Time Travel discussion

The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O.

When Melisande Stokes, an expert in linguistics and languages, accidently meets military intelligence operator Tristan Lyons in a hallway at Harvard University, it is the beginning of a chain of events that will alter their lives and human history itself. The young man from a shadowy government entity approaches Mel, a low-level faculty member, with an incredible offer. The only condition: she must sign a nondisclosure agreement in return for the rather large sum of money.

Tristan needs Mel to translate some very old documents, which, if authentic, are earth-shattering. They prove that magic actually existed and was practiced for centuries. But the arrival of the scientific revolution and the Age of Enlightenment weakened its power and endangered its practitioners. Magic stopped working altogether in 1851, at the time of the Great Exhibition at London’s Crystal Palace—the world’s fair celebrating the rise of industrial technology and commerce. Something about the modern world "jams" the "frequencies" used by magic, and it’s up to Tristan to find out why.

And so the Department of Diachronic Operations—D.O.D.O. —gets cracking on its real mission: to develop a device that can bring magic back, and send Diachronic Operatives back in time to keep it alive . . . and meddle with a little history at the same time. But while Tristan and his expanding operation master the science and build the technology, they overlook the mercurial—and treacherous—nature of the human heart.

Happy reading!

Who chose this?

Cheryl wrote: "Who chose this?"

Someone put it in the nominations thread and it was in the poll. I didn’t realize the length so hopefully that isn’t a problem and the people that voted come back to read it.

Oh, well, it's easy enough to see who nominated it and who voted for it. I guess I won't name names, but I do notice that the person who nominated did not actually vote for it. Sorry, but I'm feeling a bit discouraged because only three voted for it and I have absolutely no interest myself (and not just because of length). I do hope that y'all have a grand discussion!

On the flip side, I just found out that this book was selected and I have been wanting to read it ever since I first found out about it several months ago. It has been a while since this group picked a book that appealed to me. I started reading it this morning and, so far, I am enjoying it a lot. It's nice to have a serious sci-fi author writing a book about that wibbly-wobbly-timey-whimy type stuff.

Tom wrote: "On the flip side, I just found out that this book was selected and I have been wanting to read it ever since I first found out about it several months ago. It has been a while since this group pick..."

I thought I owned a copy but my shelf on GRs says I do not. So unless I for to mark that I owned it (I marked it both ways with The Peripheral and now have two copies!). So I need to go check my actual shelves and all the boxes that still have books in them before buying anything. LOL

I am glad you are enjoying it so far.

Tom wrote: "On the flip side, I just found out that this book was selected and I have been wanting to read it ever since I first found out about it several months ago. It has been a while since this group pick..."

Excellent! I hope you continue to enjoy it, and tell us more as you get further! :)

Is this the January/February 2023 book?

Lizz wrote: "Is this the January/February 2023 book?"

Yep!

I just picked it up from the library and am looking forward to a good read.

Picked it up today and enjoying it!

Definitely enjoying it. I really like the style.

I am going to be a little late to the party. Middle of January before I can start this.

I'm about two-thirds of the way through it and am really enjoying this. It has a light humor not unlike Connie Willis's To Say Nothing of the Dog. The mechanics of time travel used by D.O.D.O. is original, to say the least, blending quantum physics and good old-fashioned witchy spell casting. (I know. I rolled my eyes too when I first read about it.)
I'm listening to the recording available from Audible. The production is excellent. As the book is written in an epistolic format, one of the correspondents has a habit of inserting profanity, and then scratching it out and replacing it with a more professional term. In the audio, she does this by verbally scratching out the offending passage with a fft-fft sound. It gets a chuckle out of me every time.

I like that it’s funny! I am on a wait list at the library 🤞🏻

I finished it and really enjoyed it. I hope to read the sequel, Master of the Revels, sometime later this year.

Tom wrote: "I finished it and really enjoyed it. I hope to read the sequel, Master of the Revels, sometime later this year."

I didn’t realize there is a sequel. I hope to get the book on Monday. 🤞🏻

Rise and Fall was co-authored. The sequel was written without Stephenson, as far as I can tell. I didn't feel compelled for a sequel, but I'm interested in what folks thought of it

My feeling is that Galland wrote most of Rise and Fall with Stephenson chipping in quantum physics chapters and adding the prestige of his name.

That would make sense to me. Galland is a new author to me, and I'd only read a couple other Stephenson novels - this book is tonally different. I think she does a nice job bringing quirkiness and fun to the characters.

I am about 25% in and I'm enjoying my reading. (view spoiler)[The fact that they can only time travel to places where magic existed, pre-1850s, is clever. It keeps people from meddling in events in recent memory which have clear impact on the present. (hide spoiler)]

I don't feel the chemistry between Tristan and Melisande through their interactions, even though we keep being told that they're clearly attracted to each other. That's a weakness in the writing.

Still waiting for library. I’ve been first in line. Should be soon.

I am making my way through the book. I will probably finish tonight or tomorrow. I am enjoying it well enough. The characters seem a little wooden but I don't mind too much. I will most likely read the sequel as well. I do like a good cause and effect time travel novel.

I just realized I had voted for this book. I've been bogged down by other things but will eventually get to reading it!

I enjoyed the understated tension between Tristan and Melisande. It seemed a little “high school”, but it brought to mind Dave and Maddy from Moonlighting.

I finally got the book from the library! I will be starting this tonight.

Yeah!!

Has anyone read the Pendergast series ? The Cabinet of Dr Lengs (the latest installment) uses a lot of very similar scientific concepts.

I just started part two and they go to Washington DC….(view spoiler)[I am guessing that things have already changed in the past since they are going to The Trapezoid and the metro train stopped at Trapezoid City after Crystal City instead of the Pentagon and Pentagon City. (hide spoiler)]

Charles wrote: "Has anyone read the Pendergast series ? The Cabinet of Dr Lengs (the latest installment) uses a lot of very similar scientific concepts."

I've read or listened to many of them. I don't really see a similarity.

Nancy wrote: "I just started part two and they go to Washington DC….[spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[They have been referring to the military complex as the Trapezoid from the very beginning of the book. (hide spoiler)]

Tom wrote: "Nancy wrote: "I just started part two and they go to Washington DC….[spoilers removed]"

[spoilers removed]"

They didn’t use that word until Part 2 on page 163. That’s the part I was referring to.

(view spoiler)[At this meeting they mention the “magic gap” and think some countries have their own device etc and there are some anomalies to history. Would you know if events had changed? (hide spoiler)]

So far I am enjoying it. I like that Mel can be a little snarky.

I finished! I enjoyed it. I thought it was fun. I thought it was funny they had to use (view spoiler)[magic (hide spoiler)] to go back in time. I liked there was one of those loops.

I just put a hold on this one at my library. Estimated time is 2 weeks.

Glynn wrote: "I just put a hold on this one at my library. Estimated time is 2 weeks."

I hope you can get it sooner!

Nancy wrote: "Glynn wrote: "I just put a hold on this one at my library. Estimated time is 2 weeks."

I hope you can get it sooner!"

Got it. I didn't realize this was a big read. It will take me a while to get through. First 2 chapters were interesting...

I did not enjoy this book. I have read Neal Stephenson before and he is not my favorite author so I have no-one to blame but myself. I felt like the story could have been told in many fewer pages. I also did not enjoy that the majority of the story is told through journals, instant messages, etc. It doesn't lend itself to a fluid storyline. Oh well, I am glad I finally got to read a book with the group to see what others like.

Finished.
I enjoyed the story. I enjoyed the characters. They felt mostly real. The resolution was a bit quick, especially considering the length of the story. I came away feeling like this was the movie that would spawn a series (ala Stargate).
I never would have found this book, so I thank you all for the recommendation!

I am about 1/2 way thru and enjoying it so far. it is starting to get a little bogged down with all the "mission report" entries and PMs back and forth. I guess it's trying to exhibit the relationships between the characters , but it is starting to make the story drag.

Finally started reading this a couple of days ago and wasn't that thrilled so I put it aside but this morning I came back to it and it's gotten better so I might actually finish it. ;)

Suzi wrote: "I am about 1/2 way thru and enjoying it so far. it is starting to get a little bogged down with all the "mission report" entries and PMs back and forth. I guess it's trying to exhibit the relations..."

I agree. All the meeting notes and reports are hard to get through. I find myself skimming this stuff, something I don't usually do with a book. Contemplating abandoning this one.