Customer Reviews

This Time

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4 star:		(4)
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That's All She Read,[...]

I caught the Richard III bug after reading Josephine Tey's Daughter of Time like everyone else. So I wasn't surprised when I learned of Joan Szechtman's new novel, This Time, which uses a device of fiction well suited to solving the mysteries character assassinating public relations created about Shakespeare's villain. That is, bring Richard in and ask him.

In the novel a wealthy businessman who is a member of the Portland, Oregon Richard III Society decides to scoop the world by bringing the fifteenth century English monarch to the present day. Richard awakes from seconds before his death at Bosworth Field to find himself in a brightly lit room on a hospital bed listening to two men talking in a variant of English he does not recognize. Being by nature intelligent and adaptable, he, with the help of a linguist who is also a Ricardian, acclimatizes as quickly as might be expected to the world 500 years after his own time. Complicating his adjustment the businessman responsible for his trip to 2004 may be planning to send him back, creating a cloak and dagger effort to prevent this by the linguist, the physics whiz, and others who know to do so would be murder. We follow Richard through first this intrigue and then through his desire to use the science that brought him to today to bring his wife and son here too.

This story could be clumsy, contrived, even embarrassing. It is none of these. It is a surprisingly believable and sensitive bit of writing that drew me in and made me unable to put it down. First of all, the portrayal of Richard is affectionate but not idolatrous. Szzechtman knows her protagonist well and built him and his situation into something entirely credible. Though the quest to solve the mysteries of his life, in particular the fate of the "princes in the Tower", is what brought him to now, this Richard is less concerned about his reputation than in being a good and honorable man in his present life. The science is handled with intelligence and a light touch so that the reader can accept its plausibility.

There was one major problem in the novel in my mind. When after hearing from the linguist that her friend "flies up from San Francisco on a regular basis, Richard reacts "He can fly?!" While a perfect example of the humor in this already enjoyable novel, it got me looking forward to reading about his own first experience of air travel. It didn't come. I asked the author about this, and she explained that she had cut the entire subplot of his trip to see a "creature works" lab. The experience of being on a jet is just so far outside anyone's experience from before the 20th century that I felt leaving out some mention was a mistake.

This flaw is however quite made up for by the charm and characterizations in this novel. Even non-Ricardians will enjoy this science/historical fiction novel with a healthy dose of thriller and mystery. Oh, and it's a wonderful love story as well.

This Time is available in "Perfect Paperback" and was published by Collected Stories/Bassett LLC, ISBN 978-0982449301. It is not yet available in any format accessible to the print impaired. Read interview and excerpt at Historical Novel Review, [...]

I used to read a lot of fiction about Richard III, his times, and Richard as a man of his times. I stopped reading them because I found, after a while, that they tended to tread the same old ground, over and over again. This got boring. And that was the way things stayed until I discovered Joan Szechtman's "This Time", a tale about Richard, transported to 21st century Portland, Oregon, just before he was supposedly killed at Bosworth. I discovered the book quite accidentally, by being pointed to Ms. Szechtman's website, where she had posted an excerpt. This excerpt was enough to hook me, once again, so I bought the book. I was a little hesitant to read it at first, fearing the rest of it might disappoint me, but everything else was as good, if not better than, the excerpt. There are several reasons for this. Richard comes across as funny, and quite humanly believable in his attempts to adjust to the 21st century. He masters some things, such as technology, quite easily, and this, from what I've read in other contexts, is very believable. He also struggles with other things which would have been alien to most people living in 15th century England; he even admits to being brought up with prejudices(in fact, from what I've read of him and the period, he actually seems to have had very few biases in his thinking, though he probably thought like a person of his times). Ms. Szechtman has obviously done a great deal of research on Richard and his times, and has very successfully pulled all her research together in her book, in a way that is not obvious to the reader. Richard comes across as very believable in his truggles to adjust to 500 years worth of changes in a great many areas, yet manages to succeed in his endeavors. If there is one flaw in the book, it's perhaps, that it's just a little too easy for him to do this. Yet overall, so much of his adjustment is so believable that this flaw can easily be overlooked. I found the book quite enjoyable, and for me, that is rare. I enjoyed it so much, i fact, that I passed it on to a writer friend, who said she wanted to read it! I can think of no higher recommendation, especially for a first-time writer, and I look forward to Ms. Szechtman's sequels.
Anne Gilbert

This novel begins with an interesting premise--the use of a time travel device to bring back Richard III just as he is about to be killed by Stanley's men on Bosworth field. There is the inevitable cultural clash between a 15th-century man and the 21st-century environment to which he must acclimatize himself. Add to that his need to create meaningful relationships to continue to live--historically speaking, by the time he fought at Bosworth, he had lost his wife and son, which might have affected his ability to make the right decisions. This is the first book of a trilogy--I look forward to reading the rest.

Five hundred years have passed. Just as Richard III is struck down at the infamous Battle of Bosworth, a time machine invented by scientists in the 20th Century transports Richard to Portland, Oregon in August of 2004. Hosgrove, the man who wants academic renown displays such an aggressive attitude to Richard that Richard is overwhelmed by the need to defend himself, a stress he certainly doesn't need as he attempts to adapt to a world that seems magical, perhaps even one step above evil. Katarina, a scholarly linguist, is the compassionate one who manages to gently nurture Richard in this startling new environment. They want information from Richard, proof of the "two missing Princes" being alive and more, evidence Richard is unclear about no matter the time or place.

The more Richard ponders the past and the present, the more he is riddled with guilt over his part in attempting to hide the Princes and his responsibility for the death of so many peers and soldiers at that final battle whose outcome he has managed to escape.

Joan Szechtman has written a novel that immediately draws the reader into Richard's adjustments to technology, clothing, food, and more. After an astonishing act of Hosgrove, Richard disappears until it is safe to return to work together with a team that is actually going to try to restore the life of a family member in Richard's original world. At the same time, the reader is thrilled to see a romance develop in his life, one that is full of formidable challenges but one that is all the more endearing for the way it evolves.

While parts of this story are obviously contrived, those events don't detract from a finely imagined story that will interest Ricardian fans and other readers who love a good historical novel.

Quite a different take, a redeeming look at King Richard III, "Dick," or "Dickon," a man and leader who continues to intrigue old and new readers! Nicely done, indeed, Joan Szechtman!

"This Time" is a strange blend of history and science fiction. I don't often read historical fiction and what little I do is typically from periods much more contemporary than the Middle Ages. Yet, I found Richard III's story interesting. Using time travel (the science fiction portion) as a device to transport a historical figure into contemporary times gives the reader a different prism through which to view our current times. Richard's struggle to understand and adapt to contemporary times is a great story idea and illustrates how much the world has changed. It also makes me glad I wasn't born in the Middle Ages.

One of the story threads regards Richard's place in history. Many believe the historical record is incorrect, with much of the historical record being inaccurate or not supported by the evidence. Much of the blame for this is attributed to Shakespeare's play. "This Time" integrates some of those items that are often questioned into the storyline with Richard attempting to set the record straight. "This Time" was not only entertaining as a story, but I felt as though I learned something in the process, not only about Richard and the times in which he lived, but also about the believability of history in general.

**Originally written for "Books and Pals" book blog. May have received a free review copy. **

Mixing history and time travel has a long tradition amongst fiction writers, HG Wells The Time Machine is perhaps the most famous and Connie Willis' Doomsday or To Say Nothing of the Dog perhaps the most stunning contemporary example. This may appear to be a put down, but it isn't, Joan Szechtman is neither of these authors. So don't expect her to be or judge her on their astronomical criteria. Instead what we have is an enchanting tale of the pros and cons of pulling a historical figure into a contemporary setting. Nothing really works out as intended, and using Richard III as the main character is an excellent idea and we really shouldn't be surprised that human emotions and desires get in the way of the supposedly pure science and research. Thus complicating matters, objectives and the plans of everyone involved. Joan spins a good story and love him or loath him you understand a lot more about the Richard III controversy by the time the tale winds to an interesting and somewhat unexpected conclusion. Who knows it may change your opinion of history. I'll be reading the second one.

Regards Greg

The author of the Liberties of London
Recommended book Connie Willis- To Say Nothing of the Dog

I have to admit...I loved this book! If I had to change one thing, it would have been for the author to describe more of Richard's reactions to modern day things, like his first airplane ride, and using a computer. The reactions weren't as detailed as I would have liked. Otherwise, this was a great read and I eagerly await the sequel! A must-read for all Ricardians!

As with many of the other reviews I am not particularly fond of Ricardian fiction - although in my case it is that I tend not to read fiction of any kind - but mostly it's because ricardian fiction is so intent on romanticizing the man, which is just as jarring to my nerves as the "serious" scholar who is hell-bent on portraying him as evil incarnate or (lately) grasping and mediocre on every level (Seward, Weir, Hicks et al).

Fortunately, even with romantic lapses, the author attempts to at least make her likeable Richard one that we (today) wouldn't particularly like. All the same the concept novel (or "conceit" as this sort of literary experiment could be called)has its problems, which one has to expect with anything different from the norm.

Just speaking for myself, when I came across this concept I thought, hmm, the ultimate "what if" scenario for ricardians, here we have the man himself, plucked from death, now we get to hear what really happened throughout his life. This is where the novel fell apart for me, and being "I want what I want" rather than tolerant enough to listen to what the author wanted me to hear from what she wanted, I found myself asking why didn't she bring up this that or some other point? Why just take the standard line on so many things (ie.that he and Anne were in love; that he begged for George Duke of Clarence's life; that he knew the Stanleys would betray him, that his natural children all came before he was married; that he actually believed his brother's marriage to Elizabeth Wydeville was bigamous, etc etc etc) when she could have really flexed the muscle this concept novel provided to her?

As a Ricardian since reading Shakespeare in high school - go back and re-read that one, the ONLY intelligent, interesting, fascinating full blooded character in the ENTIRE play belongs to Richard; his degree of sheer evil a caricature of great cunning by Shakespeare. It is so over the top as to belong to the realm of fantasy and the author seems to know you are finally twigging that he "protesteth too much" and will begin to think for yourself as to what he is really describing. Shakespeare provided a coded Richard III and one that should make you wonder if you aren't really reading about the paranoia of the Tudors - a literary projection if you will. Well, that sort of complexity is what I thought this author would continue. As I said, I wanted what I wanted! Whenever I get into a ricardian discussion with non-ricardians they don't care about his nice personality, they want to know if he killed two of his three nephews who had claim to the throne before himself. And if it wasn't him, who was it?

I guess I wanted Szechtman to take this head on, to name names as it were. Central to her novel, however, is to literally let Richard put the past behind him and figure out how to live here, in the 21st century. Even here the author missed a couple opportunities to expose her Richard to 20th century horrors and what he would have made of it, (meaning what should "we" actually make of it, no longer desensitized by them) such as 100's of millions who were murdered, executed, "relocated" by the Turks (in Armenia), Mao, Lenin and Stalin, Idi Amin, Che, Pol Pot, Saddam, or the nigthmares that are and have been Darfur, Bosnia, North Korea, the terrorist groups such as the Red Brigades, Weather Underground, the PLO, Al Queda, Hezbollah, etc etc etc. "We" might just have to reassess just how "civilized" we are compared to this favorite bete noire of Tudor apologists.

Perhaps the author will develop a deeper reading of Richard, with each subsequent novel, where the real questions are asked or tackled - for example, why wouldn't her Richard have very firm details on the real circumstances of 1483? In this respect I think the author would have done that, had she done more research, just plow through the mountains of scholarship already done by the various Ricardian society branches. Their efforts have been remarkable in that should one want a clear picture of this man it is not hard to extrapolate one closer to reality than what the author here wants Richard to be.

But any real Ricardian will tell you, it is only the authentic Richard that counts, the truth; not more metaphor and allegory and outright propaganda. There is 500 years of that already.

Sooner or later in ricardian fiction we will get a Richard closer to Shakespeare's master of strategy and cunning - he would have had to be both to survive in his era; even moreso under the Tudors, which Shakespeare would certainly know well enough. But that is not to assert that Richard would have had to kill two of his three nephews ahead of him for the throne. You could look at it this way, aside from the Wydevilles, WHO actually wanted those two boys alive or in power in 1483? That list is dwarfed by those who wanted them out of the way, or dead. Edward IV may have been a phenomenal genius for decisions made on the run, in an instant, but he lacked all interest or ability when it came to long term planning. Unfortunately, Richard had to survive in part to long term planning, and in the spring of 1483 everything he had worked for, had created in the North, from consistent justice and accountability to the safety net of an almost separate country within a country (asin a palatinate), answerable to him and his council in York - all of that evaporated with dual blows - the death of his main support in the person on his brother Edward IV and then a month later the untimely death of George Neville. By May or June at the latest, if Richard had not done something to counter these two catastrophic events I have no doubt, not one, that he would have found himself and his whole organization in the North not only irrelevant but soon to be depleted of titles, properties, completely without a viable future. The civil war that had consumed the English aristocracy for a hundred years, and his whole life, would have returned, and without the Warwick inheritance (which he lost with Neville's untimely death) he had little power or influence to show for 20 years of service to the crown - add to that the mystery behind the death and execution of George, the middle brother, and there is enough personal and national crisi to go around.

The desperation that Richard faced in the spring of 1483 and haunted him to his death two years later is what is missing from Szechtman's account - this was in many ways a hunted man. The more you know about the world as it was in 1483 the more you realize he was a "dead man" walking - I am one of those ricardians who firmly believe he began to insulate himself from the repercussions that would come with Edward's death - whenever it would occur - from the time of George's execution. He would not have planned on usurping the throne, until May when it became apparent to him that it was the only thing he could do to ensure his own survival, and that of his family and his Northern faction. The tough part was doing it with as little bloodshed and trauma as possible - which is why the bigamy business was so effective - it removed the sons of his brother without any need to kill them. Kings had illegitimate children all the time and they were never going to find themselves ahead of a popular movement to put them on the throne. He neutralized them by making them illegitimate. One might ask why he treated Edward of Warwick so differently. But that is for another conversation. My hope is that the author does alot more research and then return to this experiment; its worth the effort!

Time travel as a plot device has been with us for some time now, from Jules Verne, and beyond, mostly (and if we are of a certain age) largely within the constraints of the hard core Sci-Fi genre. Much of this school is largely based upon Einstein's General and Special Relativity theories, and although no definitive answers to the possibility of time travel have been demonstrated in the real world, top physicists today labor on its possibility.

With that, Joan Szechtman's This Time melds two disparate genres, that of the possible, with that of the verifiable--Sci-Fi meets Historical Novel. The author, after a career as an Engineer, is well aware of the issues and limits of the scientific boundaries surrounding time travel. She has also apparently done her homework well regarding Richard, III's historical record, given the paucity of many readily available sources. As an example, the author has included Bibliography and Footnotes sections that allow us to work through her story as presented, which I found illuminating as a researcher.

In her narrative Richard is transported to 21st century Portland, Oregon, just seconds before he was killed at Bosworth Field. The author depicts him as a particular type of Ubermensch, a forward thinking, ethically correct `man-amongst-men', despite most regnant historical accounts to the contrary. So Richard becomes an ideal foil to mine the adaptations of an exceptional person in what is, for him, an exceptional time. I will not go into the other details of the plot here, except to mention that everything is done with great plausibility and with a great affection for the characters, major and small.

Now the ability to draw her characterizations `from the cloth' is a razor's edge. Established authors such as Stephen King or J.K. Rowling will be given the latitude to develop their protagonists and other ancillary characters to their satisfaction. New creators must typically work within the limits of an ever-decreasing number of pages to delimit their work, and in heavier hands these forces have torpedoed many aspiring creators. Szechtman balances these competing forces well. This is a piece that should appeal well to Ricardians vs. non-Ricardians, Sci-Fi vs. Historical fans alike, and for those who simply like a well-constructed story well told. I recommend this work highly.

This Time by Joan Szechtman

Writing a time travel novel in which Richard III travels five centuries forward to modern times allows for much comic relief and amusing encounters with our appliances, machines and ways of communication. I know this because I wrote one myself! So I thoroughly enjoyed This Time on a more personal level, as I relived my experiences in bringing Richard to the 21st century, watching him fiddle with toilet flush handles, fly zippers, forks and knives, and marvel at TVs, computers, cars, planes, elevators, and the rampant use of "OK."
A team of scientists and physicists working at Ambion Technologies in Portland, Oregon employs the laws of physics to substitute a corpse for Richard's living body just before his death on Bosworth Field on August 22, 1485 and bring him to the present time. He wakes up, disoriented and sickened, as the men who brought him here explain how he was transported five centuries forward.
Dr. Katarina Parvic, one of the team members, takes Richard under her wing, to her home and to her bed. She tries hard not to fall in love with him when she hears that the head of the experiment and Ambion CEO, Evan Hosgrove, plans to send him back again because the family of the dead man that was substituted for him is asking questions. She seeks the help of a friend Sean to disguise Richard as a restaurant dishwasher to elude the guards who are out to capture Richard to get him back to Ambion, and in the ensuing skirmish, Richard is shot and rushed to the hospital where he recovers, but finds out that he has a touch of TB. While on antibiotics, he implores Katarina to seek a way to bring his beloved wife and son Anne and Edward to this time, but she and Richard's doctor explain that no one in such an advanced stage of TB and appendicitis, the diseases that killed Anne and Edward, could ever survive.
Once again, Richard feels as if he's lost his family.
Richard and Hosgrove work out a settlement, and Richard finds out that his son Edward may be able to come forward to this time--before he died of appendicitis.
The scientists locate the woman who invented the Quantum Displacement Engine, or QDT, Sarah Gold. When she arrives at Ambion, Richard falls in love with her instantly. She learns that the Ambion techs made a time machine out of her invention and that he's in fact Richard III from five hundred years past. Because she's not sure he's telling her the truth about not having really killed his nephews and poisoning his wife, she insists they cool their relationship for a while. But after settling their differences about religion and once she's convinced Richard wasn't the monster Shakespeare and the other propagandists made him out to be, they resume their whirlwind courtship and marry.
The scientific team manages to bring Richard's son Edward forward in time with a robot that's built at MIT and by manipulating the QDT. He's being treated for his appendicitis, but now with modern medicine. Now Richard has his son, his new family and his new life--and lots more to tell in the sequels!
Diana Rubino
[...]

One Too Many Times