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Timesplash #2
True Path
The biggest timesplash ever. An orgy of destruction. A new American revolution.
It’s 2066 and Sandra has kept a low profile for 16 years, working as a tech in a quiet British university, hoping her past would never catch up with her. But it has.
When Jay hears Sandra has been kidnapped, he drops everything and goes to the U.S. to find her. But Sandra’s kidnapper is not an ordinary criminal. He’s America’s most-wanted terrorist a man driven to to free his country from religious oppression at any cost. Sandra, still suffering from the fallout of earlier timesplashes, refuses to help create the biggest timesplash ever, which would unleash a wave of destruction that the rebels hope will kickstart a new American revolution.
When Cara, Sandra’s teenage daughter, is taken by one of the many factions on the ground in Washington D.C., Sandra’s resolve is shaken, and Jay is forced into a race against time to stop the deaths of millions or save Sandra and her daughter.
Sandra and Jay must ultimately decide between what is right for them and what is right for all in this thrilling continuation of the Timesplash series.
It’s 2066 and Sandra has kept a low profile for 16 years, working as a tech in a quiet British university, hoping her past would never catch up with her. But it has.
When Jay hears Sandra has been kidnapped, he drops everything and goes to the U.S. to find her. But Sandra’s kidnapper is not an ordinary criminal. He’s America’s most-wanted terrorist a man driven to to free his country from religious oppression at any cost. Sandra, still suffering from the fallout of earlier timesplashes, refuses to help create the biggest timesplash ever, which would unleash a wave of destruction that the rebels hope will kickstart a new American revolution.
When Cara, Sandra’s teenage daughter, is taken by one of the many factions on the ground in Washington D.C., Sandra’s resolve is shaken, and Jay is forced into a race against time to stop the deaths of millions or save Sandra and her daughter.
Sandra and Jay must ultimately decide between what is right for them and what is right for all in this thrilling continuation of the Timesplash series.
415 pages, ebook
First published July 1, 2013
1 person is currently reading
26 people want to read
About the author
Graham Storrs
51 books54 followersGraham Storrs lives on a mountaintop in rural Australia with his wife, an Airedale terrier and a Tonkinese cat. He writes science fiction - exploring how science and technology might change our lives and how we might react to it.
He has published children's science books as well as other non-fiction work but, in the past few years, has focused on fiction. His previous novel, Heaven is a Place on Earth, explores the deceptions allowed in a world dominated by augmented and virtual realities. His new novel, Cargo Cult, is a sci-fi comedy adventure.
His début novel, Timesplash, a sci-fi thriller, and its Aurealis Award shortlisted sequel, True Path are published by Pan Macmillan/Momentum.
He has published children's science books as well as other non-fiction work but, in the past few years, has focused on fiction. His previous novel, Heaven is a Place on Earth, explores the deceptions allowed in a world dominated by augmented and virtual realities. His new novel, Cargo Cult, is a sci-fi comedy adventure.
His début novel, Timesplash, a sci-fi thriller, and its Aurealis Award shortlisted sequel, True Path are published by Pan Macmillan/Momentum.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
July 1, 2013
“There had been good times, innocent times ... Well, maybe not good, or innocent, but better than this.”
Superbly written, we are plunged headlong into a jump from the opening pages. I loved the disparity here, the old tech, scrounged parts and dodgy suits cobbled together by desperate people. A world away from splashparties, from those screaming, adoring crowds, the fun and the highs and the music and lights that added a buzz to the trip and made it fun and wild. We’re left instead with the danger, the fanaticism and hopelessness and the splashing for a cause, rather than a thrill.
This isn’t exactly new, of course, the parties were dying down before this novel begins. But seeing the technology used still, to do a similar thing for a different reason is a very powerful opener, and firmly propels us back into the future where splashback is a very real threat.
“I am a representative of the European Union and I insist on being treated with appropriate respect.” Which Jay thought sounded a lot better than, “I’m just a police officer of no particular status who got sent here against his will and who would very much like to be somewhere else before the Apocalypse starts.”
One thing Storrs does superbly is fling us around emotionally. We have this great charged atmosphere with the splash in the opening chapter. We’re learning about what Sandra’s doing at the start of chapter 3 when everything goes mad and before we’re told anything else, we’re back in the calm of jay’s office and his own departmental troubles. “Show, don’t tell” is something you often hear bandied about, and this is incredibly well managed too. Cara is introduced rather breathtakingly, and as the story unfolds her background comes up, usually in passing thoughts, which serve to solidify and cement our understanding of her upbringing and background. It’s very neatly done because, even though we follow her and jay for half the story, we’re still getting this great influx of information about Sandra: how she’s been living, thinking, feeling. It comes through almost by osmosis, feeling incidental to the story and yet enriches everything else too.
“I thought you were the Feds,” Sandra said. “What, and you always shoot policemen on sight? I thought you’d got over that.”
There’s also plenty of these little amusing nuggets, especially when Jay and Sandra get together. They break the tension, but also bring home the Humanity of the players, reminding us that there are things worth fighting for amongst the danger and terror of massive destruction. It also gives you a sense of achievement, the fact that these characters have been coming to a point of convergence all the way through the book and are now together. The build-up, weaving in and out of their stories, ramps up the tension and when it all meshes and our heroes are trying to make their escape, the barbs and jibes and attitude all serve to clue us into the fact that, although Sandra and jay work well together, there’s also a lot of history there, and much that has been left unsaid.
What else? I love Storrs’ realism. The way in which Cara thinks about her mum “doing too many drugs in the ’Forties”, that sort of little detail locks you into her place and time and really convinces you that it’s really her history, although it is of course our future. The technology is great; time travel is of course a big one, but even using the body’s natural electromagnetic field for commplant communication is pretty cool and just thrown in there as if it’s nothing.
And finally, because I’m running out of steam, I just want to comment on the fact that things feel so ... so real. Vividly and believably real. Jay and Sandra’s relationship in the final chapter is positively scary, because it’s so utterly Human and so very, very complicated and powerful and confusing. There’s been so much between them and they’ve got their own lives to lead now, but there’s still this great connection. There’s history. There’s Cara. A happy ending? There’s always a string attached. Not everyone can have everything they want, and it is this that makes the climax of this novel stand out.
If you have yet to read Timesplash, you’re missing out big time. Both books are reasonably priced and some of the best writing I’ve read this century. Why are you still reading this? GO read Graham Storrs!
Superbly written, we are plunged headlong into a jump from the opening pages. I loved the disparity here, the old tech, scrounged parts and dodgy suits cobbled together by desperate people. A world away from splashparties, from those screaming, adoring crowds, the fun and the highs and the music and lights that added a buzz to the trip and made it fun and wild. We’re left instead with the danger, the fanaticism and hopelessness and the splashing for a cause, rather than a thrill.
This isn’t exactly new, of course, the parties were dying down before this novel begins. But seeing the technology used still, to do a similar thing for a different reason is a very powerful opener, and firmly propels us back into the future where splashback is a very real threat.
“I am a representative of the European Union and I insist on being treated with appropriate respect.” Which Jay thought sounded a lot better than, “I’m just a police officer of no particular status who got sent here against his will and who would very much like to be somewhere else before the Apocalypse starts.”
One thing Storrs does superbly is fling us around emotionally. We have this great charged atmosphere with the splash in the opening chapter. We’re learning about what Sandra’s doing at the start of chapter 3 when everything goes mad and before we’re told anything else, we’re back in the calm of jay’s office and his own departmental troubles. “Show, don’t tell” is something you often hear bandied about, and this is incredibly well managed too. Cara is introduced rather breathtakingly, and as the story unfolds her background comes up, usually in passing thoughts, which serve to solidify and cement our understanding of her upbringing and background. It’s very neatly done because, even though we follow her and jay for half the story, we’re still getting this great influx of information about Sandra: how she’s been living, thinking, feeling. It comes through almost by osmosis, feeling incidental to the story and yet enriches everything else too.
“I thought you were the Feds,” Sandra said. “What, and you always shoot policemen on sight? I thought you’d got over that.”
There’s also plenty of these little amusing nuggets, especially when Jay and Sandra get together. They break the tension, but also bring home the Humanity of the players, reminding us that there are things worth fighting for amongst the danger and terror of massive destruction. It also gives you a sense of achievement, the fact that these characters have been coming to a point of convergence all the way through the book and are now together. The build-up, weaving in and out of their stories, ramps up the tension and when it all meshes and our heroes are trying to make their escape, the barbs and jibes and attitude all serve to clue us into the fact that, although Sandra and jay work well together, there’s also a lot of history there, and much that has been left unsaid.
What else? I love Storrs’ realism. The way in which Cara thinks about her mum “doing too many drugs in the ’Forties”, that sort of little detail locks you into her place and time and really convinces you that it’s really her history, although it is of course our future. The technology is great; time travel is of course a big one, but even using the body’s natural electromagnetic field for commplant communication is pretty cool and just thrown in there as if it’s nothing.
And finally, because I’m running out of steam, I just want to comment on the fact that things feel so ... so real. Vividly and believably real. Jay and Sandra’s relationship in the final chapter is positively scary, because it’s so utterly Human and so very, very complicated and powerful and confusing. There’s been so much between them and they’ve got their own lives to lead now, but there’s still this great connection. There’s history. There’s Cara. A happy ending? There’s always a string attached. Not everyone can have everything they want, and it is this that makes the climax of this novel stand out.
If you have yet to read Timesplash, you’re missing out big time. Both books are reasonably priced and some of the best writing I’ve read this century. Why are you still reading this? GO read Graham Storrs!
September 22, 2020
Not as fresh as the first book in the trilogy, but a great look at a future USA run by religious fundamentalists.
November 30, 2013
True Path is either a techno-thriller or a science-fiction thriller, depending on the reader. Whatever label chosen, technology, in the form of time-travel, is a big part of the story. True Path is a sequel to the very good Timeslash, which showed the awesome destructive powers of time-travel.
In Timesplash, author Graham Storrs, came up with a truly original take on the effects of going back in time and changing events. Time would rebound from any changes, correcting them, and depending on the magnitude of the changes, a backwash would hit the present time epicentre where the change occurred.
In Timesplash the people using the time-machines were thrill-seekers. Their search for bigger and greater thrills created increasingly devastating backwashes. In True Path the thrillseekers are replaced by terrorists. But this is no cliché as the terrorists aren’t Arab Muslims, instead they are American Christians.
The main characters from Timesplash, time agent Jay and the rebellious thrill-seeker Sandra, reappear in True Path. The story begins with a terrorist kidnapping Sandra. He wants her to help them run a timesplash that will destroy Washington. Sandra’s daughter Cara seeks out Jay to help track down her mother. This leads them both to travel to the United States.
One of the most interesting elements of True Path is its portrayal of a radically changed United States. In 2066, the United States is ruled by extreme religion ideology, sort of like the Tea Party on crack. The theocracy shuns science, in favour of religious doctrine, which has lead to a total collapse of the economy. Women are treated worse than those of the Taliban, and blasphemers face the death penalty. Many readers will alternatively barrack for and against the freedom-fighter/terrorist. The novel’s resolution will surprise many.
The story has two strong women and a strong man at its centre, with Jay’s agent training making him more inclined to think through consequences before acting. While the characters are sometime a bit gung-ho, their motivations and actions are for the most part believable.
True Path is a well-written techno/science-fiction thriller with an imaginative and original take on time-travel. It is a very enjoyable read.
In Timesplash, author Graham Storrs, came up with a truly original take on the effects of going back in time and changing events. Time would rebound from any changes, correcting them, and depending on the magnitude of the changes, a backwash would hit the present time epicentre where the change occurred.
In Timesplash the people using the time-machines were thrill-seekers. Their search for bigger and greater thrills created increasingly devastating backwashes. In True Path the thrillseekers are replaced by terrorists. But this is no cliché as the terrorists aren’t Arab Muslims, instead they are American Christians.
The main characters from Timesplash, time agent Jay and the rebellious thrill-seeker Sandra, reappear in True Path. The story begins with a terrorist kidnapping Sandra. He wants her to help them run a timesplash that will destroy Washington. Sandra’s daughter Cara seeks out Jay to help track down her mother. This leads them both to travel to the United States.
One of the most interesting elements of True Path is its portrayal of a radically changed United States. In 2066, the United States is ruled by extreme religion ideology, sort of like the Tea Party on crack. The theocracy shuns science, in favour of religious doctrine, which has lead to a total collapse of the economy. Women are treated worse than those of the Taliban, and blasphemers face the death penalty. Many readers will alternatively barrack for and against the freedom-fighter/terrorist. The novel’s resolution will surprise many.
The story has two strong women and a strong man at its centre, with Jay’s agent training making him more inclined to think through consequences before acting. While the characters are sometime a bit gung-ho, their motivations and actions are for the most part believable.
True Path is a well-written techno/science-fiction thriller with an imaginative and original take on time-travel. It is a very enjoyable read.
November 25, 2014
I quite enjoyed the first in this series (if it is a series…) but this one I got entirely caught up in. The first was perhaps a bit too trad sci-fi for me, with its voluptuous maidens and psychotic bad guys, but I found #2 a lot more complex and appealing. The high-speed chases, body count and technology are all still there for those who dig that stuff (it’s not really my thing but it’s done really, really well, I have to say: Storrs is a professional), but there’s also an intriguing dystopian future USA and an ever-more-complex relationship between the two lead characters. I love that Storr didn’t opt for an easy ending on this one.
Personally, I’d have loved a wider and slower exploration of the state of the States – I wanted to meet more of the local women and get their views on how America was faring, for example – but this isn’t that kind of book so I can’t really bear a grudge that we hurtled through it at a blistering pace.
Personally, I’d have loved a wider and slower exploration of the state of the States – I wanted to meet more of the local women and get their views on how America was faring, for example – but this isn’t that kind of book so I can’t really bear a grudge that we hurtled through it at a blistering pace.
November 20, 2013
I really enjoyed this book. I read it on a train and my journey seemed to take 40 minutes not 4 hours!
I loved the characterisation of the teenager in this book. She was forceful enough for me to like her and understated enough for me to want her to be a bit more involved. Sandra and Jay are altered with time but seem to have grown up rather well and kept all the best bits so can't complain either.
As for the story itself... It was fast, gripping and it certainly makes you think about what might happen if "splashing" were really possible and how it might change the world.
I loved the characterisation of the teenager in this book. She was forceful enough for me to like her and understated enough for me to want her to be a bit more involved. Sandra and Jay are altered with time but seem to have grown up rather well and kept all the best bits so can't complain either.
As for the story itself... It was fast, gripping and it certainly makes you think about what might happen if "splashing" were really possible and how it might change the world.
March 5, 2014
Had read the first volume. This is the rare instance where the sequel is even better. This is pure scifi of the time travel, alternative future variety with several interesting characters including a mighty tough broad. There's nothing weighty here and it's definitely a quick read, but boy, I can use a fine, non-gory adventure story sometimes. This was it. Hope he writes a third book set in the same world.
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December 4, 2015Katharine is a judge for the Sara Douglass 'Book Series' Award. This entry is the personal opinion of Katharine herself, and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of any judging panel, the judging coordinator or the Aurealis Awards management team.
I won't be recording my thoughts (if I choose to) here until after the AA are over.
I won't be recording my thoughts (if I choose to) here until after the AA are over.
November 16, 2014
Oh, yes, not all fundamentalists live in the Middle East. Frightening story about an ultra-religious USA in a post-apocalyptic future, and the lengths to which revolutionaries/terrorists will go to change things. Impressively nerve-wracking.
April 8, 2017
This is set 16 years after the original book in the series and the past that Sandra and Jay thought they had left behind them comes back with a vengeance. Set in 2066 it's an interesting view of what the world might be like, especially in the light of the current political affairs.
I enjoyed this book and look forward to the next book in the series. It's exciting and a page turner.
I enjoyed this book and look forward to the next book in the series. It's exciting and a page turner.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews