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A review by lordofthemoon
There Will Be Time by Poul Anderson
4.0
Jack Havig is a most unusual man. He is a man who can travel through time, without any artificial aid. At first content to just satisfy his own curiosity, he eventually discovers a great threat to Earth's future and must band together with others of his kind to save the future of civilisation.
I enjoyed this book quite a lot. The rules of time travel are quite well defined and the author uses them effectively, for example the fact that anything touching the traveller will go with him, but he can only "lift" so much with him through time, so a piece of wire attached to a wall and looped around his ankle is enough to stop him time travelling.
The story is told through a third party, Jack's family doctor and childhood friend to whom Jack returns every so often to relate the next part of his adventures, and the old sawbones is a likeable narrator and doctor of the Bones McCoy variety.
Jack's emotional trauma in Constantinople is believable and well-related, making him a very human hero. His relationship with the Eyrie is interesting and the story keeps you guessing where it's going all the way through.
A fun story of time travel, with some meat on the bones and decent characterisation.
I enjoyed this book quite a lot. The rules of time travel are quite well defined and the author uses them effectively, for example the fact that anything touching the traveller will go with him, but he can only "lift" so much with him through time, so a piece of wire attached to a wall and looped around his ankle is enough to stop him time travelling.
The story is told through a third party, Jack's family doctor and childhood friend to whom Jack returns every so often to relate the next part of his adventures, and the old sawbones is a likeable narrator and doctor of the Bones McCoy variety.
Jack's emotional trauma in Constantinople is believable and well-related, making him a very human hero. His relationship with the Eyrie is interesting and the story keeps you guessing where it's going all the way through.
A fun story of time travel, with some meat on the bones and decent characterisation.