Taking Time Travel by the Paradoxes

I normally don't do book reviews on my blog because... well... hello, I'm an author here and it seems like kind of a conflict of interest.

Saying that, we all know I'm about to break that pesky rule because I just had to. Why? Well, I'm bubbling with the need to 1) break a rule, and 2) talk about this book.

The book is "Man in the Empty Suit" by Sean Ferrell.

Usually I get completely aggravated with time travel stories (and movies) because they never address the conflicts in the act of travelling through time. It's one of the reasons I've never attempted to write a time travel book either. If the professionals can't figure it out, how the hell am I ever going to?

Ferrell, however, took the conundrum of time travel, embraced it with a big "F you", and went with the chaos time travel wreaks in the mind of those who think about it.

I loved how the character's regard for the rules he'd set slowly disintegrated as the story unfolds, culminating in -- oh, never mind, you'll have to read it. (And it is fantastic!) I'll tell you one thing though... this book was written with the details of the concept complexities in mind.

Oh! Oh! And the main character!

The main character is human in every sense of the word. Not the stereotypical hero with the mission and justice always in his thoughts and actions. No, his character is humanly inconsistent. His morals and judgement wavered depending on who or what it is involved. I know I'm more forgiving when it comes to friends and people I care about than I am towards a complete stranger. And you see that characteristic in this character often... sometimes with himself. (You'll get it when you read it.)

As a writer I don't know HOW he wrote this book. The depth of chaos and timing get all wrapped up, twisted, and twirled. I, as the reader, barely kept up with the progression of the story. I can't imagine having to have outlined it.

Very impressed by the skill and technique used to complete this book, which is really why I felt compelled to post my thoughts here on my blog. Reading books like this get me jazzed about the art and technical skills of writing.

So there's my thoughts on "Man in the Empty Suit". If you're going to read it, just make sure you have enough time because you're not going to want to put it down.