Someone in Time edited by Jonathan Strahan
I got a little delayed in my regular schedule as I sat to put together this review. As I have mentioned earlier, I am trying to stick to reviewing individual stories of collections in order to provide myself with a way to look back appropriately on my reactions to the book.
Roadside Attraction by Alix E.Harrow- 3 stars
This was a simple story to start a collection of. The writing was good, and the story was straightforward. A man trying to get over emotional rejection keeps wanting to go somewhere else in time to find his happiness, all the while missing something quite obvious.
The Past Life Reconstruction Service by Zen Cho – 3 stars
This was a slightly more concept to internalize. We have an older man who has split from his much younger partner. He wants to go back into his past lives to find more meaning in his life but keeps meeting the same situation everywhere.
First Aid by Seanan McGuire 2 Stars
I have not read any of the author’s more complete works. The time traveller here is sent on a fact-finding mission. She ends up in a different time than she expects and ends up wanting to stay.
I remember Satellites by Sarah Gailey- 3 stars
A woman is sent on a mission to ensure certain things in history occur the way they are supposed to. It is a one-way mission and she ends up making some decisions for personal reasons.
The Golden Hour by Jeffrey Ford 4 stars
A time traveller is living out of sync and is believed by very few. There is romance involved and the friend is trying to orchestrate some happiness in the other’s life. The writing and the length felt more full than some of the previous tales.
The Lichens by Nina Allan 3 stars
A teacher in Scotland finds herself out of sync with her time and place. On one random day, she meets a woman who gives her information that can be used to help each other.
Kronia by Elizabeth Hand – 3 stars
This is a series of what-ifs. I am not usually a fan of the style of narration, but given the length of the chapter, it worked well.
Bergamot and Vetiver by Lavanya Lakshminarayan – 3 stars
The future is bleak, and seeking answers in the past, a time traveller goes to a more successful civilization to learn its secrets. I actually appreciated the end notes that the author provided that was about the actual older civilizations, based on physical evidence gathered.
The Difference Between Love and Time by Catherynne M.Valente – 2 stars
A relationship over various stages between a person and Time itself. Conceptually I should have liked it better, but here I did not get it.
Unbashed, or: Jackson Whose Cowardice Tore a Hole in the Chronoverse by Sam J. Miller – 3 stars
This is about a man who is reliving time in order to just relive the moments. Not a very complicated plot, but reflective.
Romance: Historical by Rowan Coleman – 4 stars
A time slip story of a woman in a bookshop. I have read one or two timeslip stories that attract me, and this was definitely one of them. It was simple and managed to work in the short length of the chapter.
The Place of All the Souls by Margo Lanagan – 3 stars
Time travellers who gather information live longer with body modifiers. There is a missed connection years ago that is discussed in the current time line. I liked the way the conversation was handled.
Timed Obsolescence by Sameem Siddiqui -2 stars
Man who travels through time and space develops an obsession with someone in another time. This leads him to make some bad decisions. Although I liked the writing and the narrative style, I was not as fond of the content.
A Letter to Merlin by Theodora Goss – 3 stars
The letter is the entire chapter. It is a revelation of the undercurrents at play where Merlin is involved. It was interesting to try and figure out if the central character was a positive or a negative character.
Dead Poets by Carrie Vaughn – 2 stars
A woman uses information she possessed to find a poet she has idolized. She instead finds her own skills by the end of it. The writing was well done, but the story was not as interesting to me.
Time Gypsy by Ellen Klages-4 stars
This was a satisfying way to end the collection. An academic is almost blackmailed into going back in time to figure out missing information which a missing scientist took to her grave with her. Things are definitely not as they seem when she does get into the past.
Although it took me a while to get through the collection and even longer to write up the review, I am glad I read this book. It was a deviation from my usual content and that in itself was refreshing. All the authors in this collection were quite skilled writers. I liked some content more than others (as is obvious from my retailed review)
I received an ARC thanks to Netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.
