Customer Reviews

THE CORRIDORS OF TIME

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

 

 

The Corridors of Time begins as a Time Opera. That is, it's a Space Opera only it involves a vast war through time instead of space. Malcolm, an ordinary college student who happens to be a martial arts expert, is recruited by a mysterious, imperious, incredibly beautiful woman to help her recover a treasure. He agrees and promptly learns he's actually been recruited to fight in a war between good and evil. Soon the twist comes in. He learns more and begins to suspect he's fighting on the wrong side. Or is he? Is this just an ordinary war? Or are both sides equally bad? Or is he misunderstanding the situation? This is that rarity, a slambang, non-stop action thriller filled with fighting, romance, thought, philosophy and a very serious ethical dilemna. I give it five stars just for the willingness to explore serious questions about morality, ethics, the dangers of utopias, free will and the future of mankind all the while engaging in almost non-stop hand to hand combat. It's quite an achievement!

You can always count on Poul Anderson for a good time travel story, and The Corridors of Time is no exception.

In the 40th Century, the world is dividing into two camps - The Wardens, who control the Eastern Hemisphere, and the Rangers, who control Western. To Malcolm Lockridge, an ex-marine college student of the 20th century, the distinction between Good and Evil is an easy one to determine after he recruited by Storm Daraway, one of the leaders of the Wardens.

Storm, using the cover story of hiring Lockridge to help recover some long lost Ukrainian Freedom Fighter gold buried in the Jutland, steals him away to Neolithic Denmark and fills him in on the war between the Wardens and the Rangers that is being waged across all of time. She brings Lockridge in on her side - and as her lover - and that choice is an easy one for Malcolm after Brann, the ruler of the Rangers, leads a hoard of Indo-European barbarians against the peaceful village that is hosting them in an attempt to capture Storm - which he does and then proceeds to torture her for information.

Lockridge, decides to escape and seek help. He makes his way through the local Time Corridor to Reformation Europe in search of a contact that Storm said would be waiting each All Hallow's Eve at an inn in Viborg. This contact will lead him to her cohorts who will mount a daring rescue attempt using English warriors from the 16th century.

But, Malcolm must determine if he has chosen the right side in this war... or even if there is a right side; and through it all he will learn his pivotal role in the future that follows the 40th Century.

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A Guide to my Book Rating System:

1 star = The wood pulp would have been better utilized as toilet paper.
2 stars = Don't bother, clean your bathroom instead.
3 stars = Wasn't a waste of time, but it was time wasted.
4 stars = Good book, but not life altering.
5 stars = This book changed my world in at least some small way.

I read this novel when I was about 30 years old (now almost 70). I can only say that I enjoyed it very much then. A page-turner. Maybe I'll have to read it again.

The Corridors of Time is a different story. The world has two opposing political powers, and part of this struggle ends up taking place in the timestream. No Everard Manse here.

A lot of it in this case, in ancient Denmark. So, quite enjoyable to see a different setting handled in this way compared to the usual sort of places.

I will not say a word about story here (there are people who done it before me) but I will say a few comments. First, author often says that past can not be manipulated which I think is not true, and based on that he leads story development in one way. Word "full circle" will come into Your mind when You read a book, and few paradoxes as well. Why can't they travel in future? I know that that is explained later in text but that explanation is not good enough, and why couldn't they change the past? After all Warden and Rangers are higly advanced civilization in technology, why couldn't they come in some dark and forgotten past whith heavy machinery and create their own world? In this book there are questions who reamined unanswered or illogicaly answered, it looks like the author did not want to bother himself with that kind of questioning. Read this book, if you like Soap Operas and Heroism, if You like "hard" SF or something that better deals with time travel, read Stephen Baxter's "Time Ships"