Time Travel discussion

The Psychology of Time Travel


In 1967, four female scientists worked together to build the world’s first time machine. But just as they are about to debut their creation, one of them suffers a breakdown, putting the whole project—and future of time travel—in jeopardy. To protect their invention, one member is exiled from the team—erasing her contributions from history.

Fifty years later, time travel is a big business. Twenty-something Ruby Rebello knows her beloved grandmother, Granny Bee, was one of the pioneers, though no one will tell her more. But when Bee receives a mysterious newspaper clipping from the future reporting the murder of an unidentified woman, Ruby becomes obsessed: could it be Bee? Who would want her dead? And most importantly of all: can her murder be stopped?

Traversing the decades and told from alternating perspectives, The Psychology of Time Travel introduces a fabulous new voice in fiction and a new must-read for fans of speculative fiction and women’s fiction alike.

Discussion opens October 1. Remember to try and post spoilers behind spoiler tags since every one joins n at different times.

My local library has finally able to join a consortium, so I have more books avl. to me... including this one! Requested!

Cheryl wrote: "My local library has finally able to join a consortium, so I have more books avl. to me... including this one! Requested!"

Nice!

I'm about 1/4 in and enjoying it quite a bit. But there's still too much jumping around to make it easy to keep track of what's going on. Not only are there the different eras, of course, but there are lots of characters. And it's a mystery, so keeping track matters!

One thing that's very interesting, and very uncommon in TT stories, is that the characters can interact with each other at different ages, and learn about the event of the future and make decisions in the present based on that information.

What does not seem to be discussed (at least yet) is why the whole world isn't tearing itself apart over this invention. The inventors travel, and some folks (including the military) pay them to travel, and it's all very organized and tidy. Hmm....

Cheryl wrote: "I'm about 1/4 in and enjoying it quite a bit. But there's still too much jumping around to make it easy to keep track of what's going on. Not only are there the different eras, of course, but there..."


This sounds good! I am behind and will catch up soon Nd start reading this.

Whew, the library had one copy left on overdrive so I borrowed it.

Done. It really is mostly a mystery, and so I rec. you-all do take notes if you're as inexperienced w/ mysteries as I am. There's also the 'general fiction' element, with all those women and all their lives, which could be interesting as is certainly original.

But yet again I don't see the SF that I crave. I want to know if the future can be changed and they just don't, or what. And why the gov'ts aren't involved. And was Barbara really crazy or not. Etc. etc.

Steven, you voted for this, what's your take?

(I'm in the middle of Way Station for Sept., and am enjoying that a lot more.)

I am only at 35%

I thought the conclave was made up with some government people involved. I will go check….

Twice the military is mentioned. The first time is around page 6 when we are told the military started funding human trials.

Then again when the conclave is first mentioned…. “The second group of time travelers used the machines as a means to an end. This group included the spies and military personnel who gathered intelligence from different time periods to inform strategic decisions.”

I think military implies government. But they just seem to be users of the time travel machine and not controlling it.

I would think that some users are trying to change the future (ok, the military) by seeing what happens in the future and then trying to form strategies probably to win wars or change political outcomes etc. But I see what you mean because we aren’t really told if they can make changes having advanced information.

I enjoyed this book overall. It was less sci fi and more mystery. I didn't mind since this is the time of year I read a lot of cozy murder mysteries.