Gregory BenfordTimescapeMonika says:
In the year 1998 pollution is threatening life on Earth. Unstoppable algae in the oceans release harmful substances into the air that poison humans. A team of scientists led by physicist Gregory Markham makes a sensational discovery: using tachyon technology they can send a message back in time to warn the people of 1963 about the looming environmental catastrophe. In 1963 nobody thinks about the disastrous consequences of progress in the chemical industry. Experiments with recently discovered tachyons are not taken seriously when these messages appear that no-one understands. Where do they come from? Who sent them? Could they be just a kind of background noise? In 1998 scientists discuss the possibility that any attempt to change the past may cause a time paradoxon. What would be the consequences if the messages were actually received and understood? In 1980 Gregory Benford received the Nebula Award for his novel TIMESCAPE, one of the most prestigious science fiction awards. The book has a lot to offer, not only for pronounced fans of the genre. The scientific background is depicted in a plausible way and the characters are believable. Unlike in other "hard science fiction" I’ve read so far character developement is very important in this book. The reader accompanies the people in both timelines for a year and participates in their daily lives with all their worries and joys. Physics is important, but not as much in the foreground as you might expect. The story alternates between the two timelines that of course come together at the end of the novel. There’s a thread running through both planes with the loose ends neatly tied up as the story comes to an end. My edition has an epilog by Susan Stone-Blackburn explaining the physics at the base of the book. Don’t skip that, it’s very helpful for a deeper understanding of the book. TIMESCAPE is a good read for people who are interested in other things than space battles and strange worlds. A very "down to earth" science fiction novel. Bantam Books, New York, 1992
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Last changes: 27/04/03 Copyright 2000 Christina Gross & Monika Hübner |
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