I’ve always loved time travel stories but did find this one quite unique as to its construct, and some interesting twists like the unexpected happening about 30% of the way through during the train journey. The philosophical takeaway is that altering something in the past does not mean history just happens in a similar way. Lots of other variables change. Even just buying a flower on the street can introduce a small tweak that changes things.
I’ve always loved time travel stories but did find this one quite unique as to its construct, and some interesting twists like the unexpected happening about 30% of the way through during the train journey. The philosophical takeaway is that altering something in the past does not mean history just happens in a similar way. Lots of other variables change. Even just buying a flower on the street can introduce a small tweak that changes things.
For much of its length this is a spy novel, to the point where if someone said, "Ooh, sci-fi, I don't like sci-fi", you would reply, "it's a spy novel." It is however also time travel and (spoiler of course) as fairly common in such novels, the home world of the Traveller isn't our home world. For a start, while the 1914 war happened as a result of Gavrilo Princip assassinating Franz Ferdinand (the archudke, not the band), the war lasted until 1925 and no Hitler, no Holocaust, and somehow lack of American involvement and of any curb to Soviet expansionism led to a USSR-dominated Europe (described as basically "1984") in the 21st century, resulting in a currently fashionable dystopia (though I'm no fan of the fad of having personal names myself, I must say). Which means as they say that there are Some Things With Which One Should Not …
For much of its length this is a spy novel, to the point where if someone said, "Ooh, sci-fi, I don't like sci-fi", you would reply, "it's a spy novel." It is however also time travel and (spoiler of course) as fairly common in such novels, the home world of the Traveller isn't our home world. For a start, while the 1914 war happened as a result of Gavrilo Princip assassinating Franz Ferdinand (the archudke, not the band), the war lasted until 1925 and no Hitler, no Holocaust, and somehow lack of American involvement and of any curb to Soviet expansionism led to a USSR-dominated Europe (described as basically "1984") in the 21st century, resulting in a currently fashionable dystopia (though I'm no fan of the fad of having personal names myself, I must say). Which means as they say that there are Some Things With Which One Should Not Meddle. Add a protagonist who is Bear Grylls-as-James-Bond, a feisty Irish suffragette / Irish independence supporter, Rosa Luxemburg (yes, that Rosa Luxemburg. The one who said 'our choice is between socialism and barbarism', appropriate here), and a drunken Oxford don who set up ol' Stanton in the first place. Given the this-isn't-our-world bit that information is well concealed from the viewer; a run down central Cambridge? Seems increasingly probable with so much being done online. AIUI Ben has been put forward for the Bad Sex Award and this novel is no exception. Stanton is a bit of a cypher really - appropriate for a spy and media 'personality' - and the other characters are better drawn. Or quartered. Either will do.
Excellent novel. As it went on I started to guess where it was going but it still managed to pull off surprises. Interesting use of the time travel concept and very good play on reader perceptions. Would make a fine film or TV mini series.
