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Biased and superficial Science Fiction reviews

           
     
Time Future

Copyright 1999 by Maxine McArthur

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SOJALS rating:     
one SOJALS point one SOJALS point no SOJALS point no SOJALS point no SOJALS point    Mediocre (2/5)

I first read this in July 2001.

Earth is a new and very junior members of the Confederacy of Allied Worlds. The four senior members of the Confederacy are the only ones who know the secret of faster-than-light travel, and they intend to keep it that way.

As a token, Earth has been given charge of a rather out-of-the-way space station named Jocasta, orbiting the inner world of the Abelar system, Given its location and rather dubious history, business hasn't been exactly great.

However, Commander Halley is dedicated to making this station successful, and things are slowly turning round.

But now the station has been blockaded by alien spacecraft, there's no sign of the Confederacy mounting any kind of rescue and an alien resident has been brutally murdered. To cap it all, an old earth spacecraft has been detected close by, light-years from where it should have been and fifty years late.

It's a bit of a detective mystery, and a few too many things happen that aren't essential to the plot, so rather longer than ideal, but it's a remarkably good first novel. Our tired, sick and aging heroine is convincing, we empathise with the stresses wearing her down.

What's it got? action, aliens and artificial intelligence.

Loaded on the 28th July 2001.
    
Cover of Time Future
Cover art by Jim Burns, Don Pucjey and Jesse Sanchez



Reviews of other works with covers by Jim Burns:
Infinity's Shore
Heaven's Reach
Kiln People
Emergence
The Joy Makers
To Hold Infinity
Paradox
Red Dust
The Naked God
Judas Unchained
Bios
Ancient Shores

Reviews of other works with covers by Jim Burns and Don Puckey:
Fallen Dragon

Reviews of other works with covers by Jim Burns, Don Puckey and Carol Russo:
The Neutronium Alchemist - Conflict
The Neutronium Alchemist - Consolidation