Take the road less time traveled.
I’m genuinely not sure anymore how T is for Time Travel by Stanlei Bellan came to be in my Kindle library. I have a feeling it was offered through Voracious Readers at some point leading up to or around publication time because I wasn’t swamped with blog tour reviews yet at that time and was still making well-intentioned selections from services like that. However it ended up in my collection, I’ve finally managed to read it! My thoughts are my own and my review is honest.
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About the Book
T Is for Time Travel
by Stanlei Bellan
Published 18 March 2021
Imagilore Publishing
Genre: Science Fiction Anthology, Time Travel
Page Count: 132
Add it to your Goodreads TBR!
Take the road less time traveled.
In this collection of ten stories, author Stanlei Bellan takes you on a rollicking journey through the timestream.
* Discover a lamp on the beach holding a genie that can grant you three…trips?
* Meet a veteran soldier assisting a mad scientist who is convinced he’s created the first time machine; a harmless delusion – until it works.
* Watch a 19th century lighthouse keeper find out what she’s willing to fight for, and then find a whole new world of trouble.
* Explore the dangers of time looping aboard a spaceship with an ensign who is stuck between duty and his conscience. Would you make the same choices?
T Is for Time Travel is a fun and fast-paced collection of timely short stories that will introduce you to characters you’ll love, thrilling adventures, and thought-provoking scenarios – with plenty of laughs along the way.
Are you ready to jump in – whenever it may take you?
Amazon US | Amazon CA | Amazon UK
My Review
My Rating: 4 Stars
Consider liking my review on Goodreads
I’m not sure if I knew that this was an anthology when I originally acquired the book, but when I picked it up tonight I certainly didn’t remember that fact, and I temporarily thought I was getting into some sort of slipstream plotline where the characters from the first and second stories would eventually end up in the same timeline. Then a third started and I realized what was happening. Oops!
Watch: I really liked the way this was set up with the insincere command from a stranger that unleashed the plot when the lighthouse keeper’s daughter refused to leave the lighthouse dark that night at the stranger’s orders. If I had to pick one story in this collection to become a full length novel, or get a sequel, it would be this one.
Explore: Yes, to respond to the author’s comments at the end of the collection, I did catch the Trek reference! 5 stars to this story in particular, which it genuinely deserves, but even if only to give a nod to excellent taste.
Discover: While the collection overall is great, not every story is a 4 or 5 out of 5, and this one left me feeling a little underwhelmed. I love the idea of djinn having a head office making the rules and being limited to “trips” instead of broader wishes because of how specific the wishes need to be, but then we went all no-stakes Time Traveller’s Wife with it. (Note, I did elaborate under a spoiler tag on Goodreads, check the link!)
Overall this is a thought-provoking collection of stories tied together by the theme of time travel. It’s a nice mix of totally unique plots and nods to familiar stories, and each one is packaged in a nice bite-sized/break-time short story.
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