Customer Reviews

All of an Instant

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This book has got to be one of the most extraordinary and daring books I have ever read. Pretty much the entire story takes place in a dimension that can only be described using metaphores. At the start I had a tough time believing that Garfinkle could pull it off - but he did. I had a lot of fun just keeping up.

It's not for everyone, though. It takes a fair amount of attention, and the writing style is a bit dry. I'm not a big fan of dry prose, but as far as I was concerned the premise more than made up for that drawback. Also, the plot was a bit thin - more a vehicle to explore the length and breadth this metaphorical dimension then than a gripping nail-biting exercise in suspence, but it was engaging enough to be servicable.

I've spent some time pondering the book since I read it (a sign of a good book) and have spotted some inconsistencies. But that's half the fun, and it hasn't lowered my opinion of Garfinkle or the book.

So: 5+ stars for a fascinating and daring premise, but minus one for dry prose and a fairly thin plot.

The idea of "time wars" is not a new one, but Garfinkle cannily sets the action in four dimensions, not three. The time warriors have "tails" -- their own bodies extending backward into the past -- and they use them! Mining technological treasures from an ever-changing future history is also a novel twist. This is a fun, fascinating read.

I read about 16 SF&F books in the last year. All of an Instant was the best of the bunch. It is one of the most stimulating and remarkable stories I have ever read, and the most unusual time travel/alternate history story I have ever read in my life, bar none. Better than H.G. Wells' "The Time Machine?" I suppose it depends on your perspective, and it is a close decision despite the extreme difference between the two approaches of dealing with how movement in time might work and the literary style, but I would say, "Yes, better and more memorable than the classic." I spoke to the author at Chicon 2000 and told him I'd have recommended it as my first choice for the Hugo if I'd had my act together soon enough to submit a nomination. He said the book had received mixed reviews. People either loved it or hated it. It seems that some reviewers had a hard time wrapping their minds around the concept of how time travel takes place in the book and the unique application of normal English words used to describe it. It certainly took me many pages before the descriptions of many events related to the unique approach began to make sense. By half-way through the book I was able to put the concept-related images into a coherent logical framework, and that was where my appreciation for the book really zoomed into the stratosphere. I guess if you never get to that point, you wouldn't like it so much. But if you do get there, the whole of the book is so phenomenal you'll be very glad you took the trouble to put the pieces together. It's not a "light read" because of this aspect. No guarantees you'll get out of the book all that is there to be had, but I wholeheartedly recommend you give it a try, because if you are up to it you'll probably never forget it. It's worth the effort a hundred times over!

One of the few books I picked up this year that I made time to finish as quickly as possible. The author manged to take a common theme of controlling and battling for the time stream and really did something different and unexpected with the idea. It did start slow, but if you can slog through the initally complicated setup, the book is well worth it.

When I first read this novel, it was somewhat confusing,however, after reading it a second time, it made better sense. The reason for the initel confusion is that since "All Of An Instant" is set in a fourth-dimensional realm, it is written in allegorical terms. Therefore, what was first confusing turns out to be interesting once the allegory is understood.That said, the allegoricle descriptions of the Instant are vivid and unique. For example, I've read other books about time travelers existing outside of time, but they didn't handle the theme as well as "All of an Instant." In conclusion, be prepaired to enter a realm like no other.

Not many books that I have read have done so much to challenge concepts of space-time without damaging physical laws. This book and the ideas that it set forward are absolutely fascinating, and although I suppose the complaints about "dry prose" and whatnot are founded I thought that the subject matter and the ideas more than made up for any lack of artistic flourishes.
I have read other authors that deal with non-linear ideas of time, especially Michael Moorcock and his "time is a field" ideas, and I have enjoyed them a great deal. The concept of the Instant was even stranger, but I enjoyed this as much as I enjoyed anything by Heinlein, Moorcock or the other wonderful Science Fiction authors. The book certainly does not repeat any past ideas, that's for sure. Totally new ground, and Garfinkle walks it very well.

I have heard people use the term Hyper-modern fiction before, but this is the first time I can truly say I experienced it. Garfinkle has ideas and a writing style that is a marvelous experience in literature, and in scientific exploration. If you enjoy the dense works of Eric S. Nylund, this could be right up your alley. Highly recommended.

One of the reviewers wrote, "you either love or or hate it" and unfortunately I'm in the latter category. I give it two stars for its ambitious concept, but otherwise it's a tortuous read.

It has no characters that you care about, a convoluted plot, and no real "science" -- which is why I call it a fantasy and not science fiction. The time metaphors are interesting, but completely illogical. How could an intelligent being (Kookatchi the Drum) function with only one minute of memory?

Aside from the provocative names of the various "Time Warrior" tribes there is no real alternative history (e.g. Consumerist Mercantile Hegemony, Czar Ivan's Grand Army of Time, Babylonian Timeless Infantry, Eternal Martyrs of Mount Athos, Byzantine Temporal Fusiliers, etc. ad infinitum)

Maybe I'm just too dense to "get" this book... trying to read it is too much work to be fun. I suppose I will have to read Garfinkle's other book, Celestial Matters, which appears to be much better from the reviews.

I read this book because it was recommended by a friend who wanted to discuss it. I had no expectations of it being even mildly interesting. Imagine my surprise when I discovered a story that transcended "good yarn," making the leap into "mythic." A unique story, wonderfully told. The basic storyline, that people have learned to live in the "instant," constantly battling for control of the outcome of history, is a fun concept -- but what I found much more interesting was the way the author would try to convey that even movement in the instant, time passed, etc, was simpy an illusion that we creatures originating in time kept trying to impress upon the "instant." And the way people are described -- defined by timelengths as attributes -- well, I won't say anymore, other than that this is a highly imaginative book -- worth a read for anyone that loves science fiction or fantasy.

Exciting, ambitious, and reflective, Richard Garfinkle has become one of my favorite authors after writing just two novels. By turning the world of science on its side he creates alternate worlds that are both stunning and believable. He is definitely worth a read. I am in complete suspense waiting for his next book.