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Back To You
Searching for history’s greatest pastrami on rye, Chris arrives from 1,000 years in the future and hides his time machine in an alley. But Eddie sees through the disguise, takes an unexpected ride, and demonstrates it to his boss at a failing cable TV network. Through a series of adventures, the time machine becomes damaged, friends become stranded, and history gets changed in many ways—some dangerous, all humorous. Two romances—one quite unconventional—blossom along the way. Back to You is a hilarious science fiction romp in the tradition of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.
254 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 5, 2021
8 people are currently reading
13.1k people want to read
About the author
Steve Bates
3 books331 followersSteve Bates has been writing science fiction for several years after a career in journalism that included 14 years as a reporter and editor for The Washington Post. Steve's first science fiction book, "Back to You", was released on Jan. 5, 2021, by White Bird Publications. "Back to You" is a humorous novel in the mold of "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy." In 2010 his self-published nonfiction book, "The Seeds of Spring", won two awards.
His latest novel, "Castle of Sand," was published in July 2023 by Sunstone Pres. "Castle of Sand" follows a soccer mom from Columbia, Md., and six other Earth castoffs who are the last hope for humanity after a powerful pathogen wipes out life on Earth. With the help of an AI, the seven, who wake up on a remote planet, must establish a colony to perpetuate the species.
His latest novel, "Castle of Sand," was published in July 2023 by Sunstone Pres. "Castle of Sand" follows a soccer mom from Columbia, Md., and six other Earth castoffs who are the last hope for humanity after a powerful pathogen wipes out life on Earth. With the help of an AI, the seven, who wake up on a remote planet, must establish a colony to perpetuate the species.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
January 27, 2021
Back to You, by Steve Bates, is a funny, clever, bizarre, and unique story that is a delightful read. I really enjoyed the large cast of eccentric characters. Each has their own distinct personalities that add to the chaos of the adventure. I have a particular soft spot of Bess. The story throws you directly into the plot by sending you through time with the curious, kind, and literal thinking Eddie and it becomes nonstop ridiculous and witty fun from that point on. The book has a little bit of everything, from comedy to action-adventure, to history, to romance, to sci-fi. I really liked that the story did not take itself too seriously and just had fun with its themes and concepts, poking fun at society and media along the way. Its tone and comedic perspective made it a truly entertaining and intriguing read. A wacky and chaotic adventure that I would definitely recommend to those that enjoy comedy and sci-fi.
January 5, 2021
‘The time machine is parked right behind the building.’ – a strange 1974 Pinto!
Virginia author Steve Bates is an experienced journalist, having served as a reporter and editor for The Washington Post and other newspapers, magazines and websites, including AARP Bulletin, National Business Magazine, and HR News and HR Magazine for Society for Human Resource Management. He earned his degree in government from College of William and Mary. His books to date include the non-fiction SEEDS OF SPRING: Lessons from the Garden, and now BACK TO YOU – his debut publication of his science fiction genre as a novel: he has written many short stories in this vein!
Having won many accolades for his reporting, especially significant human interest stories, Steve’s entry into the novel format reveals a writer with a particularly keen sense of humor and scriptive agility. His fine quality of style is apparent as this novel takes off: ‘Eddie Corbin scrutinized a massive dashboard crammed with unfamiliar dials and buttons and levers. Hoping to sound a horn, he began turning and pushing and sliding instruments. A slow whine permeated the vehicle. Dashboard lights kicked off a spirited dance sequence. The hairs on his neck and arms stood on end. Beyond the windshield, frantic shouts and trumpet blasts pierced the air. Eddie gasped as dozens of men clad in chain-mail armor fought with swords and axes in front of a moss-stained castle. Attackers placed wooden planks across a moat, but they were dispatched by what appeared to be boiling oil. Every time a combatant bit the dust, two more entered the fray. ”Man,” observed Eddie, “this neighborhood has really gone to hell.” And in that little encounter surfaces a strange woman - unit TT7970-44BES – whose function is temporal transport!
So opens this light-hearted and hilarious time travel sci-fi fantasy, the plot of which is briefly condensed: ‘Searching for history’s greatest pastrami on rye, Chris arrives from 1,000 years in the future and hides his time machine in an alley. But Eddie sees through the disguise, takes an unexpected ride, and demonstrates it to his boss at a failing cable TV network. Through a series of adventures, the time machine becomes damaged, friends become stranded, and history gets changed in many ways—some dangerous, all humorous. Two romances—one quite unconventional—blossom along the way.’
Just the right balance of fantasy and humor, BACK TO YOU is that rare escape mechanism that transports the reader into very bright place called entertainment. Looks like we will be hearing a lot about Steve Bates, bright, witty and polished as a fantasy weaver! Highly recommended.
Virginia author Steve Bates is an experienced journalist, having served as a reporter and editor for The Washington Post and other newspapers, magazines and websites, including AARP Bulletin, National Business Magazine, and HR News and HR Magazine for Society for Human Resource Management. He earned his degree in government from College of William and Mary. His books to date include the non-fiction SEEDS OF SPRING: Lessons from the Garden, and now BACK TO YOU – his debut publication of his science fiction genre as a novel: he has written many short stories in this vein!
Having won many accolades for his reporting, especially significant human interest stories, Steve’s entry into the novel format reveals a writer with a particularly keen sense of humor and scriptive agility. His fine quality of style is apparent as this novel takes off: ‘Eddie Corbin scrutinized a massive dashboard crammed with unfamiliar dials and buttons and levers. Hoping to sound a horn, he began turning and pushing and sliding instruments. A slow whine permeated the vehicle. Dashboard lights kicked off a spirited dance sequence. The hairs on his neck and arms stood on end. Beyond the windshield, frantic shouts and trumpet blasts pierced the air. Eddie gasped as dozens of men clad in chain-mail armor fought with swords and axes in front of a moss-stained castle. Attackers placed wooden planks across a moat, but they were dispatched by what appeared to be boiling oil. Every time a combatant bit the dust, two more entered the fray. ”Man,” observed Eddie, “this neighborhood has really gone to hell.” And in that little encounter surfaces a strange woman - unit TT7970-44BES – whose function is temporal transport!
So opens this light-hearted and hilarious time travel sci-fi fantasy, the plot of which is briefly condensed: ‘Searching for history’s greatest pastrami on rye, Chris arrives from 1,000 years in the future and hides his time machine in an alley. But Eddie sees through the disguise, takes an unexpected ride, and demonstrates it to his boss at a failing cable TV network. Through a series of adventures, the time machine becomes damaged, friends become stranded, and history gets changed in many ways—some dangerous, all humorous. Two romances—one quite unconventional—blossom along the way.’
Just the right balance of fantasy and humor, BACK TO YOU is that rare escape mechanism that transports the reader into very bright place called entertainment. Looks like we will be hearing a lot about Steve Bates, bright, witty and polished as a fantasy weaver! Highly recommended.
January 5, 2021
Back To You by Steve Bates is a fun and entertaining science fiction story featuring the concept of a time travel machine disguised as a 1974 Ford Pinto which is simply perfect. This is a rather tongue in cheek example, poking fun at numerous societal norms, media, history, and more. As an accomplished journalist working for not only the Washington Post but other notable national publications, Bates is now having fun with his writing. This time we get to know a goofy and varied cast of characters from an AI woman known as unit TT7970-44BES or Bess to Eddie to Chris and many more along the way. The exploits are crazy, the time travel is capable of changing history and serious shenanigans take place. A whirlwind of a story, massively entertaining and hugely creative this is one time travel science fiction book you won't want to miss. With a hefty dose of humor and fun, this book is a must-read for an entertaining diversion.
January 18, 2021
Back to You by Steve Bates entertains the thought of a time machine as Eddie steals one looking for food. Chris parks his time machine in an alley and searches for his favorite pastrami and rye deli. It is his favorite in the entire world, throughout the ages. When he returns the vehicle is gone, now he is stranded. When Eddie returns, he informs his boss, Tony, why he is late to work. Bess, the AI that inhabits the vehicle, has her own opinion of Eddie and his escapades.
The adventure Eddie has in the AI pinto is hilariously funny. Steve Bates keeps you mesmerized with Back to You as all forms of mayhem unfold. The theory of a time machine is not new, but the author presents this plot from a fascinating angle. The theme is fun as Eddie takes risks and meets interesting people. Meanwhile, Chris is actively trying to recover his AI, Bess.
The adventure Eddie has in the AI pinto is hilariously funny. Steve Bates keeps you mesmerized with Back to You as all forms of mayhem unfold. The theory of a time machine is not new, but the author presents this plot from a fascinating angle. The theme is fun as Eddie takes risks and meets interesting people. Meanwhile, Chris is actively trying to recover his AI, Bess.
January 25, 2021
I absolutely love science fiction, and time travel is hard to do well. It’s amusing and oddly appropriate that the time machine here is a car. It’s not a fancy DeLorean, but a Pinto. It’s definitely not what anyone would expect. This book is not meant to be serious, but a kind of fun adventure with Eddie leading us through a tangled web of time as he commandeers the time machine while it’s tucked away. This book really does have it all, high stakes, humor (the fire scene with Thran absolutely had me laughing out loud), romance, and time travel.
There were a few points in this book where the pacing was a bit slow, but Bates managed to fill some of the lulls with jokes and humor. The writing is solid, it’s clear Bates has experience in the world of writing. Overall this is a good book and well worth the read.
There were a few points in this book where the pacing was a bit slow, but Bates managed to fill some of the lulls with jokes and humor. The writing is solid, it’s clear Bates has experience in the world of writing. Overall this is a good book and well worth the read.
January 23, 2021
I knew I was in for a ride from the first page. I actually found myself giggling and laughing out loud, earning me a few strange looks. Furthermore, I thoroughly enjoyed the story as a whole, the mishaps, the characters, and the food involved in the whole journey. You sort of just get drawn in without realizing it. One minute you’re meeting Eddie and the next you’re traveling through time, learning about the future, and absolutely falling in love with the quirky cast of this novel. As a fan of The Hitchhiker’s Guide I can confirm that if you enjoy that, you’ll enjoy this!
February 10, 2021
Back to you by Steve Bates is a brilliantly entertaining science fiction/time travel story. The shenanigans and crazy going ons along with comical characters had me laughing out loud on many occasions. If you want to be transported away from real life into a world of craziness and entertainment for a while then this is a must read. 5 stars from me, I can't wait for more from this author.
January 14, 2021
Back to You by Steve Bates
This story starts out with Eddie and he's hiding out in a food truck, no good food for him though. We learn he's in an AI equipped car and she warns him not to go outside.
There's a war out there from his vantage point. The vehicle is not his but he persuades the AI to turn the car into a 1974 pinto, I had one similar and nobody would ever steal it.
He's late for work and tells his boss of a new story line. He takes him for a ride in the vehicle and they select a time frame. The car travels in time, forward and backward.
There are others that join Eddie and they tape stories of inventions and other events.
It's really educational then they bring characters in from Friends and other music stars. Gets way out of hand and comical at times.
Chris was the food truck operator and he does get back to the vehicle and now there are duplicates of characters. At some point some get left behind with hopes of them returning to get them.
Kim K and so many others make appearances. Ending is kind of open so another book in teh series could be easily added.
Lots of high tech, scientific, physics, space and so many other beyond this world things keep you busy keep them all straight.
Received this review copy from the publisher and this is my honest opinion.
This story starts out with Eddie and he's hiding out in a food truck, no good food for him though. We learn he's in an AI equipped car and she warns him not to go outside.
There's a war out there from his vantage point. The vehicle is not his but he persuades the AI to turn the car into a 1974 pinto, I had one similar and nobody would ever steal it.
He's late for work and tells his boss of a new story line. He takes him for a ride in the vehicle and they select a time frame. The car travels in time, forward and backward.
There are others that join Eddie and they tape stories of inventions and other events.
It's really educational then they bring characters in from Friends and other music stars. Gets way out of hand and comical at times.
Chris was the food truck operator and he does get back to the vehicle and now there are duplicates of characters. At some point some get left behind with hopes of them returning to get them.
Kim K and so many others make appearances. Ending is kind of open so another book in teh series could be easily added.
Lots of high tech, scientific, physics, space and so many other beyond this world things keep you busy keep them all straight.
Received this review copy from the publisher and this is my honest opinion.
February 22, 2021
I love science fiction novels and I like them, even more, when they make me laugh, and 'Back to You' by Steve Bates had me chuckling from start to finish.
Eddie has discovered an AI-equipped time machine - cunningly disguised as a Ford Pinto - and of course, he commandeers it (well you would, wouldn't you?), and ends up a crazy adventure through time, chronicling events from the past and the future for his job as a journalist. Well, the story of a lifetime was never going to come easy - the time machine breaks down and the course of history is altered, but at least there is a little romance to be had.
If you liked The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, you'll like this!
Eddie has discovered an AI-equipped time machine - cunningly disguised as a Ford Pinto - and of course, he commandeers it (well you would, wouldn't you?), and ends up a crazy adventure through time, chronicling events from the past and the future for his job as a journalist. Well, the story of a lifetime was never going to come easy - the time machine breaks down and the course of history is altered, but at least there is a little romance to be had.
If you liked The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, you'll like this!
February 6, 2021
Whip lovable characters and changing scenery this time travel book is amazing, not only is the car a Pinto, But the time traveler Eddie always seems to be getting his self into awkward situations end it all makes for some very funny laughs. This is a book I would highly recommend to anyone who likes time travel, hilarious situation and just a plain great book! There’s so much to like about this book so this sounds even close to something you would like trust me when I say you’ll love it. I highly recommend it!
February 17, 2021
This was epic!
April 3, 2021
Back To You by Steve Bates
I received a copy of the book and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
At the age of 42, Eddie lives a simple life, is not high on the intellect scale but even he could not have predicted how future events would unfold. One day like any other, feeling peckish, he decides to investigate the offerings of an unusual looking food truck. Once inside, he has the sneaky suspicion that this is a food truck like no other, a cleverly disguised food truck – some would argue on the choice of words - “ cleverly disguised “ . The next thing he knows he is transported to another timeline and is introduced to Bess, the AI controlling the time machine...I use the word “ controlling “ lightly. This is one of those times when the saying “ bitten off more than they can chew “ is very relevant!
Eddie holds down a maintenance job for a not very successful cable tv network and before you can say “ Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy “ he has become tangled in a time jumping news production along with Wade and Dierdre, the tv network reporters. Eventually, Chris, the orginal traveller in the machine, catches up with the newscasting group in an attempt to regulate the situation but circumstances are already spiralling out of hand.
“ The only thing on Chris’s mind was the wish that he had brought some spare undergarments on this outing.”
Back to You by Steve Bates is a cleverly written science fiction/ comedy novel written in the third person with likeable characters who encounter hilarious situations. I absolutely loved this book, stayed up late reading it, read through my meals etc, could not get enough. It has everything, a great story, a brilliant introduction that immediately pulls you in, historical elements, touch of romance, comedy that had me laughing outwardly.
“ My name be...Crisco, “ ad-libbed Wade. " The Count of Monty Crisco, to be precise.”
Back to You will attract many readers who enjoy various genres as it has, as I previously mentioned, a little of everything. For lovers of TV series such as Red Dwarf and Hitchhiker's Guide To the Galaxy, like myself, this is a must read as the humour is very relateable. Steve Bates has created a terrific novel that was everything I hoped it would be when I began the read.
To conclude, I rate Back to You with 5 out of 5 stars.
I received a copy of the book and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
At the age of 42, Eddie lives a simple life, is not high on the intellect scale but even he could not have predicted how future events would unfold. One day like any other, feeling peckish, he decides to investigate the offerings of an unusual looking food truck. Once inside, he has the sneaky suspicion that this is a food truck like no other, a cleverly disguised food truck – some would argue on the choice of words - “ cleverly disguised “ . The next thing he knows he is transported to another timeline and is introduced to Bess, the AI controlling the time machine...I use the word “ controlling “ lightly. This is one of those times when the saying “ bitten off more than they can chew “ is very relevant!
Eddie holds down a maintenance job for a not very successful cable tv network and before you can say “ Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy “ he has become tangled in a time jumping news production along with Wade and Dierdre, the tv network reporters. Eventually, Chris, the orginal traveller in the machine, catches up with the newscasting group in an attempt to regulate the situation but circumstances are already spiralling out of hand.
“ The only thing on Chris’s mind was the wish that he had brought some spare undergarments on this outing.”
Back to You by Steve Bates is a cleverly written science fiction/ comedy novel written in the third person with likeable characters who encounter hilarious situations. I absolutely loved this book, stayed up late reading it, read through my meals etc, could not get enough. It has everything, a great story, a brilliant introduction that immediately pulls you in, historical elements, touch of romance, comedy that had me laughing outwardly.
“ My name be...Crisco, “ ad-libbed Wade. " The Count of Monty Crisco, to be precise.”
Back to You will attract many readers who enjoy various genres as it has, as I previously mentioned, a little of everything. For lovers of TV series such as Red Dwarf and Hitchhiker's Guide To the Galaxy, like myself, this is a must read as the humour is very relateable. Steve Bates has created a terrific novel that was everything I hoped it would be when I began the read.
To conclude, I rate Back to You with 5 out of 5 stars.
February 17, 2021
I've never read anything like it before, and I loved it!
February 16, 2021
Utterly fantastic.
February 17, 2021
Reread it in the future.
February 18, 2021
Absolutely adore this author!
February 16, 2021
Unforgettable story. I didn’t want it to end
February 16, 2021
Extraordinary and gripping characters.
February 16, 2021
Excellent book, recommended.
November 28, 2021
I can't believe I spent even a few dollars on this. Only made it a third of the way through. Enough to know it's not the light-hearted yet smart time travel novel I was hoping for. Smart is not a word I would apply to anything regarding this book, except maybe the decision to stop reading it. Trite attempts at slapstick humor, silly storyline, just really really bad. If you're looking for a time travel novel, keep looking.
April 21, 2021
Author Steve Bates has relished a long career in journalism and he continues his love for writing with his science fiction novels “Back to You” which was released earlier this year, this is his first Science fiction novel and he is currently working on his second, Bates also won two awards for his book “The seeds os Spring” which was released in 2010.
Back to You is a very well written, totally entertaining and humorous sci-fi novel, Eddie finds a time machine disguised as an old food truck and finds himself transported into a different timeline, his exciting exploration takes him and the reader on a hilarious journey through time and utter craziness!
I would recommend this book to anyone, not just those of you who enjoy the sci fi genre. Well done to the author for a crazy ride, it was great to be transported from this mundane world to a different much more exciting one, even if it was just for a short time. I look forward to reading more from Bates in the future.
Back to You is a very well written, totally entertaining and humorous sci-fi novel, Eddie finds a time machine disguised as an old food truck and finds himself transported into a different timeline, his exciting exploration takes him and the reader on a hilarious journey through time and utter craziness!
I would recommend this book to anyone, not just those of you who enjoy the sci fi genre. Well done to the author for a crazy ride, it was great to be transported from this mundane world to a different much more exciting one, even if it was just for a short time. I look forward to reading more from Bates in the future.
November 12, 2021
Am not sure what the fuss is all about. This is certainly a fun and entertaining book, but the comparison with The Hitchhiker Guide to the Galaxy is off by a long shot. There are entire chapters where the laughs are forced and predictable, and even one of the main recurring jokes (which has to do with a 1990s sitcom) become stale rather soon, and will probably elicit puzzled frowns from whoever reads this book in 2064, if anyone.
(I am mentioning 2064 because it is 43 years from now. And it is 43 years ago that The Hitchhiker Guide was published. Yet, it is still an enjoyable and funny read because it really uses timeless humor and never tries to tickle the audience with the current day's cultural references.)
I am happy to leave aside the enormous suspension of disbelief for everything the various Artificial Intelligence entities and time-travel machines do - probably it's part of the book's humor to be really over-the-top about their capabilities. But sometimes it feels like the plot is improvised on the spot without having any real direction, and plot events seem to be designed more for the laughs than for advancing the characters and the events in any meaningful way.
All in all, a light read that might make you giggle here and there (if you recognize the cultural references) but that would fit more in a "humor" shelf than a sci-fi or time-travel one.
(I am mentioning 2064 because it is 43 years from now. And it is 43 years ago that The Hitchhiker Guide was published. Yet, it is still an enjoyable and funny read because it really uses timeless humor and never tries to tickle the audience with the current day's cultural references.)
I am happy to leave aside the enormous suspension of disbelief for everything the various Artificial Intelligence entities and time-travel machines do - probably it's part of the book's humor to be really over-the-top about their capabilities. But sometimes it feels like the plot is improvised on the spot without having any real direction, and plot events seem to be designed more for the laughs than for advancing the characters and the events in any meaningful way.
All in all, a light read that might make you giggle here and there (if you recognize the cultural references) but that would fit more in a "humor" shelf than a sci-fi or time-travel one.
September 10, 2022
[2.25/5.0]
I guess the goal of the author was to write a humorous story in the spirit of Hitchhikers's Guide to the Galaxy, but instead it turned out to be a confusing, boring, and uninteresting collection of cheesy stand-up one-liners.
I guess the goal of the author was to write a humorous story in the spirit of Hitchhikers's Guide to the Galaxy, but instead it turned out to be a confusing, boring, and uninteresting collection of cheesy stand-up one-liners.
February 18, 2021
Captivating writing. Clever and unpredictable characters.
January 29, 2024
This may have been the worst book I’ve ever read. Definitely part of my life I’ll never get back.
May 5, 2021
After a 14 year career in journalism Steve Bates carried his passion for writing into science fiction novels. Back to You is an amusing novel in the style of “The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy”.
Chris parks and hides his time machine whilst on the search for his favourite pastrami sandwich. Enter Eddie, a maintenance man who works for a cable TV network, who steals it and takes himself on the adventure of a lifetime through different eras of history, experiencing madness, chaos, romance, action and adventure.
I loved everything about this book, the concept, the tongue-in-cheek humour, the loveable well-crafted characters and the angle from which Back To You has been written. Of course it’s not meant to be taken seriously, but to provide the reader with plenty of light-hearted entertainment and fun. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys sci-fi, comedy and some silly easy-to-read fun. I have to give this a 5 star rating, and will definitely look out for more from Bates in the future.
Chris parks and hides his time machine whilst on the search for his favourite pastrami sandwich. Enter Eddie, a maintenance man who works for a cable TV network, who steals it and takes himself on the adventure of a lifetime through different eras of history, experiencing madness, chaos, romance, action and adventure.
I loved everything about this book, the concept, the tongue-in-cheek humour, the loveable well-crafted characters and the angle from which Back To You has been written. Of course it’s not meant to be taken seriously, but to provide the reader with plenty of light-hearted entertainment and fun. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys sci-fi, comedy and some silly easy-to-read fun. I have to give this a 5 star rating, and will definitely look out for more from Bates in the future.
January 29, 2024
I love absurd humor and I love puns. I love a zany plot and the comparison to Hitchhiker's Guide on the back interested me in picking up this read.
This is genuinely one of the worst books I have ever read and it doesn't deserve even the one star rating.
While there are many, many issues I have with the book, I was most disappointed by the prose. About two chapters into the book, I started having this deja vu sensation that I was reading some of my own earliest writing. (I have written my own stories since I was a child, non-professionally/non-published, over the last 18 years.) This is just to say that the prose is extremely amateurish. No one is built out as a character. Things just happen to people randomly. The dialogue is wooden and stilted. Events are not always shown, but told, and even when they are shown, not well. Sentence structure is not well-varied so the cadence is very robotic. Here is a great example:
The situation above is immediately resolved in this incredibly unbelievable way: Eddie just said three sentences in a dispassionate way and the AI is like, never mind, it's all good! We don't get to feel Eddie's distress at all. Lots of little conflicts are resolved just like this. Someone: "Uh-oh, a big, dangerous thing is about to happen." Someone else (flatly): "No, I can get us out of here." Resolved.
This book struggles with developing the characters to be people we care about. People don't react to things; they talk at and about things. In one scene, a lion is about to attack some characters and the characters don't even act scared (which, I guess, one could argue is comedy? It didn't feel funny to me). Nothing felt dangerous because it was just characters throwing (not funny) quips around instead of reacting physically. What descriptions of characters there are can be weird - one character is described as looking like his eyes are about to "explode out of his head" TWICE. This is not a good description.
Additionally, the humor is not great. There are a lot of puns, yes. I didn't find any of them particularly funny. Lots of cultural referential humor like 'Friends', 'Gilligan's Island', Paul Rudd, Kim Kardashian, etc.. There are, of course, lots of attempts to place modern people in future and past time settings (which were fine ideas, but extremely hampered by the execution).
And the ending? I actually shouted "WHAT" aloud when I finished the book.
Writing is hard. Telling a coherent story is even harder. Transitioning plot seamlessly is difficult - it's something I struggle with in my own writing today, even as my own voice has improved leagues. How does one get from A to B smoothly and believably with the appropriate amount of tension and satisfying resolutions? This book cannot answer that question, but it serves as a fine example of how not to write engaging prose.
This is genuinely one of the worst books I have ever read and it doesn't deserve even the one star rating.
While there are many, many issues I have with the book, I was most disappointed by the prose. About two chapters into the book, I started having this deja vu sensation that I was reading some of my own earliest writing. (I have written my own stories since I was a child, non-professionally/non-published, over the last 18 years.) This is just to say that the prose is extremely amateurish. No one is built out as a character. Things just happen to people randomly. The dialogue is wooden and stilted. Events are not always shown, but told, and even when they are shown, not well. Sentence structure is not well-varied so the cadence is very robotic. Here is a great example:
The situation above is immediately resolved in this incredibly unbelievable way: Eddie just said three sentences in a dispassionate way and the AI is like, never mind, it's all good! We don't get to feel Eddie's distress at all. Lots of little conflicts are resolved just like this. Someone: "Uh-oh, a big, dangerous thing is about to happen." Someone else (flatly): "No, I can get us out of here." Resolved.
This book struggles with developing the characters to be people we care about. People don't react to things; they talk at and about things. In one scene, a lion is about to attack some characters and the characters don't even act scared (which, I guess, one could argue is comedy? It didn't feel funny to me). Nothing felt dangerous because it was just characters throwing (not funny) quips around instead of reacting physically. What descriptions of characters there are can be weird - one character is described as looking like his eyes are about to "explode out of his head" TWICE. This is not a good description.
Additionally, the humor is not great. There are a lot of puns, yes. I didn't find any of them particularly funny. Lots of cultural referential humor like 'Friends', 'Gilligan's Island', Paul Rudd, Kim Kardashian, etc.. There are, of course, lots of attempts to place modern people in future and past time settings (which were fine ideas, but extremely hampered by the execution).
And the ending? I actually shouted "WHAT" aloud when I finished the book.
Writing is hard. Telling a coherent story is even harder. Transitioning plot seamlessly is difficult - it's something I struggle with in my own writing today, even as my own voice has improved leagues. How does one get from A to B smoothly and believably with the appropriate amount of tension and satisfying resolutions? This book cannot answer that question, but it serves as a fine example of how not to write engaging prose.
April 2, 2021
I am not a science fiction fan, so this book was a bit out of my realm. However, the concept was interesting, that someone would build a time machine to go back to find the best pastrami on rye. However, things go awry, and the time machine gets used as a prop for a television series called “Yore Right”, as it shows people things from days of yore. The investigative team takes viewers on adventures to the time of Caesar and to the 16th Century, as well as the 19th - 21st centuries. Always being warned not to disrupt historical events, the team finds itself in a strange position when the time machine, Bess, leaves two of the reporters behind.
There were many entertaining parts of the novel, with its tongue-in-cheek commentary on Kim Kardashian, Gilligan’s Island, Friends (tv series), David Letterman, and more.
My favorite part of the book was the part about WWIII being caused by an argument over The Oxford Comma.
While science fiction is not my thing, there were enough funny parts to keep it interesting for me to continue reading. Science fiction fans would probably enjoy this a lot.
There were many entertaining parts of the novel, with its tongue-in-cheek commentary on Kim Kardashian, Gilligan’s Island, Friends (tv series), David Letterman, and more.
My favorite part of the book was the part about WWIII being caused by an argument over The Oxford Comma.
While science fiction is not my thing, there were enough funny parts to keep it interesting for me to continue reading. Science fiction fans would probably enjoy this a lot.
February 1, 2022
I love the concept of time travel in the books and this was done so well by Steve ! It is not so serious so you don't get confused with all the rules of time travelling and stuff present in other stories so you just enjoy a slightly bizarre story of two reporters, time traveler from the future and a person very much similar to the character of Jason from the Good Place series 😅 I just couldn't stop thinking about this resemblance. Both equally not so bright / smart, saying very funny stupid stuff and both in love with a AI extremely similar to humans / human character - as Janet from the Good place !
Also the demon with a Friends fetish 😂 that is hilarious and my favorite part !
Everything was so light, so easy to follow, not at all complicated and even Kim Kardashian paid a visit 😅
Top story for long nights and a mood for humorous sci-fi time travelling story !
Also the demon with a Friends fetish 😂 that is hilarious and my favorite part !
Everything was so light, so easy to follow, not at all complicated and even Kim Kardashian paid a visit 😅
Top story for long nights and a mood for humorous sci-fi time travelling story !
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 16, 2023
This was a very silly book, and I mean that in a good way. Obviously meant to evoke "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" type nonsense; it gets partway there but somehow lacks the heart (and, apparently, the cohesive plot--who are all these people?).
The plot is that a time traveler, in search of the perfect pastrami sandwich, loses his time machine when a techie from "the Hysteria Channel" (so, fox news) accidentallly stumbles upon it and takes it through time. The channel uses it to broadcast moments from history on their new program, "Yore Right"--as in, "days of yore,"
Funny, a good little read, probably could have used an editor unless someone really was wearing a "stovetop" hat.
The plot is that a time traveler, in search of the perfect pastrami sandwich, loses his time machine when a techie from "the Hysteria Channel" (so, fox news) accidentallly stumbles upon it and takes it through time. The channel uses it to broadcast moments from history on their new program, "Yore Right"--as in, "days of yore,"
Funny, a good little read, probably could have used an editor unless someone really was wearing a "stovetop" hat.
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