Review of A Matter of Time

[Goodness Richman]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "A Matter of Time" by Karen S Meyer.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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A Matter of Time by Karen S. Meyer follows Marietta Hensley, a forensic genealogist and scientist who developed a time machine in collaboration with her team at UC Berkeley. They masqueraded as a department in the university, but their program operates fifteen stories underground of the university. The time-travel program recruits agents from different times to carry out their purposes. One of the purposes entails saving key persons from death whose generation will positively affect mankind. Another entails inspiring key persons to venture into their dreams or lines of destiny and, in the end, inventing what would positively affect mankind. The core goal is to alter past events for the good of mankind. These agents are bound by some rules, the first of which is not divulging information about time travel.

Marietta attends certain missions along the storyline, from rescuing a rogue agent to inspiring a young boy who was at odds with his dad even in his dad's sick bed, to making the last letter of the wife of a captain at the Titanic get to him, to saving a boy whose one of his grandsons will birth a girl who'll help in the invention of an antibiotic. However, one of these alterations led to the birth of a terrorist whose actions claimed the lives of many. Albert, one of Marietta's partners, discloses his indifference to partaking in the missions of the program to Marietta after this discovery, owing to the fact that such scenarios can't be precisely avoided. Concurrently, industrial espionage is playing in the background; a hired spy gets into a spare time machine through a weak link, an individual in the program. Another organization wants possession of the time machine and is determined to get it.

I like many aspects of this book. It's delightful reading about this concept of time travel. Personally, I've queried its possibility, and if at least it's possible, I don't think the expanse of the culminating effects is calculable. So, I've had my thoughts, and it's very nice interfacing with a book about the concept. I appreciate the general description of events; it created a vivid, palpable environment to follow the storyline. I fell in love with the author's description of the conversation tone in different “times.” Like the old English conversation tone, I could hear the tone just by reading it. Also, the setting, the dressing, and the behavior of the characters at each time were just so fitting; the entire scenery was delicately plotted, a pointer to the author's knowledge of such.

The events discussed are also relevant events in history, pointing towards the author's sharp knowledge of history to deliver the storyline, like the story in the Titanic, particularly about the wife who couldn't give her husband, Captain Smith, the letter she wrote, and the ferry disaster, when an explosion on a Mississippi River ferry carrying many Northern prisoner-of-war veterans returning home the day after the Civil War was declared over. I appreciate the technological aspect of the narrative; it was very appealing to me. Aside from this, into the ethical aspect of the concept of time traveling. The book offers a sneak peek at what it might be like if such a reality existed. One is that free will (“free agency,” as the book calls it) will be eroded because its consequences are being influenced by men who have knowledge of these consequences. Another thing is that the world will be thrown off balance. In a bid to acquire the time-traveling machine, so many terrors causing global imbalance shall be unleashed. I didn't notice many errors in this book, though I noticed a few. This suggests that the book was professionally edited.

I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars for the reasons I mentioned above. I recommend this book to fans of science fiction, as well as readers who particularly enjoy reading about time travel and its ethical consequences.

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A Matter of Time
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[NetMassimo]

Stories about time travel can be intriguing and this is a case, as the author explores the consequences of time travel offering food for thought concerning the ethic and moral ramifications, including what would happen to free will. Thank you for your great review!

[Louis Donald]

The concept of time travel in this story sounds fascinating, especially with its ethical dilemmas and historical events. I like how the author blends the science fiction with real history, making the storyline vivid and intriguing. It’s a book I’d consider reading, especially with its attention to detail and thought-provoking exploration of free will and consequences.

[Pearl Flourish]

The mix of time travel, history, and ethical dilemmas sounds fascinating. It really makes you think about whether altering the past for good is ever that simple.

[George Bastem]

Karen S. Meyer weaves a fascinating tale of time travel, blending history, science, and ethics. The vivid settings and well-researched events make it a captivating read, especially for fans of time travel and the moral dilemmas it might cause. The attention to detail really brings the concept to life.