The Map of Time (Science Fiction)

Perhaps those troubling sounds we hear in the night, the creaking noises we assume are the furniture, are simply the footsteps of a future self watching over us as we sleep, without daring to disturb us. 

The Map of Time, written by Felix J. Palma and translated into English by Nick Castor, is a blend of historical fiction and science fiction, with just a dash of mystery. It is entertaining, sometimes poignant, and sometimes amusing. It is set at the end of the 1800’s and includes both historical and fictional characters.

Briefly, the novel consists of three main storylines that share a number of characters. The real life writer H. G. Wells plays some part in each plot. While the narrator is omniscient, s/he has a personable style. In the first storyline, Andrew falls in love with a prostitute. When she is murdered by Jack the Ripper, Andrew is inconsolable. To save his life, his cousin devises a plot to have Andrew go back in time and kills Jack the Ripper before he kills the woman. In the second plot line, a young woman travels to the year 2000, where a hero saves mankind. She falls in love with him. In order to prevent tragic consequences, H. G. Wells must help out. In the third plotline, people are being murdered with a weapon that does not yet exist. H. G. Wells’ help is enlisted to find the murderer.

The novel contains a beautiful chapter that could easily be a stand alone short story. Earlier in the novel we learn that Wells has a basket, which he gently touches for inspiration when writing his novels. It appears to be some sort of fetish. In this chapter we learn the origins of the basket. After reading one of Wells' short stories, The Elephant Man invites Wells for tea. Wells is both repulsed and fascinated by the man. Finally, Wells sees his humanity.

Needless to say, I enjoyed this novel immensely. I am a fan of time travel novels and of H. G. Wells in particular; I read The Complete Science Fiction Treasury of H. G. Wells earlier this year. I am looking forward to reading Palma's follow-up novel, The Map of the Sky.

Gone with the Wind (Pulitzer Winning Novel)

An Idealized Love. A Family Estate. Slavery. A Promise. War. Poverty. Reconstruction. Survival. The Victors. The Vanquished. Money. Opportunity. 

I started reading Margaret Mitchell’s Gone with the Wind with a feeling of dread. This winner of the 1937 Pulitzer for the Novel is over a thousand pages of almost solid description and little dialogue; this is a long, long novel. On top of that were the expectations. It is considered one of America’s most beloved novels and was made into one of America’s most beloved movies. I had never even seen the movie. After over four weeks of nightly reading, I can say that this is also one of my favorite novels.

Briefly, the story begins with a sixteen-year old Scarlett, who is the oldest daughter of cotton plantation owners in Georgia. She teases her many male admirers but is in love with Ashley. Her first crisis is when he announces his engagement to Melanie, his cousin. Out of spite, Scarlett decides to marry Charles, Melanie’s brother. The only person who knows the truth is Rhett, who had earlier overheard Scarlett confess her love for Ashley. Thus, the die is cast for the rest of the novel. After the death of Charles, Melanie becomes Scarlett’s closest ally. Scarlett and Rhett bicker through most of the novel. Scarlett continues to pine for Ashley. All their lives are shaped by the Civil War and the subsequent Reconstruction. The story ends when Scarlett is twenty-eight.

Scarlett is a fascinating character. Sometimes I loathed her; sometimes I loved her. I often admired her. At times I felt sorry for her. She is a character that many women have used as a role-model.

I admire Margaret Mitchell’s writing. The plotline has a succession of dramatic rises and falls, keeping the reader’s interest, and ends in a final resolution. I suppose a modern editor might have suggested breaking the novel down into smaller books. The major characters are complex. Mitchell shows multiple sides of their personalities as the plot progresses.

For me, one of the first rewards of reading Gone with the Wind was that I finally understood some of the allusions to it that I had seen in the popular media. A classic Carol Burnett skit shows Carol wearing a curtain with the rod still in it. Now I know the scene from Gone with the Wind that it comes from.

If you haven’t read Gone with the Wind, I would encourage you to do so. To make life easier, you can find an audio or digital version. The novel is a key part of the American literature.

Night Lamp (Science Fiction Novel)

Striving. Amnesia. Revenge. A Secret Past. Clam Muffins. 

Night Lamp, by Jack Vance, is a space opera, with a dusting of mystery and satire. According to Worlds Without End, the novel is listed in the book Science Fiction: The 101 Best Novels 1985–2010.

Briefly, two visiting scholars, a married couple, rescue Jaro, a six-year-old boy who is about to be beaten to death by a gang of boys. The doctors who treat Jaro discover that he has recently sustained an emotional trauma so severe that it threatens his life. Their treatment essentially erases his earlier memories. The couple adopts Jaro and takes him back to their home planet, where the culture is focused on social striving. Jaro dreams of becoming a spaceman so he can find out about his past. His well-meaning adopted parents try to keep it a secret from him until he finishes his education. When they are tragically killed, he is left to uncover the mystery for himself. Where did Jaro’s adopted parents find him? What happened in the first six years of his life? Who is the mysterious man in his memories? What is the voice in Jaro’s head?

Night Lamp was not my cup of tea. The characters were likeable enough. The plot was interesting enough and had a number of interesting twists. The world view was fresh. But, I never totally resonated with the novel. I never became fully involved in the plot and wasn’t always sure what was meant to be funny and what was meant to be serious. 

A Fistful of Collars (Mystery Novel)

A Cold Case. Murders. An Actor with a Secret. A Police Officer with Ulterior Motives. Various Dogs and One Cat.

I am always delighted by a new Chet and Bernie book. A Fistful of Collars, by Spencer Quinn (Peter Abrahams), is the fifth installment in the series. The novel is warm, funny, and a good who-done-it. All my favorite characters, including Iggy the dog, are back, but even a canine-appreciating newbie to the series could enjoy the novel.

Briefly, after deciding the town should get into the movie business, the mayor’s office hires Bernie and Chet to make sure an actor does not get into trouble. Since Bernie and the mayor have an unpleasant history, Bernie suspects something isn’t quite right. Soon Bernie discovers a dead body that might have to do with the actor’s past. While sleuthing, Bernie uncovers an unsolved murder from the past. When one of his sources, one of Chet’s favorite dog treat givers, ends up dead, the case turns personal.

What is not to love? The story kept me guessing to the end. The dog-centered narrative made me laugh. I found Bernie and Chet likeable and tender. Bring on novel number six!

Darker than You Think (Classic Fantasy Novel)

A Box. A Cat. Dogs. Wolves. Genetics. Silver. Dreams. Psychoanalysis.

I can almost see the fog roll out of the pages of Darker than You Think by Jack Williamson. Originally published in 1948, it is vintage horror, combining fantasy, mystery, and just enough science to make it credible. The age of the novel adds to the enjoyment, making it easier for the reader to imagine eerie scenes.

Briefly, Will Barbee is a reporter, who was once a student of the anthropologist Dr. Mondrick. In the opening scene, Barbee is at an airport, waiting for Mondrick’s plane to touch down. There Barbee meets another reporter, a mysterious red head named April Bell. After Mondrick's plane lands, he begins to announce a startling discovery that will change the world — the contents of a mysterious box are his proof — but, he collapses and dies before he can complete the announcement. His colleagues whisk the box away and risk their lives protecting it. Barbee suspects that April is responsible for Mondrick’s death, but he feels more fascination than fear toward her. Soon, he begins to have strange dreams in which he is transformed and is accompanied by a white, female wolf. When some of the details of the dreams are confirmed in his waking life, he searches for the truth. What is inside the mysterious box, and what does it have to do with him? 

I am not a fan of horror, but I thoroughly enjoyed Darker than You Think. It is fast paced, has interesting characters, and, although I suspected what would happen in the end, kept me guessing. I also have a tremendous respect for Williamson, who helped blaze a trail for modern horror writers.

Mission of Gravity (Classic Science Fiction Novel)

Experiencing Gravity. Flying. Exploring. Throwing. Trading. Overcoming Physical Obstacles. Strategizing. Communicating. Retrieving Something Valuable. 

Imagine a world where an intelligent species does not have words for such concepts as “flying” or “throwing.” In 1953 Hal Clement gave us the classic science fiction story Mission of Gravity, set in a world with intense gravity. Clement’s ability to create a convincing world is what makes this a classic. Never mind that in later years some of the scientific details would be disproved. According to Worlds Without End, the novel is on at least six major science fiction lists.

Briefly, Mission of Gravity takes place on Mesklin, a world shaped like a flattened sphere. The gravity at the equator is a number of times stronger than Earth and at the poles hundreds of times stronger. The Mesklinites, who look similar to large caterpillars, are an intelligent species. One of them, Barlennan, forms a relationship with Lackland, a human exploring the planet. When a rocket containing valuable scientific information is lost in a high gravity region, Lackland must enlist the help of Barlennan and his group to retrieve the information. As the gravity grows stronger, Lackland must part company with the group and help via radio (television?) contact. We soon learn that cute Barlennan is actually a shrewd trader and strategist.

Once again, I am reminded that current generations of science fiction authors stand on the shoulders of earlier generations. Mission of Gravity has good world-building and a relatively interesting plot. The novel represents major progress from standard 1950’s science fiction. By modern-day standards, this book might be considered quaint and, at points, a bit overly focused on mechanical details. At a few points, the humans, who are watching from space, take out their slide-rulers to make calculations. This novel is well worth reading.

The Time Keeper (SF/Fantasy Novel)

A long time. Right on time. Out of time. Mind the time. Be on time. Spare time. Keep time. Stall for time.
There are as many expressions with “time” as there are minutes in a day.
But once, there was no word for it all. Because no one was counting.
Then Dor began.
And everything changed.

The Time Keeper by Mitch Albom is part modern day novel, part fantasy, and a bit science fiction. This short novel touches our hearts and encourages us to examine our beliefs about time. The novel has hints of It’s a Wonderful Life and A Christmas Carol. The plot spans from a past six thousand years ago to a future where the cryogenically preserved learn their fate.

Briefly, The Time Keeper has three interweaving storylines. Dor, who lived at the time of the Tower of Babel, is fascinated by counting. He inadvertently invents time keeping. As his wife is dying of the plague, he asks the gods to stop time. His wish leads to him being banished to a cave for six thousand years. Ultimately, he must complete one last task, to teach two strangers what he has learned about time. Victor is the fourteenth richest man in the world, and he is dying of cancer. Trying to control his death as he controlled his life, Victor decides to have himself cryogenically preserved until there is a cure for his illness. Sarah is a smart but not so popular teenager. She becomes infatuated with a fellow teenage volunteer at a homeless shelter. Her crush leads her to despair.

I finished The Time Keeper early Sunday morning, a time when I normally read spiritual books. This seemed appropriate. Not only is The Time Keeper a good story, but it is also a story about values, the meaning of our lives, and our connection with something beyond us. It is a story I expect to ponder for a long time.