Timescape

mass market paperback, 499 pages

English language

Published Nov. 13, 1992 by Bantam Books.

ISBN:
978-0-553-29709-6
Copied ISBN!

View on OpenLibrary

3 stars (2 reviews)

9 editions

Review of 'Timescape' on 'Goodreads'

2 stars

Three of the last ten books I read have delved into 1962 and 1963, and of them this was the worst.

Gregory Benford has a solid science background, and creates a plausible story of what if. In this novel, a message is sent back through time in an attempt to improve the (then futuristic) world of 1998, which is suffering a massive environmental collapse. The scientists debate paradox, saying it would stop their progress, but ultimately ignore the idea. Unfortunately, the authors ideas on paradox and the many-worlds interpretation come out quite muddled. Chaos theory and the butterfly effect, in vogue as this was written, do not make an appearance.

Worse than the time speculations are the characters, who are universally unlikable. These were co-written with Benford's sister-in-law. It is said each covered their own time period, and I can say that the descriptions of Cambridge and La Jolla are …

Subjects

  • Fantasy
  • Science Fiction
  • Science Fiction - General
  • Fiction / Science Fiction / General
  • Fiction - Science Fiction

Lists