming at school, it took two weeks of courses for me to write something to make a continuous spiral on the screen. The excitement faded real fast when I realized it took me two weeks to make a spiral on the screen. Sometimes you should just make peace with the fact that your talents may lie elsewhere...
Ahhh...nostalgia.
1986!
What do you remember about that year (if you were even born)?
Well, a comet named Halley did a flash and run, a kid with a lisp became the youngest world boxing champion, Chernobyl had a meltdown - a real one, not like superstars are having these days, the Challenger Space Shuttle sent shock waves around the world, Oprah started her reign of terror on daytime television, more than 5 million people tried to hold hands across America (and, surprisingly, no sexual harassment lawsuits) simultaneously, Bill Cosby was the most famous (and wholesome) television dad and Pee-Wee Herman hijacked the kids - you know, the good old times of family values, Tom Cruise shot to stardom in what will become one of the best movies of all time (hint - he was flying upside down while they gave the Russian the finger) and another star was on the rise, all be it in a much smaller role, in the brilliant war movie PLATOON (hint - the most famous movie pirate who went undercover in schools on television...no? Okay, Tim Burton's go-to actor in, well, everything), the biggest song of the year was either the one where a shitload of stars came together to make a difference or the one where Falco called on the spirit of the famous composer, and, finally, there was that whole Richard Gere vs. the gerbil incident - I'm not saying it is true, but who knows, right?
As a PS - have a listen to this: I dare you not to laugh (and, yes, it really happened on live radio) -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTrOb...
Right...THE '86 FIX is a coming of age...or maybe going back of age...or maybe - no, don't even try to wrap your head around it.
Craig Pelling's life is a mess. In his mid-forties and his whole world unraveling, he can trace everything that went wrong to an exact moment in 1986, when he was a sixteen year old bunch of hormones, and he lost his virginity. You know, like the saying goes: "Sweet sixteen
and never been kissed, only fucked by mistake."
I guess we all felt, when we were young and virgins, that losing your virginity to your High School crush is the best thing that can ever happen to you. This story goes the other way.
And we've all played that 'What If...' game, right?
So, with the help of his trusted Commodore 64, he travels back to 1986 and gets 48 hours to change his future...
However, you've all heard of the Butterfly Effect, and there is really no telling how much his actions will change in not only his life but those he has contact with in the past.
Can you really make things better, even if you change the worst things in your life?
So, boys and girls, can you still remember what happened in your life in 1986? I was a boy of 11, and the pivotal changes in my life wouldn't happen for another 18 months or so, but there are these flashes - and I've reached an age where some of those memories might be only figments of my nostalgic imagination, but I choose to remember them that way, regardless.
I was so young and innocent back then. I don't think I knew anything about sex yet - while I was on my third or fourth crush at the time, when I had "The Talk", it came as a huge fucking surprise. And there's that memory of utter disgust when you looked at your parents the first time after that, as if you couldn't believe they would stoop so low!
It was safe to ride on my bicycle to visit my friends, opening the car window still required manual labor, phones were not portable, so if you missed someone, it was tough titties for you, in my country it was still very much legal (and encouraged) for teachers to spank the hell out of children - and, believe me, they did - and kids were still encouraged to be outside as often as possible.
What else?
Oh yes, if you wanted information you had to go to a library or, if you were lucky enough, look something up in your family's encyclopedias - ours were dated by about 20 years, so it was next to useless for school projects. We were forced to, ahem, sorry, misspoke there - "encouraged" to do all kinds of sports we had absolutely no talent for: I was nothing more than a tackle dummy on the rugby field for about six years. Homophobia was rampant (as well as many other idiotic prejudices of the time) - so much so, it was almost worse to be branded gay than alcoholic. So many things were banned in my country - especially movies and music (propaganda, you see) - I heard about the satanic Ozzy Osbourne about six years before I heard any of his music...yip, I like my Ozzy, people. In fact, I like most of the music I was warned about during those years.
One of the examples I can throw out there (just to show you how ridiculous it was), was the movie PET SEMATARY. I was 13 or 14 when it came out, and I tricked my parents into taking us to the drive-in to see it (As it happens, it was rated 2 - 18 years, as most good movies were, and it happened to be the very last movie I saw at the drive-in). After its run, it was released on video for exactly one week before it was pulled form the shelves and banned outright. Why? The fuck alone knows. Anyway, I was 18 years old before it was unbanned and available on the shelves again.
So, I have good and bad memories of that time, and they are equally special and horrifying to me these days. But the question remains: If I had a chance to go back in the past and change my future, what would I do?
I honestly don't know. I knew too little about life at that stage, but if it were possible to leave some notes with advice for the future, here's what I probably would have said:
1. Rook to d4 - you can win instead of draw!
2. Girls only act that innocent, man, they get horny too!
3. You can't break for shit, but your bank shots will be your strength.
4. Human nature - of which you know nothing, dumb-ass - will be more important to study than facts.
5. You'll never be a salesman, asshole - just skip over that part of your life.
6. Never go all in with KK - it is your Achille's Heel, you simply can't win with them!
7. Don't be so naive - people are so much more complicated than you can imagine.
8. Those free dating sites will improve your life by absolutely 0%.
9. Don't worry about penis size - you are above average...world average, I mean.
10. There will come a time when you will question whether following your instincts or being a nice guy will be the right choice. Fuck the nice guy, man, girls really, really get horny too!!
Okay, I've wasted enough of your time. I liked this story, even though it is not flawless. The build-up is about 50%, so it felt a little long. Was it necessary for everything he wanted to change? Perhaps, but I still feel the writing style could have been condensed a little. Having said that, I did not see that ending coming and it was awesome.
Highly recommended for people who get nostalgic about the eighties.
Ps. If you've ever wondered why I call myself technologically imbesilic, it has to do with a Commodore 64 - ours consisted of a keyboard and a tape player, which we had to plug into our old black-and-white Pioneer television. When I finally got the opportunity to learn something about computers and programming at school, it took two weeks of courses for me to write something to make a continuous spiral on the screen. The excitement faded real fast when I realized it took me two weeks to make a spiral on the screen. Sometimes you should just make peace with the fact that your talents may lie elsewhere...
August 22, 2019
I bought this a few months ago after someone’s recommendation following my reviews of the first two books in Mark Lawrence’s One Word Kill trilogy, which I loved. This has a similar premise - time travel back to one’s teens in the 80s - although in those books the hero is the teenager whereas here our protagonist is the one journeying back from middle age. It’s an intriguing idea, let down by slow pacing and a surfeit of tedious detail that drags out the plot to a cliffhanger ending. I will be reading the next one as I did enjoy it enough to want to know what happens next.
Craig Pelling, 46, is unhappily married to his first girlfriend, and the boring job he’s had for 26 years is under threat. Overweight, with few friends and nothing to look forward to, he rues the day he blames for derailing his life at age 16. When an old computer program he had been working on miraculously propels him back into his past life, he jumps at the opportunity to put everything right, but will messing with the past fix his problems - or just create new ones?
This was well written, although I dislike the present tense - it probably does help maintain the suspense although wasn’t necessary for the whole story.
Unfortunately the set up of Craig explaining everything that went wrong for him takes the first half of the book and it it 50% done before he actually time travels. The second half was more entertaining, as he navigates the shock of finding himself back in his skinny teenage body, living with his parents and remembering to cope without a mobile phone, credit card or even TV remote.
Craig’s attempts to fix the fast become progressively more poignant as he uses his grown-up knowledge to try and repair relationships and prevent future losses, not just for himself. Haven’t we all daydreamed of being able to go back knowing what we know now, including how to handle school bullies and be cool with our first crush? The scene where he revisits the original loss of his virginity was borderline dodgy and I’m glad he resolved it the way he did as it was pretty uncomfortable. I could’ve done without the mentions of every trip to the bathroom and bout of self-gratification too.
I liked that Craig is a flawed character, with good insight into his own culpability for his problems. His own cowardice and laziness have got him to where he is, and I enjoyed the way he tries to make amends for these. I didn’t predict how it would end up and am now definitely curious as to how he will resolve things.
Overall this had lots of potential, but lost something in the execution, however I am hopeful the author will have taken feedback to improve the pacing issues for the sequel. 3.5 rounded down for the present tense narration and cliffhanger ending.
Craig Pelling, 46, is unhappily married to his first girlfriend, and the boring job he’s had for 26 years is under threat. Overweight, with few friends and nothing to look forward to, he rues the day he blames for derailing his life at age 16. When an old computer program he had been working on miraculously propels him back into his past life, he jumps at the opportunity to put everything right, but will messing with the past fix his problems - or just create new ones?
This was well written, although I dislike the present tense - it probably does help maintain the suspense although wasn’t necessary for the whole story.
Unfortunately the set up of Craig explaining everything that went wrong for him takes the first half of the book and it it 50% done before he actually time travels. The second half was more entertaining, as he navigates the shock of finding himself back in his skinny teenage body, living with his parents and remembering to cope without a mobile phone, credit card or even TV remote.
Craig’s attempts to fix the fast become progressively more poignant as he uses his grown-up knowledge to try and repair relationships and prevent future losses, not just for himself. Haven’t we all daydreamed of being able to go back knowing what we know now, including how to handle school bullies and be cool with our first crush? The scene where he revisits the original loss of his virginity was borderline dodgy and I’m glad he resolved it the way he did as it was pretty uncomfortable. I could’ve done without the mentions of every trip to the bathroom and bout of self-gratification too.
I liked that Craig is a flawed character, with good insight into his own culpability for his problems. His own cowardice and laziness have got him to where he is, and I enjoyed the way he tries to make amends for these. I didn’t predict how it would end up and am now definitely curious as to how he will resolve things.
Overall this had lots of potential, but lost something in the execution, however I am hopeful the author will have taken feedback to improve the pacing issues for the sequel. 3.5 rounded down for the present tense narration and cliffhanger ending.
December 7, 2021
At the moment, this book has a >4.2 average on Goodreads and I have no earthly idea why. It reads like a NaNoWriMo book, in that it spends a bunch of time setting things up and the time-travel doesn't happen until well over half way through, and then when it does get to the second half there are things introduced that were never set up in the beginning (like there's a whole thing where he decides to use a hitherto unmentioned "Aunt Judy" to reverse a hitherto unmentioned fatal car accident involving his grandparents from happening). Even so, it was probably on its way for three stars for me but then loses a full star for its final twist. I know there is a second book, but I'm not going to read a second book to make up for a bad plot twist that ends a first book.
March 17, 2020
This has been on my to-read list for some time. I wish I’d read it earlier.
I can’t speak highly enough of this tale or the quality of writing. It is simply exceptional. Onto book 2...
I can’t speak highly enough of this tale or the quality of writing. It is simply exceptional. Onto book 2...
May 29, 2017
Brilliant debut book by a brilliant author
This is one of two books I bought from the Kindle monthly deals section to read on holiday and I definitely chose the best two to read. Although I gave both books a rare 5 out of 5, this one did just about edge it as my favourite. The description of the book did it for me. Time travel back to a specific, seemingly non descript event on a certain day in 1986 to have a chance to change your future. The book grabbed me from the start and I didn't want to put it down. It made a refreshing change from the darker thrillers I usually go for. I would have been 2 years younger than our main character Craig in the year 1986 and I related to the music, clothes, shops and products mentioned back in the day - in fact being reminded of the Texan chocolate bar helped me with a pub quiz question last night! Along with the nostalgia, this is a genuinely great story, heartfelt, funny and now that I've finished it I've gone straight back to the Kindle store and bought the sequel. I can't believe this a debut novel, such a talented author whose personality clearly comes through in his writing. With the ridiculous hype surrounding books such as Fifty Shades and Gone Girl, THIS is a book that should be made into a film. It would be a box office hit if Channel 4 film productions got their hands on it. I'm going to be seeking out Keith A Pearson's future books. A fantastically good read.
This is one of two books I bought from the Kindle monthly deals section to read on holiday and I definitely chose the best two to read. Although I gave both books a rare 5 out of 5, this one did just about edge it as my favourite. The description of the book did it for me. Time travel back to a specific, seemingly non descript event on a certain day in 1986 to have a chance to change your future. The book grabbed me from the start and I didn't want to put it down. It made a refreshing change from the darker thrillers I usually go for. I would have been 2 years younger than our main character Craig in the year 1986 and I related to the music, clothes, shops and products mentioned back in the day - in fact being reminded of the Texan chocolate bar helped me with a pub quiz question last night! Along with the nostalgia, this is a genuinely great story, heartfelt, funny and now that I've finished it I've gone straight back to the Kindle store and bought the sequel. I can't believe this a debut novel, such a talented author whose personality clearly comes through in his writing. With the ridiculous hype surrounding books such as Fifty Shades and Gone Girl, THIS is a book that should be made into a film. It would be a box office hit if Channel 4 film productions got their hands on it. I'm going to be seeking out Keith A Pearson's future books. A fantastically good read.
September 1, 2021
Excellent read. Thoroughly enjoyed this one. Starting the follow up immediately.
May 15, 2017
Rating: 4.5 stars
What a quirky, funny, heart-warming, heart-breaking little gem of a book!
In 2016 Craig is 46 and stuck in a loveless marriage and dead-end job. He tells of us his mundane life, and then tells us the ambitions he'd had as a teenager and how they'd all become unstuck after a fateful afternoon back in 1986 when he was 16; all his problems today stem from that one event thirty years earlier.
Then in a weird sci-fi way - Back to the Future without the DeLorean - he's transported back to that weekend in 1986; can he change his future by changing his past?
Yep, it's implausible, but if you can get over that, this book is definitely well worth a look. It wouldn't normally be something I'd go for - I only read it as I'm the same age as Craig and love reliving anything 80s - but nostalgia aside, it's about so much more than I thought it would be, a very poignant read that had me both laughing and crying; you don't need to have been be a teen in the 80s to fully appreciate this tale of choice and consequence.
I've already downloaded the sequel and can't wait to see how Craig manages now that he's back in a very different 2016.
Gorgeous. Loved it.
What a quirky, funny, heart-warming, heart-breaking little gem of a book!
In 2016 Craig is 46 and stuck in a loveless marriage and dead-end job. He tells of us his mundane life, and then tells us the ambitions he'd had as a teenager and how they'd all become unstuck after a fateful afternoon back in 1986 when he was 16; all his problems today stem from that one event thirty years earlier.
Then in a weird sci-fi way - Back to the Future without the DeLorean - he's transported back to that weekend in 1986; can he change his future by changing his past?
Yep, it's implausible, but if you can get over that, this book is definitely well worth a look. It wouldn't normally be something I'd go for - I only read it as I'm the same age as Craig and love reliving anything 80s - but nostalgia aside, it's about so much more than I thought it would be, a very poignant read that had me both laughing and crying; you don't need to have been be a teen in the 80s to fully appreciate this tale of choice and consequence.
I've already downloaded the sequel and can't wait to see how Craig manages now that he's back in a very different 2016.
Gorgeous. Loved it.
May 1, 2019
really liked the idea but the execution exhausted me. i skipped over the painstaking detail of explaining every move. the problems to be solved were too clinical and too neat.
in the "tessa" case, i would have hated if some random guy i'd never really spoken to before started delivering a sermon on how to be better in that situation. i preferred the "back to the marcus" plot as he was rightly more affronted about craig's assertions than tessa was. i guess both reactions are a balance? i dunno.
the ending was blah, it was meh.
the author says that people demanded a sequel but he conveniently left an ambiguous ending with no decent explanation. maybe that's why they demanded a sequel, because the story wasn't finished.
i won't be reading the second book, i wasn't invested in the protagonist, and i'm not fussed as to what happens next for him.
in the "tessa" case, i would have hated if some random guy i'd never really spoken to before started delivering a sermon on how to be better in that situation. i preferred the "back to the marcus" plot as he was rightly more affronted about craig's assertions than tessa was. i guess both reactions are a balance? i dunno.
the ending was blah, it was meh.
the author says that people demanded a sequel but he conveniently left an ambiguous ending with no decent explanation. maybe that's why they demanded a sequel, because the story wasn't finished.
i won't be reading the second book, i wasn't invested in the protagonist, and i'm not fussed as to what happens next for him.
September 25, 2020
The ‘86 Fix was a really good, fun read. I’m looking forward to the second book in the series. I was a teenager in the 80s (graduated high school 1985) and the book brought back a lot of memories. Would I go back and change anything? Not really. Probably just a few minor tweaks 😁
August 9, 2022
A fun read. Who doesn’t love a bit of time travel and 80’s nostalgia 😊
March 31, 2019
I’m high on my 1980’s nostalgia right now so this e-book and its sequel leapt out at me when I stumbled across them. Before reading this it is important you get both books. This book ends on a massive cliffhanger which is only resolved by reading the sequel. These books need reading together as they are one story spread out over two books.
The story is about a middle aged man named Craig Pelling who does not like his current life at all. He has experienced a few rough times and now finds himself overweight, in a loveless marriage and a dead end job. He feels his life is going nowhere and it only gets worse. It’s all downhill for Craig who traces his downfall back to a single decision he made in 1986.
As Talking Heads sung “you may ask yourself, well, how did I get here?”
The first half of the book does drag a touch as we learn all about Craig’s empty life but it is necessary to emphasize just what his life is like and why he wants to change it when he gets the chance.
That chance arrives halfway through the book in the form of an old Commodore 64. Wait! I had a Commodore 64 which triggered my memories and I was transported back to the 80’s! That’s when I knew I would love the second half of the book.
Craig was back in 1986 on that fateful weekend when his one decision lead him down a pathway to his current life. Here was his chance to change everything. To fix his life.
This is a time travel story very much in the style of Back To The Future rather than hard science fiction. In 1986 I was 12 years old with my whole life ahead of me and I could not stop thinking back to that time and into the 90’s wondering what my life would be like now if I had made different decisions. Just how many alternate timelines of my life are out there?
The book is very heartfelt and poignant at times. I wanted to know what happens next after finishing a chapter. What actions will Craig do next? I wanted to see the consequences of Craig’s actions. Did he fix his life?
The ending is not what I expected and was a bit abrupt. I was disappointed at first but then recalled that I had the second book to read next and I realised just how great the ending is. A unique twist.
Bring on Beyond Broadhall!
The story is about a middle aged man named Craig Pelling who does not like his current life at all. He has experienced a few rough times and now finds himself overweight, in a loveless marriage and a dead end job. He feels his life is going nowhere and it only gets worse. It’s all downhill for Craig who traces his downfall back to a single decision he made in 1986.
As Talking Heads sung “you may ask yourself, well, how did I get here?”
The first half of the book does drag a touch as we learn all about Craig’s empty life but it is necessary to emphasize just what his life is like and why he wants to change it when he gets the chance.
That chance arrives halfway through the book in the form of an old Commodore 64. Wait! I had a Commodore 64 which triggered my memories and I was transported back to the 80’s! That’s when I knew I would love the second half of the book.
Craig was back in 1986 on that fateful weekend when his one decision lead him down a pathway to his current life. Here was his chance to change everything. To fix his life.
This is a time travel story very much in the style of Back To The Future rather than hard science fiction. In 1986 I was 12 years old with my whole life ahead of me and I could not stop thinking back to that time and into the 90’s wondering what my life would be like now if I had made different decisions. Just how many alternate timelines of my life are out there?
The book is very heartfelt and poignant at times. I wanted to know what happens next after finishing a chapter. What actions will Craig do next? I wanted to see the consequences of Craig’s actions. Did he fix his life?
The ending is not what I expected and was a bit abrupt. I was disappointed at first but then recalled that I had the second book to read next and I realised just how great the ending is. A unique twist.
Bring on Beyond Broadhall!
October 17, 2025
I loved this. A bit different!
November 26, 2022
OK, I didn't like this. It *is* well written--certainly it was an easy read. And it contains the relevant nostalgia, although too often it veers into listing nostalgic elements (e.g. listing old closed stores) rather than weaving them into the narrative (as, say, Ready Player One does when it's trying to play on our love of the 80s).
But the big problem for me was that the plot was quite flat. We get 180 pages of 'pre time travel build up', where we encounter the main character's depressing life (and it IS depressing). Then he time travels and tries to fix things. It is very straightforward, with nothing to it; very few twists, very few lessons learnt etc.
Worse, a lot of the things he 'fixes' only pop up in the second half, rather than having been deftly introduced at any earlier stage. So, for instance, that his father is not his father, or that his aunty was abused (etc.), all come out of nowhere.
Ultimately, there's no real tension or conflict--there's no tension at the start because we *know* this is a time travel book so *know* that he'll go back and fix things, but there's no tension in the latter half because he's presented as being so adept at fixing his life.
The ending was, admittedly, a bit of a twist. That the main character gets himself killed and has to come back to the present anyhow was not what I saw coming. But (a) it's unbelievable that he went to jail (what kinda of legal basis was there for *that*?) and (b) it seemed out of kilter with the mawkishness of the the previous tale. I know there's a sequel, but I won't be reading it.
So, not so much flawed, but... it lacks any great selling feature.
But the big problem for me was that the plot was quite flat. We get 180 pages of 'pre time travel build up', where we encounter the main character's depressing life (and it IS depressing). Then he time travels and tries to fix things. It is very straightforward, with nothing to it; very few twists, very few lessons learnt etc.
Worse, a lot of the things he 'fixes' only pop up in the second half, rather than having been deftly introduced at any earlier stage. So, for instance, that his father is not his father, or that his aunty was abused (etc.), all come out of nowhere.
Ultimately, there's no real tension or conflict--there's no tension at the start because we *know* this is a time travel book so *know* that he'll go back and fix things, but there's no tension in the latter half because he's presented as being so adept at fixing his life.
The ending was, admittedly, a bit of a twist. That the main character gets himself killed and has to come back to the present anyhow was not what I saw coming. But (a) it's unbelievable that he went to jail (what kinda of legal basis was there for *that*?) and (b) it seemed out of kilter with the mawkishness of the the previous tale. I know there's a sequel, but I won't be reading it.
So, not so much flawed, but... it lacks any great selling feature.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 20, 2019
Read in an afternoon
A really interesting book which is a game of two halves. The first is Craig in the present day, the second Craig in nostalgic 86, a time I remember well. The story develops well and grows as the chapters progress. There's a major cliffhanger at the conclusion, I picked up book 2 straightaway! Highly recommended if you like humour in your feelgood novels.
A really interesting book which is a game of two halves. The first is Craig in the present day, the second Craig in nostalgic 86, a time I remember well. The story develops well and grows as the chapters progress. There's a major cliffhanger at the conclusion, I picked up book 2 straightaway! Highly recommended if you like humour in your feelgood novels.
July 7, 2024
This was a fun, witty and quirky time travel novel. The plot and characterizations were very good and the story engrossing. The writing was good except for the author's constant use of "sat" instead of "sitting" and "stood" instead of "standing"or "stand". I do not know why he did this or why it wasn't changed during the editing process. I have read a lot of novels by British authors, both classic and modern, and never encountered this usage. Apparently it is non-standard slang. Slang is okay if it is required by the characters or story. It was not here and came off as an affectation that was totally jarring and distracting every time it was used, which was fairly often. So what otherwise would be at least a four star read is dropped to three. I am going to read the sequel and h0pefully this usage was changed.
February 27, 2019
I've had a particular interest in time travel literature for about a year now and something i have noticed is there isn't a great deal out there for the genre, so when i happened across The 86 Fix whilst perusing audible i immediately used my monthly audible credit.
I'll be honest if id purchased the book in book form i'm not certain i'd have finished it, the start of the book sets a dreary scene and even with the promise of time travel ahead the slow start coupled with the aforementioned depressing setting that might have been enough for me to put the book form down, in-fact it was enough for me to move onto other audio books temporarily(though admittedly more from my own appetite for something a little more lighthearted than any discontent i had with the 86 fix), when i did return to the audio-book and the story progressed a little i was hooked and finished the remaining 8 hours within a couple of sittings.
The story really picks up when Craig finds himself back in his childhood home in 1986 as his teenage self. I was born in 1986 so i don't have any memory of the 80s however i still felt a lot of nostalgia from Pearsons enthusiastic descriptions and i quickly became fond of the main character Craig after formerly struggling to form any connection pre-timetravel. Craigs actions as his teenage self definitely made me ask questions of myself and what i'd do if given a similar situation.
The book really transforms after he travels back in time, and i also really enjoyed Pearsons sense of humor.
If you start this book and like me struggle to get into it, please stick with it, its well worth it!
I'll be honest if id purchased the book in book form i'm not certain i'd have finished it, the start of the book sets a dreary scene and even with the promise of time travel ahead the slow start coupled with the aforementioned depressing setting that might have been enough for me to put the book form down, in-fact it was enough for me to move onto other audio books temporarily(though admittedly more from my own appetite for something a little more lighthearted than any discontent i had with the 86 fix), when i did return to the audio-book and the story progressed a little i was hooked and finished the remaining 8 hours within a couple of sittings.
The story really picks up when Craig finds himself back in his childhood home in 1986 as his teenage self. I was born in 1986 so i don't have any memory of the 80s however i still felt a lot of nostalgia from Pearsons enthusiastic descriptions and i quickly became fond of the main character Craig after formerly struggling to form any connection pre-timetravel. Craigs actions as his teenage self definitely made me ask questions of myself and what i'd do if given a similar situation.
The book really transforms after he travels back in time, and i also really enjoyed Pearsons sense of humor.
If you start this book and like me struggle to get into it, please stick with it, its well worth it!
February 28, 2018
I got this book because it was supposed to be about time travel. Now, if someone is going to go back and try to set their life on a different path, I can understand the need to explain what path it has taken so far. But the protagonist's life is told in excruciating detail for chapter after chapter. By the time I got half way through the book, I was so depressed I couldn't face reading any more. Good luck to you if you read to the interesting bit, but I couldn't stick it out long enough. Shame too, because the book is well written.
September 20, 2018
i found this when browsing through kindle unlimited
and what a find it was
a great book, a great plot and its so funny with a twist in the tail
a guy who is not that happy with his life goes back in time to see if he can change this
it had me captivated, i read it in two sittings !
and what a find it was
a great book, a great plot and its so funny with a twist in the tail
a guy who is not that happy with his life goes back in time to see if he can change this
it had me captivated, i read it in two sittings !
August 2, 2025
One of those what if you could go back in time and fix things to get a second chance. There is always a price to pay though with the butterfly effect.
Craig Pelling gets such a chance. He's in his mid forties and his choices in life have led him to a life he never wanted. Through a series of mishaps his childhood Commodore 64 allows him to go back to his teenage self to try and change his life. How much will that impact his future self?
This book took a while to get going but when it did it was a really enjoyable read.
Craig Pelling gets such a chance. He's in his mid forties and his choices in life have led him to a life he never wanted. Through a series of mishaps his childhood Commodore 64 allows him to go back to his teenage self to try and change his life. How much will that impact his future self?
This book took a while to get going but when it did it was a really enjoyable read.
October 4, 2024
The blurb says it all - but also sets expectations too high. It was a good book (and a good match for the times) but the cliff-hanger ending killed it.
It feels like the first half of the book is setting up Craig's tough life. We need introductions to the characters, we need some idea of what he wants to change - but it felt long. After the event, he goes about interacting and changing, and I found this pretty good also. The protagonist, despite writing the original game 30 years ago, doesn't consider the exact ramifications of his actions - but that's okay.
As other reviewers have noted, there are uncomfortable topics also. Well, what teenaged boy wasn't obsessed with sex? I was happy to let that go. Really wanted the main character to go back over his game design - but then I'm a software guy. The ending takes a serious left turn, and feels like it was changed at the last moment. I didn't want Back to the Future, but the author could have just stopped as the timer was counting down. He'd have plenty of readers for the sequel, which I will note has an even higher rating.
Yes, I am among those reading the sequel. The clumsy ending of the first book drags this one down, however - I really dislike a book that doesn't stand on it's own. Didn't like the blurb - too much promised - but I bet not all authors have control over that.
It feels like the first half of the book is setting up Craig's tough life. We need introductions to the characters, we need some idea of what he wants to change - but it felt long. After the event, he goes about interacting and changing, and I found this pretty good also. The protagonist, despite writing the original game 30 years ago, doesn't consider the exact ramifications of his actions - but that's okay.
As other reviewers have noted, there are uncomfortable topics also. Well, what teenaged boy wasn't obsessed with sex? I was happy to let that go. Really wanted the main character to go back over his game design - but then I'm a software guy. The ending takes a serious left turn, and feels like it was changed at the last moment. I didn't want Back to the Future, but the author could have just stopped as the timer was counting down. He'd have plenty of readers for the sequel, which I will note has an even higher rating.
Yes, I am among those reading the sequel. The clumsy ending of the first book drags this one down, however - I really dislike a book that doesn't stand on it's own. Didn't like the blurb - too much promised - but I bet not all authors have control over that.
September 23, 2024
This is a very difficult one to rate for me. For the majority of the book, I was hooked enough by the story to really enjoy it, wallowing in the 80's nostalgia and laughing at some of the jokes that use anachronisms to work, all while ruminating on regret, happiness, inertia, agency and revenge.
Unfortunately, the ending undoes a great deal of this enjoyment as it sort of just... fizzles out, with the promise of a conclusion in the next book. Almost as if you were watching It's a Wonderful Life for the first time and switched it off after Mr Welch punches George Bailey in the mouth. Or if you went into The Hobbit movie expecting it to be the complete story...
I think it probably suffers from being self-published, and many of its problems could have been solved by an astute editor. For example, the elimination of much of the intricate description of every action (of every limb in the process of trying on clothes, for instance!) and every layout of every building and every location could have condensed it down into a satisfying, sweet little gem of a story. On the whole I think I did care enough about the characters to want to find out what happens to them, though, so I will most likely read the second book. I just hope I'm not stung again in the same way...
Unfortunately, the ending undoes a great deal of this enjoyment as it sort of just... fizzles out, with the promise of a conclusion in the next book. Almost as if you were watching It's a Wonderful Life for the first time and switched it off after Mr Welch punches George Bailey in the mouth. Or if you went into The Hobbit movie expecting it to be the complete story...
I think it probably suffers from being self-published, and many of its problems could have been solved by an astute editor. For example, the elimination of much of the intricate description of every action (of every limb in the process of trying on clothes, for instance!) and every layout of every building and every location could have condensed it down into a satisfying, sweet little gem of a story. On the whole I think I did care enough about the characters to want to find out what happens to them, though, so I will most likely read the second book. I just hope I'm not stung again in the same way...
March 4, 2024
feeling confused by the ending!!! onto the second book
May 13, 2024
Entertaining journey to another decade!
This was a fun read, and I will probably continue the series. The fact that the main character is an ordinary guy makes it more enjoyable.
This was a fun read, and I will probably continue the series. The fact that the main character is an ordinary guy makes it more enjoyable.
July 9, 2022
At 46 years old and on the precipice of his 30th high school reunion, Craig Pelling’s life has turned out to be somewhat of a disappointment. He is massively overweight and balding, and stuck in a miserable, loveless, and childless marriage with a deeply unhappy woman. For the past 26 years, Craig has worked as a store manager for a now-struggling tech company that is about to be shut down by a high school bully, who holds a long-stranding grudge against him for unknown reasons.
Craig also has a poor relationship with his father. And his parents are about to sell his childhood home due to their failing health.
It wasn’t always like this. Back when he was 16 years old, Craig’s future had promise. Sure, he was a bit nerdy and awkward, but he was also slim, ambitious, creative and intelligent, with good grades and a talent for computer programming. Craig was even in the process of programming his own game that revolved around a protagonist who could repeatedly go back in time to rewrite his past, in order to prevent a tragic event that was destined to happen in his future.
Craig believes that his troubles began in earnest on a fateful day in 1986 when he lost his virginity to his dream girl, Tessa Lawrence, who is destined to see him at their 30th year high school reunion. Will fate, a little magical realism, and some computer science allow Craig to right the wrongs of his past, and provide himself with the future he feels that he deserves?
As is becoming a bit of a trend with me, The 86 Fix and I got off to a rocky start. Craig was initially introduced as a bitter character, who despite his own physical and financial shortcomings, spoke caustically about his wife’s aging appearance, the place where he worked, and his coworkers. He also seemed to have that oh-so-tropey, and pathetic, fixation on his high school dream girl. This was frustratingly coupled with a belief that, despite all evidence to the contrary, reuniting with said Dream Girl at his reunion would fix everything.
However, as the story progressed, I grew to appreciate Craig and genuinely root for him. As Craig describes the circumstances that got him to the place where he is today, he shows a refreshing amount of self-awareness, and empathy for the shortcomings of others. He recognizes and takes ownership of the poor choices he made in his life, in a way protagonists in these type of time travel novels often don’t manage, until it is too late. Craig’s desire to make changes in his life, stems not just from a selfish wish to improve his own circumstances, but those of the people around him as well.
As for his adolescent dalliance with Tessa, well there appears to be more than meets the eye to that situation as well . . .
I’m a huge sucker for a time travel / alt world novel, and, ultimately, The 86 Fix was no exception. It’s a lightning quick read. It’s well written. It’s drily British humored. The events leading up to Craig’s time travel are, if not entirely scientifically sound, deftly plotted, in a way that rewards eagle eyed readers, by tying seemingly innocuous details into payoff points later in the story.
As for Craig’s trip to 1986, it is filled with precisely the amount of nostalgia for a simpler time, ruminations on youth, and introspection regarding the passage of time that you would expect from a Back to the Future-inspired novel like this.
I didn’t, however, love the abrupt cliffhanger ending to this novel. It seemed like a greedy ploy to get me to immediately read the second book in this series (which, obviously, I will), so that my mind doesn’t have to leave poor Craig where I found him in the final pages of The 86 Fix. While I understand the need for an expansion of this tale, I do wish The 86 Fix functioned just a bit better as a standalone, and offered up a slightly less miserable ending.
That said, if you like time travel, nostalgia / coming of age, and alt universe tales, and are willing to immediately commit to a two-book series, I highly recommend The 86 Fix.
Craig also has a poor relationship with his father. And his parents are about to sell his childhood home due to their failing health.
It wasn’t always like this. Back when he was 16 years old, Craig’s future had promise. Sure, he was a bit nerdy and awkward, but he was also slim, ambitious, creative and intelligent, with good grades and a talent for computer programming. Craig was even in the process of programming his own game that revolved around a protagonist who could repeatedly go back in time to rewrite his past, in order to prevent a tragic event that was destined to happen in his future.
Craig believes that his troubles began in earnest on a fateful day in 1986 when he lost his virginity to his dream girl, Tessa Lawrence, who is destined to see him at their 30th year high school reunion. Will fate, a little magical realism, and some computer science allow Craig to right the wrongs of his past, and provide himself with the future he feels that he deserves?
As is becoming a bit of a trend with me, The 86 Fix and I got off to a rocky start. Craig was initially introduced as a bitter character, who despite his own physical and financial shortcomings, spoke caustically about his wife’s aging appearance, the place where he worked, and his coworkers. He also seemed to have that oh-so-tropey, and pathetic, fixation on his high school dream girl. This was frustratingly coupled with a belief that, despite all evidence to the contrary, reuniting with said Dream Girl at his reunion would fix everything.
However, as the story progressed, I grew to appreciate Craig and genuinely root for him. As Craig describes the circumstances that got him to the place where he is today, he shows a refreshing amount of self-awareness, and empathy for the shortcomings of others. He recognizes and takes ownership of the poor choices he made in his life, in a way protagonists in these type of time travel novels often don’t manage, until it is too late. Craig’s desire to make changes in his life, stems not just from a selfish wish to improve his own circumstances, but those of the people around him as well.
As for his adolescent dalliance with Tessa, well there appears to be more than meets the eye to that situation as well . . .
I’m a huge sucker for a time travel / alt world novel, and, ultimately, The 86 Fix was no exception. It’s a lightning quick read. It’s well written. It’s drily British humored. The events leading up to Craig’s time travel are, if not entirely scientifically sound, deftly plotted, in a way that rewards eagle eyed readers, by tying seemingly innocuous details into payoff points later in the story.
As for Craig’s trip to 1986, it is filled with precisely the amount of nostalgia for a simpler time, ruminations on youth, and introspection regarding the passage of time that you would expect from a Back to the Future-inspired novel like this.
I didn’t, however, love the abrupt cliffhanger ending to this novel. It seemed like a greedy ploy to get me to immediately read the second book in this series (which, obviously, I will), so that my mind doesn’t have to leave poor Craig where I found him in the final pages of The 86 Fix. While I understand the need for an expansion of this tale, I do wish The 86 Fix functioned just a bit better as a standalone, and offered up a slightly less miserable ending.
That said, if you like time travel, nostalgia / coming of age, and alt universe tales, and are willing to immediately commit to a two-book series, I highly recommend The 86 Fix.
May 25, 2017
Brilliant read!
I loved this book, it took me right back to my childhood and reminded me of things I'd forgotten... Sweets, TV programmes, music, even basic everyday rituals such as dressing, washing n eating and how different these simple acts were back then. The story was poignant and strangely credible giving it involved time travel. It got me thinking of what I could go back and change (I decided it'd be nothing, I'm happy where I am today, but it did give me a lot to think about). I did not see the end coming, it was a strange twist, I have to get the next book cos I want to see the main character, Craig have a happy ending. He's a lovable and very credible character who you really want the best for...excellent debut novel. I love Jason Ayres books which follow the same theme of time travel, nostalgia for the 80s and was reminded of his books as I read this. I look forward to reading the sequel and hope to read more from this author...there's never enough books like this for me and I love getting lost in their story which sparks long lost memories for me.
I loved this book, it took me right back to my childhood and reminded me of things I'd forgotten... Sweets, TV programmes, music, even basic everyday rituals such as dressing, washing n eating and how different these simple acts were back then. The story was poignant and strangely credible giving it involved time travel. It got me thinking of what I could go back and change (I decided it'd be nothing, I'm happy where I am today, but it did give me a lot to think about). I did not see the end coming, it was a strange twist, I have to get the next book cos I want to see the main character, Craig have a happy ending. He's a lovable and very credible character who you really want the best for...excellent debut novel. I love Jason Ayres books which follow the same theme of time travel, nostalgia for the 80s and was reminded of his books as I read this. I look forward to reading the sequel and hope to read more from this author...there's never enough books like this for me and I love getting lost in their story which sparks long lost memories for me.
June 21, 2021
I love time travel books and read this book because of that. So, I was a more than a little disappointed when at over halfway through the book no time travel had happened. Instead we got a lot of backstory as to how he ended up in the job he had and how it was playing out today. Once the time travel happened I could understand that the backstory was justified, in that you needed to understand what he wanted to put right once he returned to 1986. It just went on for too long for me.
From a nostalgia point of view I enjoyed the trip to 1986, but not being a 16 year old boy at that time, some of the book was not really for me. Interesting twist when he returns to 2016.
From a nostalgia point of view I enjoyed the trip to 1986, but not being a 16 year old boy at that time, some of the book was not really for me. Interesting twist when he returns to 2016.
November 16, 2016
This really could not have been more different from the sort of books I typically read. I'm not sure quite which category you'd place it, and I mean that in a positive way. Although it's sci-fi and time travel, its really funny and quite poignant in places. The storyline is ridiculously addictive with fairly short chapters so I kept thinking 'just one more' before bed. The ending knocked me for six. Really looking forward to the follow up book.
November 1, 2021
‘The ‘86 Fix’ is an easy read and a page turner — and for those of us who remember the 80s, it’s also a real trip down memory lane. I enjoyed this book a lot, even if the ending was a bit of a let down (though I’m not really sure how the author could have written this differently). Fingers crossed the sequel (which starts as soon as this story ends) will have a more satisfying ending — though I’ll be happy as long as the story is just as nostalgic.
May 23, 2023
Uh, you do plan to eventually have time travel in your time travel story, yes? Most of the setup was appallingly repetitive. But it was an enjoyable story. I immediately read the sequel, so it couldn’t have been all that bad.
October 28, 2016
Brilliant book ,
Very enjoyable read , would never have guessed it was a debut novel , roll on the next one ,well done
Very enjoyable read , would never have guessed it was a debut novel , roll on the next one ,well done
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