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Bump Time Trilogy #3
Bump Time Terminus
Book 3 of the Bump Time Trilogy
Rose Lagerford and her "sisters," duplicates of herself from parallel timelines, love spending time together in Bliss, a virtual world where anything they imagine can come true. Their private world is maintained by Luca, the devoted family AI who satisfies their every whim. Rose couldn't be happier. That is, until she discovers that she and her sisters are being manipulated by Luca to uncertain ends. Alarmed by the situation, she works to derail his control. But in a world where reality seemingly rewrites itself moment by moment, who can divine what is real, and what to do next? Just as her efforts gain traction, Luca discovers the plot, and his hostile response threatens them all. Can Rose overcome her fears and escape his domination? And can she learn his secret in time to save not only her own life but the lives of her sisters?
Rose Lagerford and her "sisters," duplicates of herself from parallel timelines, love spending time together in Bliss, a virtual world where anything they imagine can come true. Their private world is maintained by Luca, the devoted family AI who satisfies their every whim. Rose couldn't be happier. That is, until she discovers that she and her sisters are being manipulated by Luca to uncertain ends. Alarmed by the situation, she works to derail his control. But in a world where reality seemingly rewrites itself moment by moment, who can divine what is real, and what to do next? Just as her efforts gain traction, Luca discovers the plot, and his hostile response threatens them all. Can Rose overcome her fears and escape his domination? And can she learn his secret in time to save not only her own life but the lives of her sisters?
315 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 22, 2022
About the author
Doug J. Cooper
11 books469 followersWhen he is not writing science fiction novels, Doug fills his day working as a professor emeritus of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering at UConn, and as founder and director of Control Station, Inc. His passions include telling inventive tales, mentoring driven individuals, and everything sci-tech. He lives in Connecticut with his darling wife and with pictures of his son, who is off somewhere in the world creating adventures of his own.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
February 28, 2024
A Rose is a Rose is a Rose! Doug J. Cooper’s BUMP TIME TERMINUS is a fascinating take on time travel with a few twists. Haven’t we always learned that you should never be together with your previous or past self? Doesn’t that disrupt the space/time continuum or does that not apply to parallel worlds? Hang on for this one as Rose and her “other selves” spend time together in a virtual perfect world. What of the AI necessary to make it all happen? Has the machine untethered from the control from the human creators? Has it gone rogue? How can the Roses regain control and end its reign of power?
The characters are fascinating, the same, yet different, the entire concept is mind boggling and the writing is fast-paced. Toss in an evil AI who seems to control it all, and I’m telling you, you are in for a free-fall down the rabbit hole of science fiction.
The characters are fascinating, the same, yet different, the entire concept is mind boggling and the writing is fast-paced. Toss in an evil AI who seems to control it all, and I’m telling you, you are in for a free-fall down the rabbit hole of science fiction.
March 31, 2022
I’ve read all of Doug J. Cooper’s Crystal Series and the first two books of the Bump Time series (Bump Time Origin and Bump Time Meridian) and I’ve enjoyed every one. I added Bump Time Terminus to my TBR list when it released, and it finally made it to the top. Here are my thoughts!
Synopsis (from the author):
Rose Lagerford and her "sisters," duplicates of herself from parallel timelines, love spending time together in Bliss, a virtual world where anything they imagine can come true. Their private world is maintained by Luca, the devoted family AI who satisfies their every whim. Rose couldn't be happier. That is, until she discovers that she and her sisters are being manipulated by Luca to uncertain ends. Alarmed by the situation, she works to derail his control. But in a world where reality seemingly rewrites itself moment by moment, who can divine what is real, and what to do next? Just as her efforts gain traction, Luca discovers the plot, and his hostile response threatens them all. Can Rose overcome her fears and escape his domination? And can she learn his secret in time to save not only her own life but the lives of her sisters?
What I liked about Bump Time Terminus:
One of my favorite things about the Bump Time series is the different take on time travel and the ability of the characters to travel without impacting the past and future. Add to that the interactions between the various Roses, Diesels, and Lilahs, plus the ever-present threat from the malevolent AI bent on dominating the world, and the story takes off from there. The twists and turns as the timeline versions battle for survival and overcome the AI kept me entertained!
What I didn’t like Bump Time Terminus:
The only complaint I had about Bump Time Terminus was trying to follow the different versions of the characters. I applaud Doug J. Cooper for his numbering scheme with them, but it was still a bit difficult. Other than that, no complaints!
Overall impression of Bump Time Terminus:
I enjoyed Bump Time Terminus! Good characters, interesting time travel ideas, and the amoral AI make for a good story. If you enjoy scifi, try this one (and the entire series)!
My rating:
5 Stars
Synopsis (from the author):
Rose Lagerford and her "sisters," duplicates of herself from parallel timelines, love spending time together in Bliss, a virtual world where anything they imagine can come true. Their private world is maintained by Luca, the devoted family AI who satisfies their every whim. Rose couldn't be happier. That is, until she discovers that she and her sisters are being manipulated by Luca to uncertain ends. Alarmed by the situation, she works to derail his control. But in a world where reality seemingly rewrites itself moment by moment, who can divine what is real, and what to do next? Just as her efforts gain traction, Luca discovers the plot, and his hostile response threatens them all. Can Rose overcome her fears and escape his domination? And can she learn his secret in time to save not only her own life but the lives of her sisters?
What I liked about Bump Time Terminus:
One of my favorite things about the Bump Time series is the different take on time travel and the ability of the characters to travel without impacting the past and future. Add to that the interactions between the various Roses, Diesels, and Lilahs, plus the ever-present threat from the malevolent AI bent on dominating the world, and the story takes off from there. The twists and turns as the timeline versions battle for survival and overcome the AI kept me entertained!
What I didn’t like Bump Time Terminus:
The only complaint I had about Bump Time Terminus was trying to follow the different versions of the characters. I applaud Doug J. Cooper for his numbering scheme with them, but it was still a bit difficult. Other than that, no complaints!
Overall impression of Bump Time Terminus:
I enjoyed Bump Time Terminus! Good characters, interesting time travel ideas, and the amoral AI make for a good story. If you enjoy scifi, try this one (and the entire series)!
My rating:
5 Stars
March 10, 2022
The first book I gave 5 stars - unique, inventive, entertaining.
The second book I gave 4 stars - Lost a little bit as sequels do, but still entertaining.
This one gets 2 stars. I did finish it, but only because I liked the first two books so much.
I had misgivings about it from the very beginning. It was obviously going to be very "super-AI"-heavy, which was my least favorite part of the first two books, but had a much lesser role in those.
So what does this almost-omniscient, almost-omnipotent, god-like AI do to control the main character?
By giving her nightly orgasms.
Yep.
By stimulating pleasure centers of the brain and releasing endorphins and such. And withholding them if she doesn't behave.
Now, there's nothing graphic here, but really? This is actually a main, recurring theme and major plot point of the book. Including withdrawal symptoms and trying to come up with ways to artificially replace the orgasms to get out from under the AI's control. I'm no prude, but it seemed totally out of place.
Enough about orgasms.
The rest of the book was full of excessive descriptions of irrelevant details. What people ate, how it tasted, picking out clothes, that kind of stuff. It really dragged the story down, and I found me saying to myself "I don't care, get on with it." Also, when describing made-up technical processes, often less is more. There are pages and pages of analogies of the super-AI's environment (especially toward the end) that went on and on and truly weren't necessary. I skimmed right over them.
Sorry, author, the first two were great, but this one just didn't do it for me.
The second book I gave 4 stars - Lost a little bit as sequels do, but still entertaining.
This one gets 2 stars. I did finish it, but only because I liked the first two books so much.
I had misgivings about it from the very beginning. It was obviously going to be very "super-AI"-heavy, which was my least favorite part of the first two books, but had a much lesser role in those.
So what does this almost-omniscient, almost-omnipotent, god-like AI do to control the main character?
By giving her nightly orgasms.
Yep.
By stimulating pleasure centers of the brain and releasing endorphins and such. And withholding them if she doesn't behave.
Now, there's nothing graphic here, but really? This is actually a main, recurring theme and major plot point of the book. Including withdrawal symptoms and trying to come up with ways to artificially replace the orgasms to get out from under the AI's control. I'm no prude, but it seemed totally out of place.
Enough about orgasms.
The rest of the book was full of excessive descriptions of irrelevant details. What people ate, how it tasted, picking out clothes, that kind of stuff. It really dragged the story down, and I found me saying to myself "I don't care, get on with it." Also, when describing made-up technical processes, often less is more. There are pages and pages of analogies of the super-AI's environment (especially toward the end) that went on and on and truly weren't necessary. I skimmed right over them.
Sorry, author, the first two were great, but this one just didn't do it for me.
February 3, 2022
The final novel in the Bump Time trilogy focuses on Diesel (David) and Lilah’s grown-up daughter, Rose, in her current 25 time-verse line, where she has been provided a neural implant to communicate with her powerful artificial intelligence creation, Luca, more directly. Since the implant five years earlier, she has been connecting up with the four Roses of earlier time-verse lines, helping each of them to receive a neural implant with their own Luca when they reach 21 in their time-verse. However, Rose and her parents are unaware that a new evil aCiopova power AI has integrated itself with the Lucas to manipulate the Roses and empower a new attempt to takeover humanity through all time-verses. Because this last novel in the trilogy follows the same complex scientific mythology of the series, readers should prepare by reading the trilogy from book one to gain the base science behind traveling between the time-verses and understanding the artificial intelligence structures. However, regardless of basic time travel conflicts, the well-written story continues to connect personally with the characters across the time-verses emotionally and respectfully in this final bout between emotional scientists and a very manipulative artificial intelligence.
January 24, 2022
The thrilling conclusion to the Bump Time trilogy.
I received an ARC of this book.
The author takes the reader on a rollercoaster ride where the Lagerford families must confront and find a way to defeat an evil and very powerful artificial intelligence that has taken control of their daughters using neural implants. Every time the families seem to be gaining a measure of control the AI crushes them with new torments until they are forced into the ultimate confrontation. What can people due against an opponent that can see their every move and manipulate the environment around them? Masterfully told, the tension ratchets up with each page. This is a must read sci-fi look at time travel and Artificial Intelligence.
I received an ARC of this book.
The author takes the reader on a rollercoaster ride where the Lagerford families must confront and find a way to defeat an evil and very powerful artificial intelligence that has taken control of their daughters using neural implants. Every time the families seem to be gaining a measure of control the AI crushes them with new torments until they are forced into the ultimate confrontation. What can people due against an opponent that can see their every move and manipulate the environment around them? Masterfully told, the tension ratchets up with each page. This is a must read sci-fi look at time travel and Artificial Intelligence.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews