Baseline Time (Paperback)

by Samuel Ben White (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Edward and Marianne were just two teenagers out for a bicycle ride when the storm hit. When they woke up, they were in a strange, almost lifeless land, seemingly a million miles from home. They are soon found by Marcus, an enigmatic and wise stranger who tells them he has been sent to guide them. Joined by Daniel, a hulking hunter who is wise in the ways of both weapon and book but is running from some unknown trouble, they see no choice but to follow. When their path crosses that of demons, and apparently points to a battlefield confrontation with evil itself, Edward and Marianne wonder why they have been chosen for this task. The journey leads them across a thousand miles of prairie, into the mountains, against innumerable foes, and through greater danger than either has ever known. Isn’t there any other way to get home?

Product Details

• Paperback: 643 pages
• Publisher: PublishAmerica (August 14, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1424125715
• ISBN-13: 978-1424125715
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars What a strange first date, September 2, 2006

By	Samuel B. White "Tuttle" (Lawton, OK) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

After a two year absence, Sam White returns with his most ambitious novel, yet. "Baseline Time" is a story set somewhere near the end of the world, when the American West has been returned to a state of pre-industrialization and evil is preparing to send out all its minions to enslave mankind.

This story involves travel through time, but it is not a story about time travel (as were White's novels about Garison Fitch and the Kerrigans). This is a story about what it takes to confront evil and the trials--and tribulations!--that come to those who stand with right. It's also an adventure novel and, in the tradition of Tolkien, a travelogue.


The Story

Eward and Marianne are two awkward teenagers on their first date when a freak storm propels them into a land of wide prairies--and no people. They discover an ancient castle, manned by an elderly man who claims to have met them the day before. The man begins to outfit them for a trip with Marcus, a strange young man who is going on a long trip but the teens are assured, "If anyone can get you home, it's Marcus." Seeing no other choice, Marianne and Edward follow Marcus into the prairie--which soon proves to not be quite so barren as they had thought when they are attacked by a mountain lion, Hreegoths (a sort of demon in human form) and a land baron who has traded his soul in exchange for immortality.

The Writing

In my reviews of Karen Kingsbury's excellent "Like Dandelion Dust" I mentioned the difference between "writers" and "storytellers". White's strength is still in his storytelling (you can almost hear him telling this tale over a campfire somewhere along Edward and Marianne's trail), but he has become a much more polished writer since 2004's "Lost Time". [Though, like a speaker of the southwest--which he is--his adverbs tend to disappear now and then.]

This only makes sense, since according to White, he's been writing this book for thirty years. It shows, as there is a depth of story here that convinces the reader that there are many back stories and layers that could be delved into if one had the right tools.

Conclusion: this is White's best work to date and should be read by everyone!