Someone in Time: Tales of Time-Crossed Romance - Edited by Jonathan Strahan

-

Editor: Jonathan Strahan

Genre: Anthology, Time Travel, Science Fiction, Romance
Rating: 3.65 stars.

An interesting anthology of short stories having two themes in common – time travel and romance.

The collection features sixteen stories, fourteen original to this book and two that are long-standing favourites of the editor. The stories are of various lengths and moods. While all the stories stay true to the spirit of time travel, only a few are more oriented towards the romance factor. This affected my enjoyment of some of the stories because they worked wonderfully as Sci-fi but not as Sci-fi romance. I relished the ones that did justice to both the themes fairly, even if not in equal amounts.

Most of the stories have quality content and quite imaginative writing. A few of the authors left me awed at their creative faculty. A couple of the stories were written in the modern style of not using quotation marks for spoken dialogues. I don't enjoy reading this kind of writing, so these stories weren’t among my favourites. Plus points for having stories that were diverse and had LGBTQ representation.

The introduction by editor Jonathan Strahan elaborates wonderfully on the use of time travel as a narrative device in stories. Make sure you begin with this intro before diving into the stories.

Of the sixteen tales in the book, these seven were my utmost favourites and they reached or crossed the four star mark. Most of the rest of the stories were clustered around the 3 star mark, and mainly because I wasn’t satisfied with the treatment of the ‘romance’ theme in them.


Roadside Attraction - Alix E. Harrow - 🌟🌟🌟🌟💫
What becomes of the broken-hearted when they find a time-travel stone? Do they go back to rectify matters with their ex or do they search for a new direction in life? Enjoyed this sweet tale.

First Aid - Seanan McGuire - 🌟🌟🌟🌟
This is the story that made me look at time travel in a very realistic and practical manner. I didn’t like the romance element in this tale, otherwise it would have been a straight 5 star.

I Remember Satellites - Sarah Gailey - 🌟🌟🌟🌟
What happens when you are the chosen one for an assignment that forces you to bid adieu to all you know and love in order to do your duty? Loved the feelings in this one.

The Golden Hour – Jeffrey Ford - 🌟🌟🌟🌟
A very unusual tale of love across time. Had a few loopholes in logic, but I still liked it for balancing both the main themes of the anthology well.

Unbashed - Sam Miller - 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Such a poignant tale! The writing style made it a bit tricky to read but I loved the overall story.

Romance: Historical - Rowan Coleman - 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Think of the best romances and the best time travel tales. Bring the best features of these in a story. This is the result. Loved every single bit about it. (Would have gladly give it ten stars if I could.)

Time Gypsy - Ellen Klages - 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
This was written in 1999 but feels as fresh as the rest of the collection. An innovative and intriguing plotline that will keep you hooked from start to end.


3.65 stars based on the average of my ratings for all the stories. I feel that if you read this book as a collection of time travel stories, you will enjoy it a lot better than if you pick it up wanting a combination of time travel and romance. Recommended to time-travel lovers.

My thanks to Rebellion and NetGalley for the DRC of “Someone in Time: Tales of Time-Crossed Romance”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

Comments

Post a Comment

Explore more posts from this blog:

Takeout Sushi - Christopher Green - ★★★★

-
Image
  AUTHOR: Christopher Green GENRE: Contemporary Short Story Collection, Japanese Fiction. PUBLICATION DATE:  May 2, 2024 RATING: 3.9  stars. In a Nutshell: An interesting collection of stories, with most of them set in Japan. Loved the writing style and enjoyed the diverse emotions. Much recommended! This story collection has, as the title suggests, a strong Japanese flavour. So let me begin by confessing that I am not a fan of Japanese literature. Most Japanese fiction that I tried hasn’t suited my reading tastes, so I generally keep away from this genre. The reason I picked this collection up is... No, no, the sushi had no role to play in my decision; I can’t stand even the thought of sushi! The reason I wanted to read this is that the author is NOT a Japanese! 😁 I know this sounds quite silly to declare, but had the author been Japanese, I would have resisted opting for this. But by virtue of his being an “outsider”, I thought it was a great opportunity to get a look at Japan witho
Read More»

Big Bad Wolf Investigates Fairy Tales - Catherine Cawthorne - ★★★★★

-
Image
AUTHOR: Catherine Cawthorne ILLUSTRATOR: Sara Ogilvie GENRE: Children's Nonfiction PUBLICATION DATE: April 25, 2024 RATING: 5 sparkly, scientifically accurate stars. In a Nutshell: This book and I were a match made in book heaven! Loved the approach that combines humour and logic to debunk the sillier elements of some fairy tales. Strongly recommended! I enjoy fairy tales. I love scientific thinking. I adore logic. I relish humour. Seeing all four of these together in a single work was almost a “bookgasmic” moment for me! 😆 Had the book not delivered on any of these factors, I might still have been happy reading it. But the content not only reaches but also surpasses the promise made by the title and cover. All of us know that there are several logically impossible elements in fairy tales. In childhood, we might have oohed and awwwed at the stories without overthinking the practicalities. In adulthood, we might have cringed at the gender bias, wealth bias, and the lack of conse
Read More»

The Great Divide - Cristina Henríquez - ★★★★.¼

-
Image
AUTHOR: Cristina Henríquez GENRE: Historical Literary Fiction PUBLICATION DATE: March 5, 2024 RATING: 4.25 stars. In a Nutshell: A literary fiction focussed on Panama during the time of the construction of the Panama Canal. Note that this isn’t a book directly about the canal or its construction, but about the people connected to the canal in some way or the other during that period. A great book if you go in with the right expectations and enjoy character-oriented fiction. Plot Preview: 1907, Panama. Francisco, a Panamanian fisherman, hates the commercialisation of his country under the foreigners, and hence resents his son Omar’s joining the canal construction crew. Omar, however, wants to learn and earn more than his little village can offer him. Sixteen-year-old Ada has heard about Panama having many jobs. She has stowed away to Panama, hoping to get some work and earn enough for her ailing sister’s surgery back in Barbados. Her mother Lucille, a tailor, doesn’t yet know of her ru
Read More»

Making Up the Gods - Marion Agnew - ★★★★.¼

-
Image
AUTHOR: Marion Agnew GENRE: Contemporary Fiction PUBLICATION DATE: October 15, 2023 RATING: 4.25 stars. In a Nutshell: An indie drama with some quirky characters and a great setting in Lake Superior, Canada. Mellow in tone, genuine in content, thought-provoking in themes. I enjoyed this unusual novel. Plot Preview: Simone, almost 70, is a retired widow who lives an isolated life in her cottage on the banks of Lake Superior and still misses her husband, though he’s been dead for five years. While she is now active in her local church and finds solace in baking for those grieving, she is fiercely protective of her privacy. But when the local reverend asks her to take care of nine-year-old Chen while his widowed mother goes on a much-needed trip, Simone finds it tough to refuse a fellow-mourning widow. Just before Chen arrives, a stranger named Martin knocks at Simone’s door, claiming to be her cousin. Simone is suddenly handling two strangers at once, and she worries that they will dis
Read More»

Red Runs the Witch's Thread - Victoria Williamson - ★★★★

-
Image
  AUTHOR: Victoria Williamson GENRE: Historical Fiction, Horror. RATING:  4 stars. In a Nutshell: A psychological horror inspired by the last witch burning in Scotland in 1697. A disturbing yet compelling read. I wanted more closure at the end for my own peace of mind, but other than that, this was a satisfying book. Recommended! Plot Preview: 1722. Paisley, Scotland. Thirty-seven-year-old widow Christian Shaw is obsessed with perfecting her thread bleaching process. She wants to make the thread the purest white, so it can sell better and restore their family fortunes. In the absence of any male family members, it is up to her as the eldest daughter to ensure the security of their house, her mother and two younger sisters, and her late father’s social position as the laird (landowner.)  However, Christian’s mind is troubled. With the 25th anniversary of the witch burnings of 1697 approaching, Christian’s thoughts go frequently to the past, and to the role she played in the burning of s
Read More»