The Accidental Time Machine
By: Joe Haldeman
Ace Books 2007
The Accidental Time Machine is a story unlike most time travel stories. It’s not about going back in time to see your parents meet, or going into the future to see what your life will be like in 35 years, it’s not even about seeing the earth as a futuristic society. Matt Fuller is a research assistant at MIT. When one day, while working with a proton calibrator that measures subtle quantum forces that relate to time changes in gravity and electromagnetic force, the calibrator disappears then reappears a second later. Every time he pushes its button, it disappears twelve times longer than the previous time. After examining it Matt is convinced that what he has discovered is a time machine. After testing it with a pet store turtle that he affectionately calls Herman, Matt realizes that he has to try it for himself.
I like that the time machine itself wasn’t a thing to actually stand in or ride in. The time machine is just a small box that, when connected to something metal, can carry with it anything that is touching it. That gave such a fresh perspective on the traditional model for a time machine. Haldeman doesn’t let the story get too bogged down in technical jargon, and the story starts right from the first page. However I did have a feeling that I wanted to know more about how the time machine works, and what makes time travel possible, but I don’t think that is really the point of the story. This novel is more about a man trying to figure out what he has discovered and its possibilities. Matt takes the journey of his life, and the different societies that he visits are completely different than anything I have see in other time travel stories, and he offers some interesting insights into how it is possible for societies to evolve over time. However there was a bit of reoccurring stuff about Jesus that I didn’t quite understand. Nothing in this story is what you expect it to be and I found it to be thought provoking and, despite its subject, a nice light read.
Story ***
Characters ***
Readability ****
Overall rating ***
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ReplyDeleteI love the way you mix up stories instead of sticking to one genre. Not that it doesn't happen on occasion that I haven't read a few of the same genre in a row, it just happens that way. Great blog, thanks for letting me know about it. Also "The Accidental Time Machine" is one that I've been wondering about, I really like your review and will move it up my list. If you haven't already, I invite you to come visit my at R&B: Read and Blog
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