What is your opinion?
Great story
"I read this at the beginning of the Beyond Time contest, because the teaser grabbed me right away. I love the way that we're not only gripped by suspense throughout the whole story but also left with uncertainty at the end."
A True Short Story
"It is refreshing to read a short story that actually leaves you with a sense of finality instead of a open ended question of some sort. It is hard to find these days. That being said, the technology introduced was understandable. The plot made sense and the character felt real. This is a great sci-fi set in the not to distant future. I liked how the main character was just a few steps removed from a mad scientist. He wasn't evil just wanted to same time. :D"
A Real Time Saver
"Nice! The pacing was well-done--frenetic when it needed to be. The twist was unexpected, and the last line perfect. You really know your technology, and while I didn't understand all of it, I didn't need to in order to be caught up in the story."
Good Plot but I was looking to save time
"I love the plot of this story. It is a very rare thing to find a time travel story that isn't cliched or goes over the same ground as every other story, but the storyline for this one was engaging and different. However, I found it really difficult to get into the story, in large part down to the writing style. In many respects, almost ironically given that the story deals with time, it felt like I was reading a history/science book - I was reading about lots of things that happened but the writing left me feeling rather passive to the whole affair. There was nothing that gave me any insight into the character or the environment, nor any sounds or smells or tastes to draw me in to really engage with the story. As such, I found myself regrettably quite disinterested and looking for my own ways to save time so that I might reach the end quicker. Likewise, at times the author felt the need to point out every small detail. It felt a lot like the emotion and storyline were being sacrificed for the niggling details that I didn't really need to know. I could have perhaps ignored this were it not for the fact the author also felt the need point out every time the character noticed that he needed to save time - the first couple of times worked well enough but once I clocked on to the pattern I felt rather like I was being patronised and that I, as the reader, wasn't being trusted to understand what was going on. I can't help but feel that this story might have lived up to the plot had it been more stringently edited, cutting out a lot of the details and replacing them with some characterisation and atmosphere. As I said before though, it is a great plot without a doubt, but it feels a lot like a story that only consists of a plot and for me that is a major problem..."
Intriguing
"What I liked: The story was very creative. I liked the characters and the idea behind the story a lot. The technical aspects were believable. What I didn't like: I think too much focus was paid to the technical aspects. The story felt like one told at a cocktail party or a grandpa retelling some old story he remembered. It wasn't immersive enough. The dialogue wasn't engaging or believable. As a reader, I felt too removed from the story to really care. Conclusion: Great plot, great premise, needs some work on voice. It felt a bit cold and wooden. Need some emotional depth."
