What do you do when you reach the end of all times?
Colonel Preston Lost is a man of many talents. One of the youngest to achieve the rank of colonel, Lost found himself unable to return to civilian life after the war. He was a man born at the wrong time. Chivalry was dead, and there were no more crusades or mighty deeds to be done.
My Review:
The collection is a treat if you are into time travel or just looking for some great speculative fiction short stories. I’m going to limit myself and use only a couple of sentences to sum up my impression after reading each story, because if I don’t I can ramble on for days, making my own short story.
Santa Anna’s Gold – Michael introduces us to a man who is out of his time and out of his mind. The story has a rugged feel to it, as rugged as the Texas land where it takes place.
Corrections – Susan writes an intense thriller of a person who relives moments in convicted murderers’ lives. I faced this story like when I watched Poltergeist as a child; with my hands in front of my eyes, peeking around the edges. It creeped me out.
Hereafter – Samuel writes a beautiful story of love between a traveler and an unsuspecting lady. Fine literary fiction within a speculative backdrop.
The Swimming Pool of the Universe – Forget his comparison to Hemingway. Nick is a modern day PKD. Enough said.
Reentry Window – Eric’s ability to spin a yarn about space flight makes me think I’m reading an astronaut’s memoir, that’s how sure and precise his writing is.
The River – Jennifer weaves a complicated story of regret and redo.
A Word in Pompey’s Ear – Christopher gives us a lesson, not only of history, but of pride.
Rock or Shell – Ann takes us for a metaphysical ride on a mattress. Her story has an ethereal quality to it, as fleeting as the fog.
The Mirror – A haunting story of a man, a woman, a mirror, and a superstition. Irving writes the story predominantly in narrative, like it was pulled from a diary. It is compelling.
Reset – MeiLin gives us a story told not through the time traveler, but through her friend; a witness to the repercussions of reliving life. It’s a unique and interesting take on the typical time travel story.
The Laurasians – Isaac gives us a roller coaster, Jurassic Park-esque tale. The dinosaurs also win in this story.
The First Cut – Edward’s story is a glimpse of a future world, a disturbing occupation, and a good old whodunit.
The Dark Age – Jason weaves a tale of a family split by duty. It resonates with the pain of loss that transcends the story.
There are curse words spattered here and there, including one or two F-bombs. But the stories aren’t saturated in profanity. There’s also a couple of passing mentions of sex. Some violence, with one story (Corrections) having some particularly grotesque descriptions.
If you are shopping for entertaining, short, time-travel stories, then you definitely have to purchase this. Click that “BUY NOW” button now.
My Review:
By now I have read several Michael Bunker stories. So when I saw Futurity on sale, I jumped at the opportunity. I’m glad I did.
The story is about Malcolm, a college-age man with a burning curiosity to learn about time travel. He gets to meet a couple of professors who enlighten him on time travel. But what he discovers when he visits one of them will put in motion events beyond his imagination.
Michael tells the story first person, through Malcolm’s eyes. The narration has a journal entry feel, a conversational tone, to it. But this is fitting because the story begins with Malcolm interviewing professors, scribbling notes. Michael takes plenty of words to explain how time travel might be possible to the point you start thinking it is plausible. I guess that’s what good stories do for you.
As a Christian and a reader of sci-fi, I’ve developed thick skin when reading fiction. Many stories take concerted efforts to attack religion and Christianity, either directly or indirectly, which is fine, because (for whatever reason) the author felt it important. Michael takes the opposite approach, incorporating aspects of a Universal Creator in a fictional, entertaining story. It’s refreshing.
Even though I typically steer clear of time travel (time zones still confuse me), it seems like many stories I’ve read lately deal with it. In the case of Futurity, it was enjoyable.